Triple Double.

Long-time readers may be wondering why we have changed the title of this column for this issue. No, the answer has nothing to do with basketball, where a "triple double" (double-digit stats in points, rebounds, and assists in a single game, a remarkable achievement); instead, for this issue's comparison of two recordings we have added a third reviewer, our very own Classical Music Editor, John Puccio, who happened to be comparing the same two recordings that Tom Lyle and I had decided to audition for this issue. Given that the composer this time around is Gustav Mahler, the addition of JJP to our column helps to bring another perspective to the comparison, because while Tom and I are huge Mahler fans, John is, shall we say, much more restrained in his opinion of this composer.

Making things even more complicated is that the two CDs we are comparing are not actually of the same music. Mahler's Symphony No. 10 was left unfinished at his death except for the opening movement. Some conductors, in fact, will play only that opening Adagio, while other conductors will play one of the several realizations of the score that have been prepared by musicologists. Recently, two eagerly awaited recordings of the complete Mahler 10th have been released, and TL and I thought it would be interesting to compare them to each other (as did JJP). These two releases are a new rendition of the Deryck Cooke realization of the score featuring the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Sir Simon Rattle (EMI Classics 5 56972 2) and the Remo Mazzetti, Jr., realization of the score with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Jesus Lopez-Cobos (Telarc CD 80565).

As always, we have prepared our remarks independently: other than deciding that these were the two CDs that we wanted to compare, Tom Lyle and I have not discussed these recordings with each other, and John Puccio prepared his remarks completely independently. Because he is our special guest, John will lead off with his comments, then I will offer my observations, and we will close with Tom's view of these two recordings.

JJP: Mahler has been popular among audiophiles since the early days of stereo, and it was Mahler who first filled up the bins in the early days of compact discs. It's no wonder, then, that even his unfinished Tenth Symphony remains competitive today, with two recent releases of different reconstructions of it from Simon Rattle (EMI) and Jesus Lopez-Cobos (Telarc) vying for space on our shelves.

The Tenth was left by Mahler at his death in various stages of completion. A couple of the five movements were finished, and several others were left in detailed sketches only. For years, just the two completed movements were performed, and purist conductors still insist on doing so; but the work, reconstructed by various people in various forms, is gaining a new audience. Lopez-Cobos uses the most-recent revision (1997) by Remo Mazzetti, Jr. Lopez-Cobos presents the piece in a fairly gusty and Romantic manner, mostly emphasizing the work's soaring lyricism, as in the first movement, and its bizarre eccentricities, as in the two Scherzos and the introduction to the Finale. Telarc's sound upholds its end with a warm and natural presence.

Which is all fine and well had I left well enough alone. But I couldn't resist listening to the symphony again, this time comparing it side-by-side with Rattle's latest version with the Berlin Philharmonic. Comparisons can be devastating. Perhaps it wasn't an entirely fair comparison because Rattle uses the older Deryck Cooke edition and, as I said, Lopez-Cobos uses the newer Mazzetti one, but it was close enough. Next to Rattle, Lopez-Cobos now seemed positively earthbound. His interpretation, so lovely on its own, appears straightforward and mundane by comparison to Rattle's. It's plain vanilla vs. Swiss chocolate swirl. Rattle wrings every ounce of emotion from the score, making one pine and long for the participants, presumably Mahler and his lost love, Alma, whom Mahler had discovered having an affair in his last year. The sound, too, favors Rattle. While Telarc's sonics are certainly worthwhile, they tend to sound muted, soft, and flat compared to EMI's live recording. Rattle's orchestra is rendered more hard and thin, to be sure, but the great Berlin strings more than make up for it. EMI's sound comes off as more transparent, more dynamic, and, ultimately, more realistic than Telarc's. Both are good investments, but if one must make a choice, I would have to opt for Rattle.

KWN: These are two excellent recordings, and choosing between them is just about impossible. I suppose I am already tipping my hand regarding a recommendation, but allow me first to discuss these two recordings for a few paragraphs.