Blind Comparison: Mahler Symphony no.1

[zauberflöte]

I notice Brian has the same ranking as I but offers about a million times greater detail explaining why. So, yeah, what he said.

Also, to listen to all five recordings in one day and come up with such a comprehensive analysis is nothing short of remarkable.
Tip of the hat.   

[madaboutmahler]

Thank you very much, Brian, for your vote and your very detailed, interesting, and enjoyable comments!
jwinter, Thank you for letting us know, and good luck with the new job!
We are just waiting for one or two more people who I shall get in contact with.

[xochitl]

in order of preference:

B1 = like i said before, this one blew my socks off.  better than the perfect performance always sounded in my head.  i was walking listening to this on my ipod and towards the end i couldnt help myself and stretched my arms wide and looked up at the sky weeping as every emotion only mahler can conjure up washed over me...in the middle of the sidewalk!  also, the second subject of the 4th movement was done to absolute PERFECTION imo 

C5 = best 1st & 3rd movements of the bunch.  love the sound of the orchestra...czech?  well the grainy recording reminds me of those ancerl albums anyways...or maybe bruno walter?  i would say this one is an amazing musical experience, compared to B1 which was an amazing spiritual one.  everything is just right on this one. 

C8 = luminous orchestra.  quite godly.  those horns in the first movement!  feels very much like a super-high-octane student orchestra showing off.  reminds me of the time the st. olaf orchestra passed thu our little college town and gave us the best mahler 1st we're ever gonna get.  the end was kind of a letdown.  ultimately not as satisfying as the top 2.

B8 = evenly thought-out and perfectly paced and balanced.  wonderfully played.  left me cold

A8 = this one felt rushed and superficial, beautifully played though.  exiting and powerful where needed, but i just didnt feel a single thing listening to it except 'gee, maybe mahler's 1st isnt that good after all'

[Sergeant Rock]

The choices so far:

DavidRoss  Beale  TimH   Sarge  Zauberflöte Trung224  mc urkneal  Brian  xochitl

      C5          C5      B8      C8         C5                B1            C8              C5      B1
      B8          B8      A8      C5          B1               C8             B8              B1      C5
      A8          A8      C8      B1          C8               C5             C5             C8      C8
      B1          B1      C5      B8          A8               A8              A8             A8      B8
      C8          C8      B1      A8          B8               B8              B1             B8      A8

[madaboutmahler]

Thank you very much for your vote! Glad to hear that you had such an amazing experience listening to B1!

Just one or two people left to hear from, I think!

[Brian]

B1 = the second subject of the 4th movement was done to absolute PERFECTION imo 

C5 = love the sound of the orchestra...czech? i would say this one is an amazing musical experience

C8 = luminous orchestra.  quite godly.  those horns in the first movement! ... the end was kind of a letdown.

A8 = exiting and powerful where needed

I quoted the stuff where we agree 100%. I'm convinced C5 will somehow be Czech, even though Ancerl and Neumann have already been eliminated (Walter got the boot too).

[madaboutmahler]

Just to let you know that two voters have sent me their votes through personal message:
Ilaria's:
A8
B8
C5
B1
C8

and John's:
1  A8
2  B1
3  C8
4  C5
5  B8

I think these are probably all the votes we are going to recieve, so I shall be able to post the results soon, probably on Friday.

By the way, in terms of what we do next. Brian is planning a Gaspard da nuit comparison for January. The Mahler comparisons will continue after probably. Would be nice to do another comparison before Brian's January comparison, thinking about pieces.... I was originally thinking La Valse, but would you want two Ravel's in a row? Any other suggestions?

[Sergeant Rock]

DavidRoss  Beale  TimH   Sarge  Zauberflöte Trung224  mc urkneal  Brian  xochitl  LisztianWagner  Scots John

      C5          C5      B8       C8          C5                B1            C8            C5      B1            A8                    A8
      B8          B8      A8       C5           B1               C8             B8            B1      C5            B8                    B1
      A8          A8      C8       B1           C8               C5             C5           C8      C8            C5                    C8
      B1          B1      C5       B8           A8               A8             A8            A8      B8            B1                    C5
      C8          C8      B1       A8           B8               B8             B1            B8      A8            C8                    B8

[Sergeant Rock]

Wow, all over the place. Not much separates these performances. So far only C5 hasn't received a last place vote and only A8 hasn't received a first place. I can easily see how A8 could be someone's favorite.

You were right 

Sarge

[TheGSMoeller]

By the way, in terms of what we do next. Brian is planning a Gaspard da nuit comparison for January. The Mahler comparisons will continue after probably. Would be nice to do another comparison before Brian's January comparison, thinking about pieces.... I was originally thinking La Valse, but would you want two Ravel's in a row? Any other suggestions?

How about a Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique? I could help, I have many recordings  in fact, too make a short one we could just do a blind comparison for the final movement only? I mean, it is one of the most exciting movements in the symphonic repertoire. 

[Sergeant Rock]

How about a Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique? I could help, I have many recordings  in fact, too make a short one we could just do a blind comparison for the final movement only? I mean, it is one of the most exciting movements in the symphonic repertoire. 

Fourth and final movements, and I'll play...just so long as I don't have to listen to a single Scène aux champs 

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

Sarge  Ilaria

  C8      A8
  C5      B8
  B1      C5
  B8      B1
  A8      C8


Ilaria is my Bizzaro world twin 

Sarge

[Lisztianwagner]

By the way, in terms of what we do next. Brian is planning a Gaspard da nuit comparison for January. The Mahler comparisons will continue after probably. Would be nice to do another comparison before Brian's January comparison, thinking about pieces.... I was originally thinking La Valse, but would you want two Ravel's in a row? Any other suggestions?

What about one of Rachmaninov's Piano Concertos or the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini?

[TheGSMoeller]

Fourth and final movements, and I'll play...just so long as I don't have to listen to a single Scène aux champs 

Sarge

I'm down for that. I'll help with it, or even run it myself if it seems enough would be interested.

[madaboutmahler]

A Symphonie Fantastique comparison would be great.... especially is the Waltz if thrown in as well, I love that movement! And the finale really is one of the greatest in my opinion! Would you want to run it, Greg? I know it's one of your favourite pieces, so it's just a matter of whether you want to run it or hear/compare all your favourites blind. I would be more than happy to run it if so!

Ilaria, wonderful suggestions, thank you very much. Rach 3 would certainly be good to compare.... perhaps this could be a future one!

[Lisztianwagner]

Sarge  Ilaria

  C8      A8
  C5      B8
  B1      C5
  B8      B1
  A8      C8


Ilaria is my Bizzaro world twin 

Sarge

Haha, very funny!

[Sergeant Rock]

I'm down for that. I'll help with it, or even run it myself if it seems enough would be interested.

Well, I was joking...partially.  A comparison would have to include all five movements to be worth anything.

Sarge

[North Star]

That Berlioz comparison sounds great.
I'd like a Sibelius, perhaps a symphony or Tapiola, comparison, too.
Rach 3rd PC should be very nice, too.

[xochitl]

id be down for the berlioz comparison

suggestion:  the Eroica!

[Brian]

I'd like a Sibelius, perhaps a symphony or Tapiola, comparison, too.
Rach 3rd PC should be very nice, too.

Berlioz, even half the Symphonie, would be cool - Rach 3rd would be excellent - I have long thought of "hosting" a Sibelius game, and although my thoughts center on the Fifth Symphony, I also think recordings might be too recognizable. Maybe it's just me, and a couple other people, but if you play a finale of the Fifth and it's a recording I've heard at some point in the past, I will recognize it!  Of course, that's true for Mahler, to some degree - a lot of people knew the Bernstein recordings from Daniel's blind samples, and Sarge and I, among others, know who C8 is. So the Fifth is still a distinct possibility if people can set aside the moments of "oh hey this is Segerstam." The Fourth is not something I'd want to hear over and over through three rounds - perhaps the Third, Sixth, or Seventh.

But yeah, I am thinking about hosting a 'Gaspard de la nuit' game at the beginning of 2013, on the theory that this game's had way too many orchestras and far too few pianos!