Well, I finally got my package o' Horenstein from Berkshire Record
Outlet.  Regarding his Mahler 3-- it's all true.  A towering face-crusher
of a performance, and surprise surprise, my new favorite.  Sufficiently
different from the Kubelik though that I'll still wanna hear K.  from time
to time.  Horenstein's is more "pagan"; Kubelik's is more "springlike".
A fine distinction which may exist only in my mind.  The Horenstein has
better sound-- in fact this is pretty much my ideal recorded sound right
here.  Levine I'll now be passing on to a friend, despite the wonderful
Maurice Sendak cover illo, which I may have to make a color xerox blowup
of first.  I still want to add the Barbirolli, but that'll probably be it
for Mahler 3rd's for me.

Horenstein's Tchaikovsky 6 on Royal Classics with the LSO from the late
60's is also mouthwateringly well-recorded.  I basically just wanted a
robust, not-too-indulgent recording of this piece for when I get in that
rare but specific Tchaikovsky mood.  I guess this is a not overlong T6--
it's done in about 47 minutes.  For $1.99 I'm very pleased with this one.

Faust Symphony with the BBC Northern Orchestra on Intaglio-- great
performance, especially loved the woodwinds-- but there's maddening
dropouts on one channel.  Can anyone who has the Music & Arts transfer
tell me if these dropouts exist on that? They're most prominent right
near the end of the 1st movement.  If the answer's no, I don't think I'll
be buying any more Intaglio releases.  The Music & Arts is ten bucks at
CDNow currently and I'll spring for that if it's an improvement.

Schoenberg Chamber Sym 1/Sibelius 5 with the BBC Northern on Intaglio
was kind of a dud.  The SIbelius is a very straight performance, and for
some reason this piece really doesn't work for me straight like the 3rd or
the 6th does.  I want an impassive, beyond-mortal-ken approach to the 5th,
accentuating the whole "pedal-points of nature" thing.  Vanska is still
tops for me here, though I do have the Barbirolli/Halle coming in the mail
on LP, and am very anticipatory about that!  The Schoenberg didn't move me.
I'll stick with Rattle for now.  Horenstein is almost 4 minutes faster, if
that means anything.  Anyways, this one didn't have dropouts like the Liszt
at least.

Thus ran my Horenstein baptism.  I realize I'm obliged to get his Mahler 8
and his later Mahler 9, if i ever see it anywhere, and such will happen in
the fullness of time.  For now I'm happy to have the Grandpappy of Mahler
3's.

Jon Lewis
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