About this Artist

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Editorial Reviews

Good things come to those who wait, as the saying goes, and that's certainly the case with Pierre Boulez's recording of Mahler's Fourth Symphony. In the first movement, Boulez leads what must be the fastest performance on record, his perky tempos emphasizing the music's neoclassical graciousness. It's certainly not the most tender reading (John Barbirolli's BBC recording deserves that honor), and Boulez even seems to underplay the music's dramatic moments. It's not until the third movement that the conductor's purpose is revealed. From the hushed opening bars of this long adagio to the blinding radiance of its ecstatic climax, the interpretation is loving, poignant, and profoundly penetrating; here is the emotional core of the symphony. As for the rest: The second movement scherzo is marvelously delicate, with sweet, gently lilting interludes, as well as dark, shudder-inducing shadows. Soprano Juliane Banse's boyish tone is perfect for the child's song of the finale, buoyed along by Boulez's flowing, flexible tempo. The Cleveland Orchestra's playing is simply stunning, a model of clarity, precision, and sophistication that's made manifest by DG's pellucid recorded sound. Andrew Farach-Colton, Barnes & Noble

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