I've read here a few times that Bernard Haitink in the flesh is a much
different musician than on disc, and earlier this week while on a visit
to London (free babysitting with grandparents!), my wife and I were able
to enjoy an absolutely magnificent performance with him and the Berliners.
While I've admired Haitink before, nothing prepared me for these
transcendent readings of Wagner's Tristan Prelude and Brucker 7th.  In the
latter especially I'm not sure I've ever heard such a complete unanimity
among conductor, composer and musicians.  Here Haitink's remarkable grasp
of structure, in a live setting with musicians who obviously love him,
built carefully shaped developments of tension that would suddenly explode
in riotous joy at the climax of a movement.  One sensed the lifetime of
love he's lavished on this music fully emerging.

Why Philips hasn't done live recordings with him, I'll never know.

And once again I learned that great orchestras sound so different in person
that one is almost tempted to give up collecting.  The Berlin strings in
particular are absolutely indescribable.

Robin Mitchell-Boyask
Temple University
Philadelphia PA 19122