Zubin Mehta's Mahler 2

Bought this at Shun Wo the other day. I have heard about this recording and somebody said it was an excellent one, but it was not even mentioned in both the Grammophone Good CD Guide and the Penguin Guide. Mehta is never my cup of tea, but after listening to it, I have to agree that it is seriously underrated. It surpasses all the Mahler 2 I have listened to, including Rattle and Klemperer.

The opening was full of sparks, and the tempo Mehta took was quite fast. It does not drag on as most conductors tend to do in the 1st movement. It was not rushed either. It was full of contrasts, tension and dramatic effect. The second movement, however, was played relatively slowly, but the dancing mood remained. I am surprised that Mehta managed to keep the flow despite the relatively slow tempo and it was wonderfully phrased.

The scherzo was also full of contrast. The brass section of the Vienna Philharmonic was simply great. Then comes the Urlicht, which was beautifully sung. The tempo was slow, which makes it even more touching than most other recordings. Ludwig sounded rich and full in it.

The finale was absolutely the best. Ileana Cotrubas's entry in the finale was perfect, as if heaven's light sheds upon the earth. Mehta really outperformed himself and I am sure this is unmatched in terms of the building up of climax. One special thing about this recording is that the organ was heard very clearly (only the recent Fischer's recording managed to have the organ sound clear). It really pictures what the resurrection would be like! I applaud Mehta's effort in this, and given it is a 1975 recording, it worths more of our praise. How he subsequently declined to be a boring conductor is perhaps another story.

A "perfect" recording. If you love Mahler and haven't got this, you have missed a lot!