Symphony No. 9; Lieder from "Des Knaben Wunderhorn.".

Mahler: Symphony No. 9; Lieder from "Des Knaben Wunderhorn." Jessye Norman, John Shirley-Quirk; Bernard Haitink, Concertgebouw Orchestra. Philips 289 464 714-2 (2-disc set).

A little over a year ago, I was writing about the latest CD issue of Haitink's Mahler Ninth with the Concertgebouw in a Philips Duo package, coupled with "Das Lied von der Erde." I said then that the Symphony No. 9 in particular, Haitink's 1969 recording, never sounded better. Now, it has been remastered once more, this time in the latest 96kHz, 24-bit technology, and with a different coupling, the "Wunderhorn" lieder. On the plus side, the new issue really does sound slightly smoother to me, with a smidgen more depth to the orchestral field. On the minus side (or plus depending on your point of view), the symphony has now been spread over two sides, the fourth movement occupying the first track of the second disc. Maybe in spreading it out, Philips felt they were better able to accommodate the work's length without sacrificing any degradation of sound, but I'm not sure that's the main reason for the new issue sounding better. The other minus is that one misses "Das Lied von der Erde," even if it did sound a mite fierce sonically. Anyway, the "Wunderhorn" lieder, recorded in 1976, are beautifully sung by Norman and Shirley-Quirk and warmly recorded, and if one does not already have the fabulous ...