Has Mariss Jansons eclipsed Sir Simon Rattle?

At a first glance, Mariss Jansons and Sir Simon Rattle don't appear to have much in common. But both of them lead orchestras of the highest caliber of virtuosity, Rattle with the Berlin Philharmonic, and Jansons with the Bavarian Radio Symphony and Royal Concertgebouw. Jansons will leave the Concertgebouw next year; Rattle leaves Berlin in 2018. I've followed both of them closely in the past few years. I'm a great fan of the world's best orchestras, and both conductors make their respective orchestras sound fully virtuosic.

But their reigns have not been without criticism. Most of Jansons' term at the Concertgebouw suffered from refinement and politeness. Occasionally a masterful recording would come along, but for the most part, Jansons went along for the ride. The orchestra sounded in shape, and their in-house label delivered great sound, but the interpretations lacked energy. Rattle was more convincing in Berlin, with multiple recordings that deserve to be heard. For all his critics, I find his Brahms, Bruckner, Schoenberg, and Strauss to be inspiring, ready to be compared with the best. All the same, he has too often succumbed to fussiness and over-refinement. Detractors claim he lost the fire of his younger self, and he has been unable to satisfactorily refute such claims.

Just lately, Jansons suddenly got a second wind of inspiration. Those who have been following him in Munich will attest that his baton has started working magic. His recordings have incredible nuance and detail like always, but suddenly there's a new conviction. In the meantime, Rattle lost his contract with EMI, and now is starting to work with the Berlin Phil's own label. So far, the label has only released the Schumann Symphonies with Rattle, and they suffer from a lack of energy and drive. The year will end with no new revelations from him.

I've been a fan of Rattle for years, and a year ago I would have put him firmly above Jansons. But this past year has turned the tables, and for now, Jansons is the most exciting man to watch for those of us looking for ultra-detailed virtuoso readings that still show conviction. Can Rattle prove himself as he starts releasing more, particularly with his upcoming Sibelius cycle? Let's hold our breath.