Negative Positive
Title: Right on target
Review: Another fine performance from Barenboim. Although Abbado's recording is deeply imprinted in me after two years of listening and therefore defining the symphony for me I find Barenboims interpretation to be quite similar as far as tempos, dynamics etc. Once again subtle differences that unsettle and enlighten at the same time. The difference in the phrasing of the french horn solo, the reserve on a melodic line rather than lush indulgence, is it a tambourine you hear more clearly in the first movement ? , all the things that reawaken the listener's awareness of each measure of music. Do you like it this way or do you like it that way more? Barenboim is the perfect conductor for those who like their Mahler with feet still on the ground rather than having fallen into the score. I may be a drama queen but the music does speak for itself.
Is the review positive or negative? 