Concert Review: Dudamel’s Mahler Sixth

Jeremy Lee writes

For his Asian debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Dudamel has chosen a rather striking programme for the first stop of his tour, Hong Kong:  Mahler’s 6th on March 19, and John Adams’ City Noir and Dvorak’s 9th on the 20th.  As a Mahler nut, I went to the first concert, and was greeted with a performance that was

DG’s Big Bernstein Box, Vol. 1

Jeremy Lee writes

I will start this review with a bold statement:  of all the oft-recorded conductors that have ever lived, no-one has had such a high proportion of great musicianship, great playing and great sonics in their discography than Leonard Bernstein on Deutsche Grammophon.  This is particularly remarkable given

The Dude’s Un-special Mahler Ninth

Jeremy Lee writes

This Mahler Ninth has exactly two parts worthy of attention:  the ending of the Rondo-Burleske, in which Dudamel very successfully notches up the tempo through Stretto right up to the final Presto which injects the orchestra with a burning dollop of adrenalin, and

Eloquence short reviews, Vol. 2

Jeremy Lee writes

Australian Eloquence, one of the most intelligent reissue labels around, has invaded the Hong Kong market some while ago and my colleague Leonard reviewed 5 releases here.  Following up is this second set of short reviews, from Brahms to…er…Mahler…

This is a reissue of a full-priced London Decca disc with the exact same repertoire released in 1996 which lasted in the catalogue for the amount of time it takes you to read this sentence.  Piano mavens should be happy that

Mehta’s Mahler 1st and 3rd

Jeremy Lee writes

Zubin Mehta’s most highly acclaimed Mahler effort belongs to his stupendous Second recorded in 1975 with the Vienna Philharmonic (read my review here).  These performances, with the Israel Philharmonic in the First and Los Angeles Philharmonic in the Third doesn’t exactly