Alan Gilbert and New York Philharmonic - Mahler 5th

I had the privilege of my first encounter with Alan Gilbert and Mahler last night.  The quality that springs to mind is his vigilance in preserving the long line, with clear consistent rhythms, and by keeping some of the more startling Mahlerian interruptions from sounding too exaggerated and cartoonish.  As a younger listener, I might have preferred more startling affects, especially when listening to recordings, such as could be found on the Solti Mahler Sixth with Chicago.  But even then, when I finally heard Solti's Mahler Sixth live at Carnegie Hall, there was something missing in the overall line and momentum of the piece.  Gilbert with the NYP doing the Fifth had no such problems, and the sometimes problematic 3rd movement Scherzo was maybe the most coherent and effective I have ever heard.