This vivid performance, very well recorded, presents Mahler Seven as brighter than its inherited ‘Song of the Night’ subtitle might suggest. There’s no doubting that the NSO, soloists and tutti, plays extremely well, with much confidence and virtuosity for music director Gianandrea Noseda, and that he has definite ideas about how the piece goes. Foremost is clarity of detail, and well-judged, forward-moving tempos, especially pertinent to ‘Nachtmusik I’, which can drag, avoided here, and which follows a first movement occasionally over-deliberated if not short of ecstasy and swagger. Enhanced by guitar and mandolin, the serenade-like second ‘Nachtmusik’ wafts the agreeable warmth of a balmy night, friendly fragrances and sounds – love is in the air – a subsequent contrast to the centrally placed Scherzo, spooky and spectral with chiselled rhythms, highlighted bass plucks and timpani strokes, spectres slithering along. Bernstein, in his second New York recording (the one for DG), nailed and nuanced the festive, daylight Finale beyond comparison. Noseda certainly has its incident-packed, kaleidoscopic character, if not the teasing Bernstein found, building to a grandstand conclusion. So, a thumbs-up for Noseda & the NSO, alongside Michael Gielen’s two versions (that on Testament is with the Berlin Philharmonic) and Hans Zender; Bernstein II obviously, and I recall a great Boulez/BBCSO account at the 1977 Proms (September 12) that was a revelation (coupled to a longer version of his Rituel) if not emulated in Cleveland for DG. However, nostalgia aside, an enthusiastic welcome and recommendation for Noseda. NSO0022 [SACD] is released on December 5.
National Symphony Orchestra (based @ The Kennedy Center, Washington D.C.) records Mahler’s Seventh Symphony for its own label conducted by Gianandrea Noseda.
