Christoph von Dohnányi, Cleveland Orchestra - Mahler: Symphony No. 5 (1989)

Having never liked Mahler's Fifth as much as 1-4 and the 6th, I approached this recording with some trepidation. To my ears, Boulez was too cerebral, Bernstein too hysterical, and Barbirolli too rhythmically loose. But Dohnanyi, one of the most underrated conductors of our time (the others being Chailly and Mackerras) gives here an outstanding performance of the symphony, finding an incredibly valid mid-point between lyrical warmth and muscular power. My one complaint was the second movement, which is not quite as frightening as one might like, yet the way Dohnanyi finishes his phrases and connects the disparate sections of each movement leave one breathless with wonder. And what spectacular sonics!! One can hear every inner voice as clearly as on those old Toscanini recordings. At one point in the first movement, for instance, there is a wide-spread-out chord played by the full orchestra. At that moment, one can hear every note in the chord and every instrument playing it, as clearly as if it were 3-D. Unbelievable! Along with his sparkling Mendelssohn recordings, this CD is a wonderful performance by a fabulous conductor who understands musicality, phrasing, tempo and FEELING, above all feeling which, after all, is what Mahler is all about. Highly recommended!