Jonathan Nott’s Mahler 6 joins the ranks of good but not great readings of this behemoth. The main tempo of the opening movement (with repeat observed) conveys much of the frenetic grimness that depicts the dire determination of someone setting out on a journey he knows will not be easy. I still think the legendary Barbirolli version (45 years young and recorded when performances of this work were rarities) gets the initial Allegro just right: the schleppend or “dragging” sensation makes the opening even grimmer. Pappano does it equally well in his recent version. Nott’s not afraid to achieve a slow motion quality in the celeste-driven “dream sequence”. The expansiveness never robs the movement of power.
The scherzo (rightly, in my opinion, placed second) maintains the momentum and seems to describe a malevolent troupe of marionettes before it peters out like a clockwork toy. The Andante, the real emotional heart of the work, is taken moderately, the faux naïve tone fraught with dark undercurrents. The climax is impressive. The final movement, an entire universe in itself, is superbly handled, catapulting the Bambergers into the realm of virtuoso German ensembles.
My only grumble is that the hammer blows (two here) lack the sickening dullness Mahler craved. Nonetheless, this is a worthy addition to the current range of recordings of Mahler’s dark night of the soul.
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