Riccardo Chailly’s exceptionally compelling rendition of Mahler’s Das Klagende Lied succeeds largely due to the conductor’s dramatic pacing and theatrical instincts, as well as his vivid evocation of the early Mahlerian sound-world. He’s also blessed with top-flight soloists, particularly Susan Dunn, who sounds nearly delirious in her passionate solo at the end of Part Three. The Städtischer Musikverein Düsseldorf’s stirring choral contributions bring Mahler’s tragic tale vividly to life. Then there’s the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin’s powerful and wholly idiomatic playing, which combined with Decca’s well balanced and wide ranging recording makes this the Das Klagende Lied to own.
For the second disc the sound perspective changes from comfortably distant to oppressively close, which renders Brigitte Fassbaender’s voice quite harsh at the climaxes. This is unfortunate, for her performances are both probing and beautiful. She’s suitably lively in the early Wayfarer and Wunderhorn songs, while in the Rückert Lieder she displays much tenderness and refinement. Fassbaender’s Kindertotenlieder also is finely sung, its emotion sincerely and convincingly communicated. Even so, she doesn’t plumb the depths of passion and melancholy the way Janet Baker does on any of her recordings. For his part Chailly leads a surprisingly unspectacular rendition of the orchestral accompaniment (especially compared to Bernstein’s powerful one for Baker). Still, the coupled Das Klagende Lied more than makes up for any slight deficiencies in the solo songs, and if you’re not inclined to seek out these works individually, this set will do quite handsomely.
