Kent Nagano - Gustav Mahler: Das Lied von Der Erde (2009)

Because of the unevenness of this release -- much of it is so good yet so much is so bad -- listeners will be arguing the merits of this version of Mahler's symphonic song cycle Das Lied von der Erde for years. Conductor Kent Nagano's tempos are frequently ideal (the funeral march and the close of the final song, for instance), but sometimes erratic (the tempos of the third and fourth songs swerve from too fast to too slow too often). His textures are sometimes clear and lucid, as in the opening of the first song, but too often thick and heavy, as in the funeral march. Part of this might be the orchestra's responsibility. While certainly a front-rank organization, the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal is no Mahler orchestra. Their playing is often lovely, especially the wind soloists, but their balances are too blended and their sonorities too voluptuous to suit the composer's lean, late-orchestral style. Most problematic are the vocal soloists. No one could object to Nagano taking the option of having a tenor and baritone instead of a tenor and alto, but some might object to his choice of singers. While Klaus Florian Vogt has a pleasing, lyrical tenor, he lacks the heroic heft for the opening song and the tonal control for the fifth song. Baritone Christian Gerhaher, also essentially a lyrical singer, has more vocal strength and more sensitivity in his interpretations. His account of the closing song is ravishingly beautiful and often very moving. Any sufficiently dedicated Mahler enthusiast will want to hear this Das Lied once. Whether it bears repeated listenings is another matter. The lack of focus, depth, and impact make this one of Sony's least appealing digital releases.