Mahler 6 Blind Comparison: Impressions and Votes

[madaboutmahler]

Apologies for taking so long to get the Part 3 links out. I have all the audios ready, just need to upload them to youtube. I started uploading them to youtube this evening, and have had the time to upload around half of the links, but my computer was being incredibly slow so I couldn't upload them all.

Hopefully will have them sent out tommorow evening though!

It think it's a great Top 5, so I am very excited to see what the responses will be!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

We're a patient bunch... * plays with hammer *

[madaboutmahler]

We're a patient bunch... * plays with hammer *

haha - They'll be plenty of hammers in this part of the comparison...

Thank you all for being so patient, the last couple of days have been extremely hectic and exhausting, and the extreme heat we suddenly appear to have in England was not helping!

But now, all of you should have recieved all the links for this part of the comparison, in two formats, you can choose which you use.

When voting, please rank all 5 of the recordings in preference, from bottom to top. Please don't hesitate to let me know if you have any problems...

Happy Voting!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Thanks, Daniel! I am looking forward to this. One private benchmark moment in the Finale has always been the miraculous and spooky transition from development to recapitulation. It will be very interesting to see how the different conductors shape it...

[madaboutmahler]

Thanks, Daniel! I am looking forward to this. One private benchmark moment in the Finale has always been the miraculous and spooky transition from development to recapitulation. It will be very interesting to see how the different conductors shape it...

My pleasure, Johan. Certainly an amazing moment, and each of the 5 conductors do it very differently... a very contrasting bunch in the final!

[Lisztianwagner]

Great, it will certainly be amazing; I'm looking forward to listening to the finalists and knowing which one will be the winner at the end.

[madaboutmahler]

Great, it will certainly be amazing; I'm looking forward to listening to the finalists and knowing which one will be the winner at the end.

And I am very excited to see which one you all vote as the winner...

[DavidRoss]

Thank you for preparing this comparison, Daniel. Today is a holiday in the States, consequently I had some free time last night and this morning to listen to the samples in the final round. My notes indicate a very consistent preference for the most and least liked recordings in this group, but the middle three were much closer with preferences less consistent from movement sample to movement sample.

I thought the overall quality was very high, both in interpretation and in orchestral playing.  The "worst" of the five was still pretty darned good, even if clearly not to my taste.

From worst to first, here are my rankings, together with the general impression of each gathered from my notes. 

5. A4 - Consistently my least favorite.  Overly bombastic, often seeming like punched-up movie music -- not at all necessary with such powerful stuff. As Mies said, "Less is more." (Not always, but more often than not, methinks.) In addition to being a bit heavy-handed and driven, the orchestral balances often obscure detail -- as much a function of interpretive choice as of recording quality, I believe.

4. C1 - Significantly better than A4, still tends to push a bit in tempo changes but overall tempo and dynamic choices are very good. Nicely languid and lyrical when called for. Some faults with entrance timings that are not player errors but interpretive choices I believe, muddying complex rhythms.

3. A8 - Fantastic orchestra with great tone. Often verging on heavy-handedness at transitions but not crossing the line and pulling back to judicious restraint.  Phrasing just a bit overly shaped. Marches tend toward jauntiness at times when I think grimness is called for. But overall a very good recording and very close to my second choice, below.

2. B5 - Interventionist but with judiciously chosen gear changes and emphases. Expresses appropriate nostalgic longing and mystery. Feels slow but graceful, weighty but not ponderous. Excellent dynamic balances and brass playing. Often a near tie with my top choice, below.

1. A7 - Consistently my top choice. The music simply unfolds, never seeming pushed or stretched or pumped-up by a conductor interested in putting his stamp on Mahler's music, but only in revealing what the score is meant to describe. It's grand and majestic, portentious and weighty, or sensitive and thoughtful wherever required. No false steps. Excellent balance, tempi, and timing throughout. Gorgeous brass. Never heavy-handed and this orchestra really gets it -- very responsive and nuanced. Terrific clarity and detail and I just love the beautifully sustained brass harmonies and the percussion at the end.

If A7 isn't one I already own, I'll buy it right after the reveal!

[madaboutmahler]

Wow - that was quick! Thank you very much for the vote, David! Very interesting comments.

[zauberflöte]

A mid-term report.
This is tough! I'm getting a sense of which last movement versions I prefer, but if I make the mistake of listening to one right after another, I'm invariably disinclined to like the second interpretation as much. That happened just last night when I listened to the version I am leaning toward after a version I was certain would not be my final pick. I couldn't get through my favored version, so emotionally draining was the first performance.
The last movement is amazing and one at a time is overwhelming enough. Each recording has something to offer. I need to separate performances by a day or two.
Not complaining, just saying this won't be easy. But it is rewarding. I've never listened to the symphony so carefully.   

[madaboutmahler]

Just a reminder that there is a week until the voting deadline! As only one person has placed their vote yet, and I am aware of how much there is to listen to, do you another week? That would make the new voting deadline the 21st.

[zauberflöte]

At the end it boiled down to a battle between C1 and A7 with A8 a close third.

All three are excellent performances of the final movement; actually they all are. C1 pulls at the score much more than A7 yet both are exciting recordings that bring out what I love hearing in Mahler, the passion, angst, melancholia, bombast, terror (in this symphony), schmalz, beauty. A7 might be a more general recommendation, but for me C1 is the one I favor.

A7 is a desert island disc if you are stuck with never being able to hear another version. It's perfectly proportioned, you could bring it home to meet your mother but still find it enthralling in your private moments. Exciting, devastating, it will always appeal.  C1 might not, it's more visceral, a little sluttier, more daring, yet still is gorgeous, scary Mahler. More an individual performance but not at the expense of Mahler.

But I have to confess I finally got to this position only after listening to the eliminated Bernstein Vienna performance, which is even more willful, but is overpowering. I'm sad Bernstein was eliminated so that no one got to hear his final movement, but I'm happy with C1.

A8 was number three, ominous mystery a the start, beautifully played throughout, It was hard to find any fault with it. It just didn't quite match the top two. I want to feel assaulted, breathless,  by the third climax. Didn't quite get there (but awfully close) If I heard it in concert I would have walked out of the concert hall overwhelmed.

B5 didn't seem quite as well integrated as my top three, lost points by speeding up in the bases when it wasn't called for, didn't quite carry me along all the way through as did the top three. Also, there sounds like a severe tape splice at 9:29 of the YouTube recording amidst all the percussive bells. Is that even possible in this age of digital recording? (I'm guessing B5 is digital.) I had to go back to the other recordings to be relatively sure. Nice timpani, though, and a very good third section. (I think you would have to hang up your conductor stripes to blow it completely there.)

A4, as with another commenter, brought up the rear, which isn't really fair and I don't mind exaggerating the score, it just never grabbed me the way the others did. But it was still a wonderful recording. I didn't really hear that much exaggeration anyway.

As for the first three movements, no andante particularly bowled me over, and C1 was actually hurt by an accelerated tempo in the scherzo that didn't appeal to me, but listening to the earlier movements helped me to understand performances I hadn't heard in earlier rounds.

So,
1. C1 
2. A7   
3. A8 
4. B5
5. A4 

[mc ukrneal]

Here are my comments for the Mahler 6 Finals:

I can honestly say that I did not recognize any of the versions in the final (not unexpected for me), so it was a true blind listening exercise for me. And I thoroughly enjoyed it (and my appreciation for the work has significantly increased). I would not be disappointed to own any of these versions – I think they were all quite worthy, which made the choice so hard (and more a question of one's preference rather than thinking one of them got it wrong per se). My rankings for the final were as follows:

5th Place: A4. What gorgeous sounds! There are some devastatingly successful crescendos! Intensity is not an issue here!  Second part of clip loses none of the intensity, and the low brass are scary. And then it is almost dainty, though this was a less successful part in my opinion.  To the third part of the clip – ok, though a wonderful tutti (and I loved it there to the end of the clip, where it ends more gently than played elsewhere).  The last movement is very much consistent with the earlier movements. Overall, this is a version of intensity and some searing moments.  Not quite a first choice for me, but very well played nonetheless.  This version seems to tone down the darkness compared to some of the others, which is the biggest differentiator.

4th Place: B5. This one has a bit more emotional approach. Sound is again good.  The initial slower tempo to the march has it sounding a bit funereal. The phrasing is a bit too staccato, I think, in some exposed moments. Still, wonderful start. Second part of clip is nice, but not distinctive early going. Also, the slower tempo makes it drag here at the start. It picks up, but it took some time for me to get back into it.  Third part of first clip was very nice.  Second clip starts with a bit of mystery, but a bit lacking in momentum at the start. This clip sounded more episodic than connected, at times especially compared to A7 or A8.  The end of the clip actually sounds more Wagnerian in a few moments, which I rather liked. The very end is nicely dark. Overall then, this was still pretty good.   

3rd Place: C1. A nice start. Beautiful sound on this too. And what a difference in the staccato of the march compared to the previous (B5) – this one really breathes. A lot of detail noticeable on this one. There is great intensity in this one, though there is a certain lightness to it. Second part of clip differentiates it well (perhaps the best of all in this part). On the negative side, on occasion the ensemble loses cohesion. Third part of clip was wonderful.  The second clip starts strong, but is not as dark or mysterious as others.  Not quite as weighty as it could be (but did love the sound the lower strings create).  But overall, an engaging version.

2nd Place: A8.  The beginning of this clip starts with a nice lilt to it. This one has more edge to it, but mixed with some wonderful lyricism.  But it has less 'ba-boom' than A7. Second part of the first clip is more march like. It differentiates the interpretation, but not sure I like it that way. Third part of first clip is strong, but more like A4 than A7. The second clip is very good. There is power and strength, and a beautiful sound. It doesn't quite have the darkness that A7 had (probably because the low brass don't have quite the same presence in some moments), but this seems like a very good straight interpretation.  Overall, another good version.  Deciding between this one and C1 was difficult as I liked both, but for different reaons.   

1st Place: A7.  One feels an immediate emotional response to this version. I'm tingling. This one is going to be heartbreaking I fear. The phrasing and the way it shapes the sound is so well done. Second part of first clip is light and airy, making a nice contrast with the first part. Delicious third part.  In the second clip, there are some amazing climaxes.  Nothing here seems out of place for the conception. This one engages me emotionally and really hits hard.  The end is much darker, and much more as I think it was intended to be. I will buy this recording after it is revealed.

In the end, A7 is the outright winner for me. It does everything right and hits all the buttons. A8 and C1 are close in quality, and they are different from each other, which makes it hard to pick between them. B5 and A4 round out the pack, but these are still very good versions. I would not be disappointed to own any of these.

[madaboutmahler]

Thank you both very much for your votes, Jim and Neal! Very interesting comments, and I am really glad that you are enjoying the comparison so much.

[mc ukrneal]

Very interesting to read the other comments for me as well. They fairly represent the versions I think, even though I had different preferences. It's not often that happens.

[zauberflöte]

I agree with Neil. Responses here have been learning experiences.
But I have to apologize for my illiterate "speeding up in the bases."   
No one's trying to steal third.

[trung224]

 I have just finished my listening. Here is my result
  5th place: B5.  I hate this version. I don't know how this version can put the highly characteristic of Karajan or Solti out of the list. Excellent sound, everything is balance to fault.
  4th place: A4. Personally I don't like "classical" style when performing Mahler. This version has the gorgeous sound, highly clarity of inner detail. The building climax in the finale is great, but this version still lacks the darkness, the tragic of the symphony because of the detached playing in the first 3 movement . But everyone has their own taste. 
  3th place: A8. Excellent sound, but unlike B5 or C4, this version has the driven and intensity. Really I don't find any fault in this version, perhaps the interpretation is too straight-forward, do not "schwung"
  2th place C1: It is very hard to choose between C1 and A7. Both version do not have the great sound, but the interpretation is truly great. C1 combine the darkness and the lyrical aspect of the score very well, but because of live performance, sometimes the execution is not precise
  1th place A7. Like the Tennstedt' Mahler 5 live EMI, the intensity and tragic is the character of this version, in expense of lightness and love. Perhaps I have the bias but this version must be the Barbirolli studio recording because no one except Barbirolli can maintain the intensity and tragic at the slow tempo throughout 4 movements.

[madaboutmahler]

Thank you very much for your vote!

[alkan]

Is it too late to participate?   
How do I access the different versions?

Thanks ... A

[madaboutmahler]

Is it too late to participate?   
How do I access the different versions?

Thanks ... A

I will send you the links now, it's not too late to join! The voting deadline is in around 10 days, but that can be extended.