This was my least favorite Mahler Symphony. It always seemed that after the 5th Mahler was confronting his own mortality and looking for a way of acceptance--without success. The 8th was the least genuine, but the 7th was the most lost. Haitink's Berlin account was my earlier benchmark, but this one is definitely in the game. I absolutely loved the Czech brass who play with a sound that few other orchestras have mastered. Macal ALMOST convinces me! I found the sound to be good, but I've enjoyed others that members have complained about.
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