Mahler - Symphony No.1
London Philharmonic Orchestra; Vladimir Jurowski
LPO LPO-00070
The late release of a 2010 performance of Mahler’s Symphony No.1 on the London Philharmonic’s house label reveals a young conductor, Vladimir Jurowski, leading an enthusiastic and quite capable orchestra in repertoire he evidently has not quite come to terms with. This is most evident in the first movement, where Jurowski’s rigid phrasing robs the music of much of its charm and freshness. The novelty of this particular performance is the inclusion of a fifth movement entitled Blumine (Flowers) inserted between the first and second movements, an addition which was deleted by Mahler after three performances and was presumed lost until it resurfaced in 1966. Over twenty recordings have included this movement since then, but considering the flood of recordings we have experienced lately it’s still quite a rarity. Jurowski’s freakishly muscular interpretation of this delicate movement is certainly no bed of flowers, and for my taste the plebeian lack of perfume spoils the contrast with the country bumpkin charm of the following Scherzo, which seems to pass by in a flash in its wake. Having opted to reclaim the past by the inclusion of the extra movement, Jurowski inexplicably gives in to current revisionism by assigning the celebrated double bass solo that launches the ensuing bizarre funeral march to the entire section according to the specious reasoning of the latest Mahler edition. Thankfully by this point the conductor is beginning to show some real enthusiasm, finally hitting his stride in the hyper-theatrical grand finale and eventually saving the day with a fiery conclusion. The recorded sound from the recently renovated Royal Festival Hall is quite acceptable with no discernible distractions.
