I finally picked up a copy of this SACD and am not disappointed. Bullet points: * Yes, the slow march tempo can be annoying in a few places in the first movement. There seem to be places where the "Sixteen Tons" approach makes the symphony tragic as I think it's supposed to be. * The Chicago Symphony is so energized and laser precise from start to finish. * I've never heard a recording of this symphony sound so realistic before, remembering the two live performances of M6 I've been to. * The only audience intrusion I could perceive was some faint coughing at the very end. * This interpretation is slow, which isn't necessarily bad, but I recommend having a faster recording too. For a faster approach, I recommend Gergiev with the London Symphony on SACD and Levine- same orchestra on ordinary cd.
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