Review by fafnir August 30, 2009 (11 of 13 found this review helpful)
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The thing that will probably strike you the most when playing this disc for the first time is its amazing clarity. I have never heard a recording of the this score that revealed as much detail, whether in the cataclysmic outbursts in first movement, in the many moments of chamber music intimacy, or in its contrapuntal complexity. Gilbert and Bis have done a superlative job in capturing the score; certainly this is the finest sounding recording of the Ninth that I have ever heard.
Of course, the quality of the sound would be immaterial if this were not a worthy performance. This is not a version that will leave the listener with any warm and fuzzy feelings. The performance emphasizes the work's tragic power. At the end of the score, you will be very aware that it was written by a man who was dying, knew that he was, and was none too happy about it.
There are many fine moments - indeed the entire performance is a very long fine moment - but I will mention only one: the conclusion of the last movement. It is taken very slowly with each measure seemingly drawn out forever. The sense of resignation is unforgettable.
Recommended most highly for all enthusiasts of Mahler's final completed score and I give it a very rare, for me, five stars for performance and sonics.
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