Performance **** Recording *****
Stephen Johnson - BBC Music Magazine, April 2011
****
Guiseppe Rossi - Musica, February 2011
Recording of the Month
"This is a very fine Mahler Fourth and a treasurable example of the work of a great conductor in repertoire with which he was not automatically associated. The catalogue is bursting with recordings of this symphony but this most enjoyable and thoroughly musical reading can safely be ranked among the best."
John Quinn
MusicWeb-International - February 2011
Artistic Quality 9 Sound Quality 8
Charles Mackerras had style. No matter what the repertoire, or how interventionist his interpretation, he always worked with the music, never against it. His Mahler has all the typically Mahlerian hallmarks: generous portamento, careful observation of luftpauses, wide-ranging tempos, crisp and clear percussion, and basically perfect balances between strings and winds. The solo violin in the scherzo has lots of character; Sarah Fox sings the finale with the right sense of innocence and wonder, and the adagio’s variations merge seamlessly into one another--except where Mahler says that they shouldn’t. It all flows beautifully, and only a few moments of iffy ensemble betray the recording’s live provenance. There are too many superb performances of this symphony to say that this one belongs with the absolute best, but it’s very, very good, well recorded before a generally quiet audience, and a splendid memento of a truly great conductor.
David Hurwitz
ClassicsToday.com - 12 January 2011
"...This is exceptionally good; I thought I’d manage to finish 2010 without mentioning another Mahler release, but this live recording, recorded in London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall in 2006, is a stunner."
Graham Rickson
theartsdesk.com - 20 November 2010
*****
Andrew Clements
The Guardian
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