Competition is strong among CD performances of Mahler's First Symphony, a work that has fared rather well on disc, and here is an outstanding new contender in the lists. Reports have been crossing the Atlantic for some time that the St Louis Symphony Orchestra has become one of the finest in the United States. Although it is notoriously risky to judge the quality of an orchestra from its recordings, it seems undeniable from this evidence that the reports are true and that Leonard Slatkin has built up a notably fine ensemble with rich European-type tone. The playing in this symphony can, for expertise and musicality, be ranked with the best available.
I was also extremely impressed with the Telarc recording. Here for a change is something more like the real sound of an orchestra in its concert hall, with no sudden highlighting of sections or soloists. One recognizes, therefore, that the superb balance is Slatkin's work, not some anonymous engineer's; for example that between flutes and cellos seven bars after fig. 16 in the first movement, and (even more striking), between the solo bassoon and the muted cellos five bars after fig. 10 in the third (slow) movement. In the slow movement, the opening double-bass solo is wonderfully played, the soft and silky but never sentimental tone of the violins is a special pleasure and note what care is taken with the cymbals in the final bars of the movement.
Slatkin's interpretation is lyrical and relaxed, dramatic when necessary and free from exaggerations. He uses the second (1906) edition of the score, where minor revisions occur in the finale. He observes the first-movement exposition repeat and he is brilliantly successful with the parodied Jewish music section of the third movement. It is like Maazel's CBS performance, in line of succession from Bruno Walter (also CBS), but perhaps it is closest to Neumann's (Supraphon—only available as part of a boxed LP set comprising all the symphonies), especially in its careful and never overdone glissandos. I look forward to further Mahler performances from this source and hope that Telarc will index them fully. Only the movement tracks are available here, which is a pity.'