CDs / DVDs

This is a live recording with the Netherlands Phil. Orchestra, now edited in a Mahler integral in Brilliant, the first movt., a "march", is something slow, like in Barbirolli's, I prefer the Haenchen's studio recording of this work in OPUS with the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra (Philarmonia Slavonica), from the 80's, an energetic, dinamic, colourful interpretation in only one CD, in a bargain collection. Haenchen is an imense conductor and I think the appropiate conductor for (for example) Philadelphia or NY orchestras in USA. I recommend you to visit his web direction in "www.haenchen.net".

oscarolavarria "chileanlawyer" (Santiago, Chile)

Haenchen's 4th and 6th are, well, really really really good. I've always loved his 6th, and I'm glad I finally got to sample his 4th. An under-rated conductor.

Gregory M. Zinkl (Chicago, IL)

I can't imagine anything potentially deadlier than trying to put together an acceptable "complete Mahler" (1-9) with diverse oddball licensed product, especially given the blood-thirsty ferocity of Mahler performance critics and Mahler fans. The folks at Brilliant did a great job with this. I hope somebody got a raise.
I'm not going to slobber over the relative merits of each performance--I found them all good to great with some real standouts. The Vonk 2nd (despite so-so sound) and the Haenchen 6th totally threw me, also the Masur 7th which I liked a lot. (...)

wilbod "wilbod" (West Hatfield, MA United States)

Exceeding Expectations

Visiting Amsterdam for just a few days last Fall, I was delighted to learn that Mahler's 8th was being performed in the Concertgebouw. I was somewhat deflated when I realized it was under the aegis of Hartmut Haenchen with the Netherlands Philharmonic, but the 8th was the only Mahler symphony I'd never heard live, so I wasn't about to miss it. We got 2 of the last 3 tickets when the box office opened; of course the seats were just about the worst possible, directly below the string basses. Not to worry, since in my experience there are no bad seats (acoustically speaking) in that wonderful old hall. We were rewarded with a magnificent performance! We were told this completed Maestro Haenchen's Mahler cycle. Ever since, I've been seeking out the others and have found several, including the 6th, and I can highly recommend them all. Granted, the recordings are not state-of-the-art technically speaking, but the dark, rich sound of the Concertgebouw itself shines through for me. I don't even know if the remaining symphonies have ever appeared on CD, but I'm still looking.

John Jobeless (Corte Madera, CA USA)

Hidden Treasures On Those Obscure Labels

Those of us who have been around a little while have long ago learned that in classical recordings the off the beaten track small budget label with not so well known artist can often put the full price bigger names to shame. It was Vox after all, not Philips, that first extensively recorded a then unknown Alfred Brendel in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. The same label also signed up al little known conductor named Jascha Horenstein. Hartmut Haenchen is a respected conductor in Europe whose recordings of the music of Haydn and J.S. Bach’s sons have been widely praised. His Mahler in concert is also widely respected in Germany and Holland and it is from the latter that this concert performance with the Netherlands Philharmonic (actually the orchestra of Radio Netherlands) originated. Originally taped for a studio recording but the sound in more than acceptable and fully carries the weight of this score. It is Haenchen’s gripping and edgy performance though that will ban any of that from mind. Mahler gave full vent to his demons in this work and Haenchen and the orchestra cope quite well with them. Although out of print officially keep a look out as it does pop up on occasion. At the price it is well worth investigating.

R. Fill