Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Carlo Maria Giulini - Mahler: Symphony No.9 in D (Remastered) (2019) [Hi-Res]

Recently deceased conductor Carlo Maria Giulini had a long and distinguished career and many regard his years at the helm of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as among his most inspired. The work receive appropriately expansive readings with Giulini taking great care in drawing out the orchestral sonorous and chromatic potential. Giulini's judicious moderate tempos particularly in the Mahler, are especially well suited to the composers spiritual grand plan. Deutsche Grammophon's sound is remarkably good with exceptional presence and detail.

When Carlo Maria Giulini and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's recording of Mahler's Ninth Symphony was released on Deutsche Grammophon in 1977, it was immediately hailed by fans of the conductor and composer as a lyrical, colorful, dramatic, and consummately musical interpretation of the harrowing work. Re-released 30 years later, however, the performance does not hold up so well. Part of the responsibility is the Chicago Symphony's. Too often, the strings seem slightly sloppy, the brass too forward, and the balances poorly judged. But most of the responsibility is Giulini's. Where one hopes for surging developments, one gets episodic developments; where one anticipates soaring themes, one gets turgid themes; and where one expects intimate codas, one gets vague codas.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Carlo Maria Giulini, conductor

Digitally remastered