Mahler's Sixth Symphony has been finely treated on record, not least by Abbado. Occasionally, this searingly classical work has been well served by an inspired individualist like Barbirolli or Bernstein (CBS) but it has generally been the intellectually cogent, musically more circumspect readings of conductors like Adler (pre-Ratz and thus innocent of the Critical Edition's desire to play the Scherzo second), Szell, Haitink (Philips), Karajan (DG), and Abbado himself which have made the better long-term case. Abbado has been conducting the work in public since the mid-1960s; indeed, he first came to notice in the UK with the piece at a time when it was barely known to a wider public. This Chicago recording, made in 1979, combines freshness and experience; one feels that Abbado knows the work intimately both on the page, and on the orchestra. By and large, it is a leaner performance than Solti's with the same orchestra on Decca, quite as magnificently played, but better directed, truer of aim. The recording is excellent, full-bodied but very clean (listen to the interplay of trumpets, trombones and bass tuba at fig. 69—the Scherzo at 1'20''). The Philips engineers contrive to give us more of the hall and thus a stronger sense of a real performance on the still very serviceable, but also still full price, 1970 recording directed with great skill by Haitink who joins Abbado in giving the slow movement a pleasing forward impetus with no loss of lyric intensity. The Abbado sounds exquisite in the new transfers.
If the fill-up is a factor then the full-price, and very fine, Karajan set (slightly quicker first movement, rather more leisurely slow movement) has the advantage of Christa Ludwig as soloist in the Five Ruckert Lieder. Hanna Schwarz's performance, originally issued with Abbado's rather disappointing account of the Fifth Symphony, is inoffensive rather than memorable. But the symphony is the thing and at its new price, cheaper than the Haitink or the Karajan yet in the same league in all other respects, the Abbado is probably the best buy of all.'