TONHALLE ORCHESTRA
Mahler’s Symphony No. 1

Three years ago, the Tonhalle Orchestra of Zurich played in Carnegie Hall, under its chief conductor, David Zinman. And it occurred to me at the time that this band and its leader were underrated. Or maybe it was simply I who had done the underrating.

In any case, you can hear the Tonhalle and Mr. Zinman for yourself on their new album, which brings us Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, known as “the Titan.” (The label is RCA Red Seal.)

This “Titan” is clear, crisp, and correct. Never will you hear a tidier account. But it also has the necessary feeling, including nostalgia. Crisp as this playing may be, it is not un-Mahlerian.

Above all, Mr. Zinman’s account is sensible, which sounds like faint praise, almost a putdown. But I don’t mean it to be: This is an excellent, and level-headed, performance. Phrasing in particular is attentive and thoughtful.

I have heard the ending of this symphony played more upliftingly, and so have you. But that does not spoil things.

There’s a filler on this CD, and it’s Mahler’s “Blumine,” which was the second movement of the original “Titan” (before Mahler’s last thoughts). Using the buttons on your CD player, or other listening device, you can make it the second movement now, if you want.

Mr. Zinman and his orchestra play “Blumine” beautifully, even exquisitely. Mahler may have taken it out of his symphony, but this music cannot be allowed to die.

MAURIZIO POLLINI
Mozart piano concertos

We’re told that Maurizio Pollini recorded two Mozart piano concertos for the “Mozart year” of 2006. The pianist recorded them in May 2005, and his label, Deutsche Grammophon, has brought them out in 2007. But why quibble?

Those two concertos are No. 17 in G, K. 453, and No. 21 in C, K. 467. The orchestra is the Vienna Philharmonic, which Mr. Pollini directs from the bench. The VPO plays like a dream — a Mozartean dream.

And the soloist? You know: He’s Maurizio Pollini. His playing is sharply etched. It also tends to be more detached than legato, which a lot of people like. It can also be quite aggressive, which, again, a lot of people like.

My chief objection is that Mr. Pollini bangs the daylights out of one of Mozart’s best melodies: that of the Andante in K. 467.

But this is a man of undeniable musical gifts. (Mr. Pollini, I mean — although it’s true of Mozart, too.)

LEOPOLD STOKOWSKI & DIMITRI MITROPOULOS
Various works

In the 1949–1950 season, Leopold Stokowski and Dimitri Mitropoulos were joint conductors of the New York Philharmonic. It didn’t go very well. Stoki left in a hurry.

Now these conductors are sharing a two-CD set from Deutsche Grammophon. But only Stokowski’s picture is on the cover, and only Stokowski’s name is on the cover! Stoki gets more glory than Mitro, even posthumously.

The first CD contains Brahms and Prokofiev, and the second CD features the “Negro Folk Symphony” by William Levi Dawson. This is a touching and accomplished work, bearing acquaintance (or reacquaintance). Stokowski leads his American Symphony Orchestra, in a 1963 recording. Indeed, this was their very first recording.

And we see in the CD booklet the original cover art — a broken shackle. This was an arresting and effective cover.

That second CD is filled out by music of Howard Swanson, not to be confused with Howard Hanson. This is Swanson’s “Night Music,” for a large chamber ensemble. Mitropoulos conducts the “New York Ensemble of the Philharmonic Scholarship Winners” (and the year is 1950). “Night Music” is a fairly short work — about ten minutes long — but does not quite escape tedium. Still, there is no reason not to know it.

HELMUT WALCHA
Music of Bach

Last, another historical recording, one that may be considered a landmark: Deutsche Grammophon’s first stereo recording. The honor went to Helmut Walcha, the German organist. (Walcha was blind, incidentally, and an inspiring story.) He is playing Bach’s “Art of the Fugue,” that mysterious and great thing. The recording was made in 1956.

We also have Walcha in other pieces by Bach, including the Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue in C. Busoni made a famous piano transcription of this, and I love it so much, I almost prefer it to the original (perish the thought). In any case, Walcha plays it well, although you could complain. You could complain about what he does in other pieces, too. But he always plays sturdily and understandingly.

This two-disc set ends with the Toccata and Fugue in D minor. About a month ago, the New York Philharmonic had the wonderful nerve to play Stokowski’s arrangement of it. Many scholars now say that Bach didn’t write the piece. But I say a) he might have, b) he should have, and c) I hope he did!