Recordings of the great
Bernard Haitink
have been coming out of the vaults since his death in 2021, and it is easy to see why the
BR Klassik
label was drawn to this 2011 performance of
Mahler
's
Symphony No. 7 in E minor
, recorded live at the Gasteig in Munich.
Haitink
was a renowned
conductor, bringing precision and a marvelous sense of the long line to
's vast scores. In
's hands, the symphonies didn't seem long, and the
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
plays well, with the horn section holding together beautifully in the big finale. The two Nachtmusik movements, especially the second one, are traced in delicate instrumental filigrees. All this said,
has recorded the
Symphony No. 7
multiple times in the past, and this version is unlikely to become anyone's go-to. The first movement just fails to catch fire, and although
has made some of the best live recordings on the market in recent years, they weren't quite there in 2011; the sound is indistinct and gives the strings an unpleasant tang. Nevertheless, for
fans, there are many things here to appreciate. ~ James Manheim