Having heard Bernstein's Mahler 4 with the Concertgebouw I must say that I
liked the first two movements and disliked the third and fourth. Using a boy
soprano in this work does nothing for me. My memories of Bernstein's NYP
Mahler 4 are too dim for me to comment on it.
Good recordings to go for include those conducted by Kubelik, Kletzki, van
Beinum, and (IIRC) Szell and Walter. I recall Levine's as being half-on,
half-off.
And speaking of George Szell, I was listening to a rather foppy recording of
Weill's "Seven Deadly Sins" on the radio last night and though "This needs a
more driving and focused conductor like George Szell." Does anybody know if
Szell ever conducted/recorded any Weill?
Aaron J. Rabushka
[log in to unmask]http://www.cowtown.net/users/arabushk/