Mahler's ninth represents the greatest possible tragedy

I read a review in the major Finnish newspaper of Mahler's ninth recorded by Bruno Walter during his Indian summer, and soon acquired it. I learned the piece from that recording, and as I grew up with it, I for a long time regarded it as ideal. It might be just that in many respects, safe for the final, as Walter clearly was allergic to it and wanted to get rid of it a.s.a.p. Very soon after acquiring Walter's reference recording I also bought one concert version by Horenstein, having read of him. It was then a disappointment to me and sold it to a second hand record store. I then decided to get along with Walter. Which I did for 20 years. Before encountering this recording.

Horenstein may start cautiously, but as I have learnt to appreciate the organic reconstructive interpretative style by adoring Furtwängler since my adolescence, I have learnt that patience is a virtue in symphonic music as it allows to leave the essential in reserve. When the music really calls for power, the raw intensity is overwhelming as climaxes really count. Horenstein knows better than anybody, how to build and to accumulate.

If Walter's style could be characterized as nostalgic overview and that of Klemperer as a detached X-ray, Horenstein identifies himself with the score. For him any tragedy built-in the score is his personal tragedy. Ok, Walter may score over him in the two central scherzo movements - scherzi are often almost rudimentary in Horenstein's preserved performances, as the scherzi pose the interpreters great difficulties that only can be solved with repeated rehearsing, something that was beyond the nomadic Horenstein. But there is no one that can touch him when it comes to holistic view, understanding the true meaning of the music. In that Horenstein is often untouchable and his preserved performances are to cherish. For him, the whole world as was known to Mahler crashes along with the first movement coda, and Mahler himself is allowed to settle with this loss in the final.

Remark: this recording was by far the most expensive musical recording I have ever acquired. And I speak with experience of roughly 1500 classical recordings. It is pity that is so difficult to find. I managed to get a copy from Japanese Amazon. It is worth every penny you will have to pay for it, and after hearing it just once, it will always be the point of reference.

My review is also released at www.amazon.co.uk.