3 new classical CDs get 4 stars each

LUBA ORGONASOVA, SOPRANO, DAVID ZINMAN, CONDUCTOR, TONHALLE ORCHESTRA ZURICH; Mahler, Symphony No. 4 (RCA Red Seal) ****

EVGENY KISSIN, PIANO, COLIN DAVIS, CONDUCTOR, LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA; Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K. 491; Schumann, Piano Concerto in A minor, op. 54 (EMI Classics) ****

One of today's foremost conductors, Bernard Haitink is also one of the last of a kind — a thoughtful, intelligent conductor who knows the repertoire intimately. He doesn't go for the obvious, like so many conductors today. Instead, he explores the score to find all its subtleties and nuances and, in the process, captures the composer's intentions brilliantly. A performance with Haitink at the helm is like an expedition of discovery. At its most successful, it's a revelatory experience, as if one is hearing the music for the first time.

On his most recent recording with the Chicago Symphony of Mahler's Sixth Symphony, the experience isn't quite like that, but it is still a wondrous journey, and one of the most perceptive readings of the Sixth around. Haitink's perusal of the work isn't the most dramatic — there are many recordings available in which the conductors emphasize the work's drama. Rather, Haitink's interpretation revels in the nuances and subtleties to be found in the music that are so often overlooked.

Haitink's tempos tend to be leisurely and sometimes surprisingly slow (as in the middle section of the scherzo). But his choice of tempos allows him to bring out the glorious instrumental colors that Mahler creates in this symphony.

The Chicago Symphony plays wonderfully under Haitink's direction. The playing is dynamic, articulate and compellingly expressive. Haitink, who has been Chicago's principal conductor since 2006 but has been associated with the orchestra for more than 30 years, knows how to get what he wants from his musical forces. And the result is a recording that is a must have for anyone who loves Mahler's music.

Over his long career, David Zinman has proved to be a musical conductor who delves into a score and extracts the substance and essence of the musical fabric.