Gustav Mahler: Symphony No.3 in D Minor

The beginning of the twenty first century sparked a renewed interest in the work of Greek conductor Dimitri Mitropoulos. In contrast to most of today's conductors, and somewhat unexpected from a man of towering figure, he is legendary not only for his imaginative and electric performances but for his living a monk-like existence most of his life. Mitropoulos, who was the conductor of the New York Philharmonic from 1949 through 1958, was in many ways the true father of the swelling twentieth century Mahlerian movement (preceding Bernstein) and conducted many of the Austrian composer's works during his tenure. Not even Mitropoulos, though, could have guessed that his own fate would lie in Mahler's Third Symphony: at a 1960 La Scala rehearsal of this massive work he collapsed and died on the podium.
That simple fact makes this reissue of this performance of the Third Symphony all the more compelling. However, this April 15, 1956, recording of Mitropoulos conducting Mahler's Symphony No. 3 has been released on at least three other occasions. Fans of the Greek man, whose breakfast generally consisted of raw eggs, are in for a somewhat more delicious treat, though: this newly remastered version of the Third by IMD Music and distributed on the Archipel Records label is, while far from perfect, markedly cleaner and clearer than the competition. It allows us a closer inspection of the "Mitropoulos sound": sometimes crass, sometimes luxuriant, but never boring.
Listening to the opening passage, scored for eight horns in unison, provides a strong clue to Mitropoulos' handling of much of the work. In this section, which is often performed with more austerity than flashiness, Mitropoulos infuses qualities of angst, aggression, and anguish into his own personal and convincing declamation. But, as this recording reveals, he is also capable of painting great moments of beauty and gentleness, especially in the second movement, where he treats the menuet in an effortless and stylized Viennese sweep. Cleveland-born mezzo-soprano Beatrice Krebs, whose voice floats eerily above the orchestra in the fourth movement, makes for a nice contrast from some of the preceding tumult, and the Westminster Choir sounds cheerily jubilant in its rendition of the fourth movement's "heavenly joy."
Unfortunately, the barren liner notes leave much to be desired: upon opening the booklet, aside from the tracklisting, one finds only a laughable picture of the youthful Mitropoulos standing exultantly between two large boulders at a mountain summit. Nevertheless, this recording is a must for Mitropoulos fans. Although Mahler newcomers may indeed like this disc, a modern recording with warmer sound and greater depth would likely serve as a better introduction to the work.