These performances, captured shortly before Sinopoli's untimely death, make a fine memento of his art. His commercial recording of Mahler's Ninth was a decadent mess:...

These performances, captured shortly before Sinopoli's untimely death, make a fine memento of his art. His commercial recording of Mahler's Ninth was a decadent mess: slow, heavy, flaccid, and cavernously recorded to boot. This performance also is extremely slow--more than 90 minutes in fact--with a finale that seems to go on forever. But the playing of the Staatskapelle Dresden has so much more color, rhythm, and clarity that it makes all the difference. The first movement in particular now has shape and structure, with real impact at the climaxes. The first scherzo limps along with appropriate awkwardness, and Sinopoli successfully differentiates the three basic tempos. I do wish the Rondo: Burleske had more bite and sheer excitement, but it's certainly not tame, and the Dresden strings sustain the slow tempo in the finale very well indeed.

Sinopoli's New York recording of Death and Transfiguration possibly was the slowest version of that work on disc: slower even than Celibidache's rendition. This one is a couple of minutes quicker, and it's all to the good. Of course this was and remains an incomparable Strauss orchestra, and while I prefer Kempe's lighter and fleeter view of the music with the same ensemble, Sinopoli certainly manages a resplendent projection of the "transfiguration" episodes. The sonics in both performances are very good, with horns and winds sometimes a touch backward, but warm and natural even so.

Certainly these highly individual interpretations won't be to all tastes, but especially in the Mahler Sinopoli's quirks never turn into annoying mannerisms, and the superiority of the orchestral execution goes a long way toward selling the concept. Yes, he takes some big risks, but here at least they pay off.

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com