The innocent ear, free from odious comparisons with the past, might welcome this straightforward, careful, well-played traversal of a wonderful score, but in those epithets lies the experienced listener’s cause for dissatisfaction. Oue doubtless has all the notes in his head, and knows how to convey discipline and phrasing to his charges, all estimable players, but what is missing is the sense of a special occasion, of an immediate, spontaneous response to the import, and/or a particular view of the inspired score. Part of the problem, as in so many performances today, lies in the slow speeds (most noticeable in the laboured orchestral interlude in the finale): Oue adds some nine minutes overall to those taken by Walter, Reiner and Jochum, often imparting a ‘studied’ feeling to the work.
DeYoung sings with all her expected richness and warmth of tone and with a fine feeling for the German language, but at those special moments where a Ferrier or a Baker will give one sudden illuminations, here they are fatally absent. At full price, indeed at any price, the ordinary won’t do. The most worthwhile aspect of the reading is the contribution of the tenor soloist; in spite of slightly grainy tone, Villars (a new name to me) sings with sensitivity in his three offerings and has the range for each of them, his voice lying somewhere between the lyric and the dramatic.
The recording has plenty of atmosphere and is admirably balanced, but – like other accounts of the 1990s – this one is not touched at any point by genius. The Walter, despite its restricted sound, is still an unforgettable experience on all sides (as are his earlier and later recordings). The well-recorded Haitink, Reiner and Jochum, at reasonable prices, remain strong recommendations.
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