Paul is of course right about that earlier tenor-baritone combo. He implies that he enjoys that arrangment and maybe I was too dismissive of that performance choice in my survey:
"My chosen recordings feature only the full orchestral version with a mezzo-soprano/contralto and tenor soloist, as I find the tenor and baritone combination to be lacking in tonal contrast and variety, and contrary to the spirit of Mahler’s work - even if he did sanction it if the preferred contralto is unavailable. That hardly applies today, but we occasionally see the deliberate choice of a male duo. I see little artistic excuse or aesthetic rationale behind that option, still less for Jonas Kaufmann’s self-aggrandising – and not very successful - exercise of singing both the tenor and baritone parts."
However, I think my reluctance to play that Kletzki version - which has sat on my shelves for years - derives as much from my antipathy to DFD and the relative inadequacy of Murray Dickie as any objection in principle.
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