Its curious, the L.A. Phil is my hometown orchestra and I have several childhood friends in it. The tympanist in this recording was my mentor before I went to New York City to further my musical education. I have also heard that it is an excellent recording...I will seek it out. Mehta was such a dynamic conductor when he came to L.A. The L.A. community of music lovers adored him. His Mahler was (and is) very fine. I recall begging my dad to take me to hear Mahler's "Resurrection" as a kid. My dad really didn't want to go, but he relented and when he heard it, in person, he thanked me. Since then, I've heard several live performances and relished the chance to play it, but the opportunity hasn't presented itself to me...maybe in the next life.
