MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Mahler: Complete Symphonies

Bertini excels in the big elegiac slow movements, and has a rare ability to maintain the tension of the music at a slower pace. In his hands, the final movement of the Third Symphony is long-breathed but rapt.....The other thing that distinguishes Bertini's Mahler is his ability to bring out individual details but place them within the context of his overall conception of each symphony....He is also helped by stunning recorded sound. The German radio engineers do amazing things with these recordings, capturing a bright acoustic consistent across the various recording venues and bringing out detail without spotlighting....The performances themselves are generally excellent and some are fantastic. The First Symphony is fresh and invigorating, similar in approach to Chailly's. The wry klezmer episodes in the third movement are superbly characterised. (MusicWeb)