It is apt that one of the first two recordings made by Kurt Masur in his new role as Music Director of the New York Philharmonic should be of the New World Symphony, particularly when it comes in ample time to celebrate the centenary of the first performance of that favourite work by this very orchestra in December 1893. Unlike most of Masur's Leipzig recordings, this one was taken from a live concert, given last October in Avery Fisher Hall. Though the hall's notoriously unhelpful acoustic is reflected in the relatively dry sound, the Teldec engineers have done wonders in giving it not only a fair bloom but in conveying an extreme dynamic range. The slow movement of this performance is particularly fine, with pianissimos that have you catching your breath.
Anyone who has ever attended a recording session of this repertory work will know what problems are created by the need to get the woodwind chords precise enough at the start of both the first two movements. It is a tribute to Masur and the players that a live performance—apparently taken from one concert and not edited from other sources, unless it was a previous rehearsal—should achieve a precision of ensemble to rival that of a studio performance. The slow movement, as I say, is outstanding, with Masur's very straight, simple phrasing conveying an emotional intensity quite as deep as with a more overtly expressive style.
Masur's very direct manner in the fast movements brings strong, dramatic results, but with very forward sound, and with percussion standing out (the timpani almost deafening at times) the results may be too aggressive for some. Though phrasing is sympathetic, and Masur allows a natural easing for the third theme in the first movement, this is not among the warmer readings of this much recorded work. Yet with an attractive coupling of three Slavonic Dances winningly done, ending with the best-known of all, the G minor Furiant, B83 (Op. 46) No. 8, it makes a valuable addition to what might be counted an over-long list. Masur does incidentally, even in this live performance, observe the exposition repeat in the first movement.'