SACD, Mahler (composer)

…Fischer's feeling of the Symphony's supple architecture, his ability to caress a phrase or point out a delicious colour without losing the sense of the larger flow, make this one of the most... — BBC Music Magazine, April 2009, 5 out of 5 stars More…

…Fischer… rarely pushes too hard. The orchestral sound is lean but not undernourished, allowing for even balance between contesting lines - outstanding in the funereal coda of the first movement... — BBC Music Magazine, October 2006, 4 out of 5 stars More…

Vänskä sees to it that his ever-waxing Minnesota Orchestra is ideally engaged with the various heights and depths...Limpid and lurid woodwind playing shines out, from the ghoulish clarinets... — BBC Music Magazine, April 2021, 4 out of 5 stars (Performance) / 5 out of 5 stars (Recording) More…

Rhythmically very taut, clean and just a little unusual…The conductor holds focus in what can sometimes be a turgid sequel to the opening funeral march; the scherzo flies…And the finale is just... — BBC Music Magazine, November 2017, 4 out of 5 stars More…

The emphasis here is on beautifully judged line and flow, allowing the music's expressive extremes to speak for themselves without any need for exaggeration…This is one of those special listening... — BBC Music Magazine, July 2023, 5 out of 5 stars More…

The San Francisco Symphony are on top form - oboist William Bennett deserves special praise for his lovely solos in the fourth movement - though in high-lying passages the violins often sound... — Gramophone Magazine, December 2005 More…

Vänskä’s tempos are relatively laid back; as so often, he seems to aim more for long-term continuity than for the sensational detail – though he is quite capable of clinching a dramatic moment…By... — BBC Music Magazine, March 2020, 4 out of 5 stars More…