John Smyth <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Anyway, I discovered that the EMI 8th is only available right now as part
>of a box set containing the complete symphonies, at a very good price I
>might add.

I bought my Tennstedt M8 a few years ago coupled, with #6&7.  All the
same...  ehhhh...  Don't much care for his 6...  haven't yet warmed to
*anyone's* 7...  yet (although I'm due for a bunch of different versions
to be held for me at the library.) And his 8...  well...  not much a fan of
the 8 in general, but so far, if I had to choose, I would pick Sinopoli's
over Tennstedt...  a little more dramatic character and oomph!

As it happened, I got to sample Chailly's new M8 at a record store's
listening booth...  and I kinda get what everyone's been complaining
about...  that slow tempo at the start really takes the steam out of the
drama...  and for me, that's been the biggest draw to even listen to the
work up to now.  Likely the sound of the recording and the playing may
give compensation, but the playback equipment at the booth was too cheap
to allow it to come out.  If I get a chance at, perhaps, a used CD store,
I'd be interested to hear it again.

Incidentally, I haven't commented on it yet, but I've been enjoying my
Chailly M6 for the past few days.  He takes a much slower tempo than I'm
used to in the first movements.  But, unlike, IMO, Barbirolli, and unlike
the effect he seems to have achieved with the M8, in the 6, Chailly uses it
to really screw in the intensity.  In the first two movement's especially,
his bringing out of the snare drum, something which I never before paid any
notice, is fantastic.  He uses less of the bass drum than, say, Karajan,
but the effect still SLAMS!  And in the last movement...  now THOSE are
HAMMER BLOWS!!!  Yowza!  The last one still makes me jump!  And, as always,
the recording, and the playing, are exquisite throughout!

Albie