Symphony No. 7

    The symphony was scarcely understood by the public.

    Alma Mahler.

    The work is dominated by a tragic and elemental power, that of
    Death.

    Willem Mengelberg.

Mahler's Seventh has long been his least understood and least often performed
symphony (I suspect it even beats the Sixth for infrequency of performance).
Composed between 1904 and 1905, and first performed in Prague on
September 19, 1908, it tends to leave audiences as puzzled today as it did at
the premiere.

The Seventh symphony is even more difficult to pull off than the Third. Unless
the conductor is really committed the symphony can seem to be a rambling
succession of interesting moments which fail to cohere, especially the finale,
which is best viewed as a satire on the kind of tediously academic composer
usually referred to (detrimentally) in German as kapellmeister.

Once again, for me Horenstein triumphs. His 1969 NPO Seventh, recorded live
at the Royal Festival Hall in London, is absolutely tremendous; there are,
admittedly, small orchestral glitches, but Horenstein has a uniquely compelling
view of the work. The Italian company, Descant, seems to have disappeared,
and their "Horenstein Edition" with them, but this has now been reissued by
Music and Arts. The Descant was in good stereo, and I trust that the M&A; is
also.

Tennstedt's live version (EMI), coupled with the Sixth (see above) is almost
unique in that, while his finale is undeniably impressive - and the closing pages
tumultuous - he seems to lose his way in the opening movement, a feat which
only Klemperer seems to have achieved before (and that only because of his
glacial tempo).

EMI have pulled off something of a coup by issuing a live CBSO/Rattle
performance, recorded at the Maltings, Snape, on a single CD. To their credit
EMI agreed not to issue a studio version Rattle had laid down a few years
back, as he considered it below par. Rattle's version is almost classical in feel,
a surprising approach which works very well. this may well be a first choice
now.

Also very impressive is the Naxos set, conducted by Michael Halasz, a strong,
tightly controlled performance which is also on a single CD. The recording is
more than adequate, although not in the same class as the Rattle.

Cheaper still, is the recording on LaserLight, by the Netherlands PO under
Helmut Haenchen, the third of his cycle to appear so far. This, like his Sixth, is
a double set priced as one (and LaserLight discs are already priced ludicrously
cheaply). A very impressive performance indeed, particularly the opening
movement, which he holds together superbly at a tempo which yields only to
Klemperer for length.

The versions by Abbado, with the Chicago Symphony (DG) and Bernstein's
DG remake with the NYPO are both very fine; personally I prefer the
Bernstein, but either can safely be recommended.

Abravanel's recording was the first of the critical edition of the score. Again a
surprisingly good, "straight" reading, although even when it reappears on CD it
is unlikely to displace any of the competition.

There are also several (at least 3) live recordings by the uniquely quirky
Hermann Scherchen: 1950 VSO (Orfeo), 1960 VSO (ASdisc) and 1967
Toronto SO (Music and Arts); they are at the opposite pole to Rattle's view,
but equally valid - if one can pull it off, which Scherchen certainly could.
Scherchen's 1952 studio recording is now also available on Palladio, coupled
with the Adagio from the Tenth. All wonderful performances. For the
Mahlerphile and the Scherchenophile. (And the adventurous)