Albie Cabrera wrote of the Barshai Mahler 5:

>Ok...  not quite off my Mahler kick yet...  still loving my Chailly M5
>I'm INTRIGUED, to say the least.

I bought this CD and was also impressed by the fine playing and
interpretation.  The 2nd and 4th movements are particularly good.  I was
surprised to hear an adagietto I liked so much as it is a bit overplayed.

A caveat alluded to by Mr Duggan though - the sound is not 100%.  It
is fairly natural but he crescendos have been reigned in a bit.  This
noticable at the end where the timpani does not have the impact it should.
For that matter the recording does not have the comparative volume at the
end of the fifth movement as it does at the end of the second and fourth
movements (am I just mishearing this? Or was that as it was in the
concert?).  Some of the sound can be a bit muffled and woolly.  The problem
I suspect is that it was recorded in the dreaded Berlin Philharmonie.
Nevertheless a wonderful recording.  The string playing in the finale is
particularly exciting.

The sound is not as disasterous as the silly recording RCA lumped on Gatti
and the RPO in their Mahler 5.  It seems to make my Stereo speakers sound
smaller than they are and is top-heavy.  Shame as another fine
interpretation.

Mr Duggan should have also mentioned the cover.  Instead of the usual shot
of the maestro in polo necked jumper looking all-knowing or enegmatic we
have a picture of the players in full flight.  Now there's an innovation!

David Harbin
Nottingham, UK