[SACD-R][OF] Bernard Haitink, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra - Mahler – Symphony No. 8 in E flat “Symphony of a Thousand” - 1971/2006 (Orchestral)

Reviews from SA-CD.net:
By Polly Nomial:
This is yet another triumph for PentaTone’s RQR series. With visionary conducting and exemplary playing and singing, this set is a treasure to listen to from both an audiophiles’ and a musician’s perspective.
Some people might note that this is available on a single disc, with a total playing time of around 76 minutes. Those who are concerned that Haitink has turned into a speed freak for a disc need not worry; it is more the case that (unless specifically called for, like in the concluding “Alles Vergangliche”) there is no dawdling. This approach lends a work that is potentially unconvincing as a symphony some much needed unity.
There are tiny moments of lapses of ensemble and occasional rough tuning from the trumpets now and again but considering the enormity of the forces, the whole co-ordination is managed in a sensational manner. Throughout, Haitink’s relatively straightforward reading allows the drama that Mahler included to come to the fore without attempting to laden it (as too many mistakenly do in this weaker work of the Mahler canon) with, for want of a better word, “significance”.
As will be familiar to those of PentaTone’s modern recordings, the sound balance is very “natural” and unusually for a work with such a mammoth orchestration, there are no instruments placed around the hall except a for a few trumpets in the finales to each part, so apart from missing the very attractive ambience of the Concertgebouw, listeners in stereo are not severely disadvantaged. There is no “hole” in the mix either when swapping to MCH, so one must give praise and thanks to the original Philips engineers as well as to the geniuses at Polyhymnia.
The only vaguely significant criticism I can level at this issue is the lack of texts – not even PentaTone’s website contains any translations. Whilst for many, this will not be a significant problem, some intrepid explorers for whom SACD has opened new musical frontiers, it is a great shame that PentaTone could not have helped overcome a potential language barrier.
To sum up: for all Mahlerians, this is an essential addition to the discography.
By Russell:
I was quite excited about this 1972 recording being reissued on SACD, as it’s been one of my favorite performances of the work ever since LP days. I’ve always felt this recording was underappreciated, both for performance and recording quality. The LP had the misfortune to be released around the same time as the more flamboyant Solti recording on Decca, and most critics preferred Solti’s over the more diffusely recorded Haitink one. While the Solti is certainly the more overtly ‘spectacular’ recording, the Haitink has its merits as well.
I wasn’t disappointed with this new SACD. Though I don’t have the original Philips CD issue on hand to compare it to, the sound on the PentaTone SACD is huge, spacious, and transparent, though lacking a bit in richness and weight. I remember this as a characteristic of the LP. (BTW, I listened in stereo only, as I’m not set up for MCH.) As for the interpretation, it’s pretty much echt-Haitink from that period–direct, straightforward, unfussy, no interpretive mannerisms (that I could hear, at least). It’s also pretty swift, at under 76 minutes (Solti’s is just over 79, IIRC). (Note: the total time printed on the back cover is incorrect–it says 70 minutes and change.) The singing is first-rate, and better IMO than on the recent Wit/Naxos CD, which has received very high praise elsewhere–I found it good, but overrated. Haitink dispatches the very end of the work just a bit too coolly–I would have preferred Haitink to wallow more in its grandeur–but overall I really loved hearing this recording again and am happy to have it on SACD.
By willemvoorneveld:
Haitink has recorded several Mahler cycles during his career. In the early seventies and later in the mid 80’s he recorded with the Concertgebouw Orchestra followed by an almost complete series with BPO in the early 90’s (both on CD and DVD) and more recently, live recordings with CSO, the Bayerischen Rundfunk Orchestra and again with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, all on SACD. With the 9th done last December in München he could bundle them up and issue the next complete release!
His interpretations have evolved over time but still carry the same basic ingredients.
This Pentatone recording is from his earliest complete set (1971 recorded) and although I do have the original CD (1972) I had a hard time to find out whether the two discs are sourced from the same tape because details made to hear through the Pentatone disc do not seem to exist on the old Philips CD stereo version. The timing is similar so I assume they are the same.
Haitink’s interpretation is balanced, more inward looking than extrovert (as Bernstein VPO, 1975) and more intellectual than superficial (Compare TTT with SFO). Haitink has the United Choruses of Amsterdam available to him which is an equal match to Bernstein’s cast who had the United Choruses of Vienna singing. Both the Haitink and the Bernstein version were the ones I preferred most so far but sound quality wise they were both not ideal. The Philips CD was too distant and the Berstein DGG too rough and tiring. Mahler 8th seemed too much music for just two channels.
The Pentatone release uses two channels more than the original Philips CD, and the result is stunning. It convinced me that with only 4 channels one can also create a solid 3 dimensional soundstage, with very fine balance between soloists and the orchestra and Chorus. So, this 40 year old quadrophonic recording proofs that 4.0 can be as good as 5.0 Multi-channel.
Compared to the current RCO live releases (made by the same company) there are a few differences though: Low percussion is less articulate and deep and violins can become a bit harsh in Forte; indicating that some progress seem to have been made in the microphone department. What remains though is a very realistic acoustic picture of the Concertgebouw (the symphony Hall) that in no way is less accurate than in current recordings.
Recommended both for artistic and sound reasons!

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