Bernard Haitink treats each symphony with equality. They all have the same sense of discovery that Leonard Bernstein created in his recordings. The first is like gazing at the Dutch countryside, with it's windmills and tulips. The Stürmisch Bewegt movement in particular is well played, and the horns at the end cover themselves in glory. The parodistic slow movement opens with a nice surprise: the solo double bass actually sounds humorous as it lumbers through Frere Jacque, just as Mahler intended. Antonin Dvorák's Slavonic Dances Nos 1, 3, 7, 8 by Haitink and the Concertgebouw Orchestra are absolutely glorious renditions of these pieces and superb interpretations are sumptuous, beautiful.
