Topic: Recordings of Mahler's 7th

[hautbois]

Indeed. And I say that even though I got it for a less than steep price when Tower Records at Lincoln Center went out of business.    Enjoying Vol.4  immensely as well.

Hah could you possibly mention some highlights from Vol.4?

Howard

[MishaK]

Hah could you possibly mention some highlights from Vol.4?

Shostakovich No. 4 Kondrashin
Franck Symphony in D Ancerl
Scriabin Divin Poeme Kondrashin
Schumann Piano Concerto Arrau/Jochum
Bruckner 9 Giulini
Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations Rostropovich/Kondrashin
Lots of 20th century stuff: Berg, Maderna, Lutoslawski, Martin, Berio, Boulez

[rubio]

Shostakovich No. 4 Kondrashin
Franck Symphony in D Ancerl
Scriabin Divin Poeme Kondrashin
Schumann Piano Concerto Arrau/Jochum
Bruckner 9 Giulini
Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations Rostropovich/Kondrashin
Lots of 20th century stuff: Berg, Maderna, Lutoslawski, Martin, Berio, Boulez

Maybe, I will buy one of these sets. It seems like vol. 4 has some interesting performances. Do you rate any of these volumes higher than the others? Is the "Scriabin Divin Poeme Kondrashin" the same as this OOP recording?

[

[MishaK]

Maybe, I will buy one of these sets. It seems like vol. 4 has some interesting performances. Do you rate any of these volumes higher than the others?

I only have 3 and 4. Whether one is more interesting than the other depends on the repertoire and the performers you're interested in. I find both of them excellent. The consistently high quality of the playing of the Concertgebouw through the decades is amazing.

Is the "Scriabin Divin Poeme Kondrashin" the same as this OOP recording?

[

I have no idea. Possibly. I have never heard of Etcetera. If that's a pirate, then the RCOLive set is likely to have better sound.

[not edward]

I have no idea. Possibly. I have never heard of Etcetera. If that's a pirate, then the RCOLive set is likely to have better sound.

Etcetera are a legit indie outfit who have done some very good recordings over the years (Charles Rosen made his first recording of Elliott Carter's piano works for them). I don't know the provenance of this particular recording, though.

[rubio]

Etcetera are a legit indie outfit who have done some very good recordings over the years (Charles Rosen made his first recording of Elliott Carter's piano works for them). I don't know the provenance of this particular recording, though.

It seems like it is the Etcetera recording:

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=166476

Like its predecessors in this now 100-disc series (including conductor boxes of Mengelberg, van Beinum, Haitink, and Chailly), there are a few near duplications of the orchestra’s commercial recordings. I am glad to see Kondrashin’s Divine Poem reappear, however, as the Etcetera LP and CD were not widely known. Not every performance here displays the orchestra at its best, nor is every recording pristine. Yet several marvelous, must-hear items (Kondrashin’s Shostakovich Fourth, his and Rostropovich’s Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations, all of CD 9, Les noces) make this set as necessary as earlier volumes. In particular, it serves to expand the slim recorded legacy of Kondrashin’s 13 years in Amsterdam; his only studio recording was a Scheherazade, and 10 posthumously issued Philips LPs of 18 performances never made it to CD.

FANFARE: James H. North

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

"Kondrashin’s Shostakovich Fourth"

I agree - it's an electrifying performance.

[Harry]

Klaus Tennstedt om EMI, Inbal on Brilliant, Neumann on Supraphon.

[Brewski]

How many from that set has Haitink and Chailly? Almost every Concertgebouw compilation seem to be full of those two. Don't they have enough commercial releases elsewhere?

On this box, Haitink does Escher, Martin and Vermeulen (in addition to the Mahler), so he's not on this one as much.  There is a separate Haitink Radio Recordings box that is marvelous, as well as one with the Mahler "Kerstmatinees" that includes all of the symphonies except 6, 8 and 10.

Some of the other Concertgebouw Anthology boxes have more from Mengelberg, Van Beinum, etc.

--Bruce

[PerfectWagnerite]

Thanks Bruce.

What do you know about this set?

Looks like something different from the Concertgebouw Anthologies series. Is it something official or some kind of pirate?

[Que]

Thanks Bruce.

What do you know about this set?

Looks like something different from the Concertgebouw Anthologies series. Is it something official or some kind of pirate?

It's quite official...

http://www2.rnw.nl/mu/catalog/musiccds/classical/11717871

Q

[Brewski]

Thanks Bruce.

What do you know about this set?

Looks like something different from the Concertgebouw Anthologies series. Is it something official or some kind of pirate?

That's an official set, but it wasn't sold commercially.  It's only available to "radio partners" at Radio Netherlands (e.g., a radio station that would play and promote the set).  You see copies on eBay now and then but almost always at that price or similar.  (I don't have a copy.) 

It was all taped at the 1995 Mahler Feest at the Concertgebouw, with that orchestra as well as the ones from Berlin and Vienna performing.  At least one of those performances--of the Eighth--may be the same one that is included in the Chailly Radio Recordings box, since it was taped at that time.  (I haven't seen a list of dates of the Mahler Feest recordings.)  The Chailly Eighth from 1995 is terrific, IMHO, but caveat emptor: it's even slower than his studio recording, probably too radical for some.  I think it works beautifully.

Ah, just saw Que's post...

--Bruce

[PerfectWagnerite]

Thanks guys. There was another copy that "sold" for like $300. I said "sold" since a bunch of bids were from someone with some phony ebay ID. Anyway it looks interesting.

[Brewski]

Thanks guys. There was another copy that "sold" for like $300. I said "sold" since a bunch of bids were from someone with some phony ebay ID. Anyway it looks interesting.

If you see it for around $300 I would grab it.  Sounds overpriced, but that's the cheapest I've seen it.

--Bruce

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

I didn't know if there was a thread already devoted to this, so here is a thread on it anyway.

I have been going through all the recordings of which I am particularly fond and will probably listen to some others after I am done with the following 17:


Favourites

Bernstein/NYPO (1st one)


Berstein/Vienna


Boulez/Clevelend


Gielen/SWR


Solti/Chicago


Tilson Thomas/LSO


Sinopoli/Philharmonia




Ones that I like but aren't among my favourites

Dudamel/SBSO


Abbado/Chicago


Abbado/BP


Abbado/Lucerne


Bernstein/NYPO (2nd one)


Rattle/CBSO


Fischer/Dusseldorf


Zender/Saarbrucken


Tilson Thomas/SF


Kubelik/Bavarian Radio (studio version rather than live)


I might do some reviews or comparisons later once I listen to all of these again, but it would be cool to hear your thoughts on them whilst I think about mine!

[Sergeant Rock]

We have some favorites in common: Bernstein/Sony, Bouleiz/Cleveland, Solti/Chicago (I need to listen to Gielen and Sinopoli again). But my desert island choice is missing from your list (and I know why. I know you hate him  ): Klemperer. And, yes, I admit he isn't easy to love but I do love his broad, even perverse approach to the first and last movements. Where he wins decisively, I think, is the Nachtmusik I. His slow tempo, his pointillistic sound painting, projects the music far into the 20th century. Klemp makes it easy to understand why the Second Viennese dudes loved this symphony.

I hope your future listening includes Barenboim. I heard him live, in Berlin, during the 2007 Mahler fest, and his 2005 recording is as fine.

Sarge

[aukhawk]

Klemperer. And, yes, I admit he isn't easy to love but I do love his broad, even perverse approach to the first and last movements. Where he wins decisively, I think, is the Nachtmusik I. His slow tempo, his pointillistic sound painting, projects the music far into the 20th century.

Absolutely agree with this, 110%

I have nothing to add to the original (OP) list except Tennstedt, Kodrashin and Kobayashi, but none of those surpass the best in the OP list in my opinion.  If you disregard Klemperer, I'd go with Bernstein personally.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

We have some favorites in common: Bernstein/Sony, Bouleiz/Cleveland, Solti/Chicago (I need to listen to Gielen and Sinopoli again). But my desert island choice is missing from your list (and I know why. I know you hate him  ): Klemperer. And, yes, I admit he isn't easy to love but I do love his broad, even perverse approach to the first and last movements. Where he wins decisively, I think, is the Nachtmusik I. His slow tempo, his pointillistic sound painting, projects the music far into the 20th century. Klemp makes it easy to understand why the Second Viennese dudes loved this symphony.

I hope your future listening includes Barenboim. I heard him live, in Berlin, during the 2007 Mahler fest, and his 2005 recording is as fine.

Sarge

I feel that Klemperer's slow pace lacks the propulsion, the forward movement of the slow first movement of Boulez and the slow Nachtmusiks of Sinopoli. Both Boulez and Sinopoli achieve a balance, phrasing and pace that I prefer to Klemperer. The recap/coda of the first movement under Klemperer in particular has always been a huge turn off whenever I've tried to listen to his recording again.  I suppose we can just agree to disagree about this one!

I do really like Klemperer as a conductor, but I find that his interpretations of even the most standard repertoire vary so much over the course of his career that I never know if I'm going to love a recording or not until I hear it entirely.

I have heard a recording on youtube of Barenboim conduct it which I think actually was from the 2007 Mahler fest but it has since been taken down.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

I am currently listening to Rattle's take with the CBSO, and I think I need to promote it to my 'favourite' list upon thinking about it again. Its expressiveness is more to my liking than Dudamel's, Fischer's, Bernstein's third recording and all of Abbado's, that's for sure. That coda in the first movement is pretty great, although I still think MTT and the LSO as well as Boulez have done those few minutes a bit better.

Ones that I like but aren't among my favourites New favourite

Rattle/CBSO

[Drasko]

Gielen/SWR

Gielen would be my first choice.

I also like old Scherchen/Vienna State Opera Orchestra on Westminster/DG, but that is definitely an acquired taste, orchestra is decidedly third rate.

Also Kondrashin/Leningrad Philharmonic on Melodiya. Love the sound of the orchestra.