Over the last few years my personal and musical perception of conductor Simon Rattle has changed. I always considered the recordings he made during his Bournemouth and Birmingham days to be some of the best (Mahler 10 is a case in point) but then during his tenure in Berlin, some of his committed intensity seemed to subside in favor of contractual obligations. Based on these impressions I almost made the mistake of passing on this new 'live' recording of Mahler's 7th. I'm not sure as to what made me reconsider, but am I ever glad I changed my mind.

The Symphony No. 7 in E minor by Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) has always been the least appreciated of Mahler's symphonies. It was the last one to get recorded (1953) and has always been a point of contention and misunderstanding for most conductors, even for some of the top Mahler specialists. I believe that it's just simply misunderstood. The fact that it sits between one of the most portentous and sinister symphonies ever written (Mahler's 6th) and one of the most uplifting (Mahler's 8th) doesn't help. In my opinion it's quite simply an exercise in orchestral manipulation which Mahler, now at the pinnacle of his skills, used as a personal compositional workout. It is another example of orchestral wizardry, overflowing with fine instrumental details that even include parts for a guitar and a mandolin in the fourth movement, and let's not forget, cowbells at critical moments within the final movement.

Simon Rattle sets a strong and decisive pace during the first movement, driving forward one of Mahler's most memorable themes full of menace and purpose. Not only does he bring out the finer orchestral touches throughout, but the searing intensity he gets out of the orchestra during the final few minutes of the opening movement is quite impressive. The second movement, the first of the two 'Nachtmusik' segments of the symphony, sets off on a leisurely pace under Rattle's lead with the hunting horn calls and cowbells judiciously set within the orchestral fabric. Finer instrumental details often come to the surface in this account despite being captured live. The Scherzo movement marked "Schattenhaft" (Shadowy), with its convulsive waltz swagger well conveys the 'spooky nightmarish' aspects of night in this performance. And the fourth movement, the second of the 'Nachtmusik' segments, has all the charm and poise of a 'Viennese' soirée as the orchestra slips into the appropriate formal attire.

The final movement is where most conductors fall off the rails, most likely because they expect the usual emotively charged paroxysm typical of a Mahler finale. When it's simply Mahler flexing his orchestration muscles and having fun. He re-visits some of the ideas from all the previous segments and attempts to show us how they can all be manipulated to sound different. He changes the orchestration, switches instruments, alters rhythms, switches modes, etc... The sudden stops and abrupt changes in tempo are all part of the game. It's as if he is trying to fool us by playing that 'ball under the shells' game. Now you hear it, now you don't. It's all just one mischievous jolt after another keeping the orchestra members and the conductor on their toes, until the very end where the ominous minor key motif from the very beginning of the symphony returns, flipped on its head and now in an expansive major mode to end the whole symphony with the usual emotively charged paroxysm typical of a Mahler finale. The Bavarian players glow with energy here, with everyone from cowbells to brass, giving all they can muster. Bravo!

If you don't already have a recording of Mahler's 7th, get this one. If, like me, you already have a few, don't hesitate to add this one to your collection.