Mahler Mania, Rebooted

[Roasted Swan]

Am I a contrarian weirdo if My favorites are Sibelius 6 and Mahler 7 lol

Yes!! 

[Skogwald]

Yes!! 

That's fair 

[Valentino]

This refurbishment of the 1959 Horenstein Royal Albert Hall M8 may be of interest:
https://www.highdeftapetransfers.ca/products/mahler-symphony-no-8-busoni-orchestral-works-horenstein?variant=44285211541724

[Roasted Swan]

This refurbishment of the 1959 Horenstein Royal Albert Hall M8 may be of interest:
https://www.highdeftapetransfers.ca/products/mahler-symphony-no-8-busoni-orchestral-works-horenstein?variant=44285211541724

I've heard this and thought it sounded very good indeed (I have the BBC Legends iteration and this is crisper and cleaner generally).  The actual performance deserves its legendary status I reckon.

[DavidW]

I've heard this and thought it sounded very good indeed (I have the BBC Legends iteration and this is crisper and cleaner generally).  The actual performance deserves its legendary status I reckon.

Yes, Horenstein is on my short list along with Nagano for the 8th.

[LKB]

I've mostly avoided Resurrection since singing it in February, but tonight I have found my way back to a favorite live performance:

[LKB]

The BPO's excerpted performance of the first movement from the Sixth is currently available on YouTube:

Generally speaking, I find moments to both like and dislike, but the Sixth is a bit of a hairball for any orchestra, including the very best.

One of the moments I dislike the most is at 11:16, where one of the percussionists is tasked with both the tam-tam and xylophone parts in quick succession.

This should never have happened.

Seriously... one of the most famed orchestras in existence cannot staff properly for a concert? Or if nothing else, the timpanist could have walked over and took one of the parts. ( I've not yet checked the score, but I know this work extremely well and am 99% certain that the timpanist is idle during the passage. )

It is of course possible that there was some sort of last-minute emergency, and the young lady simply stepped up to fill the breach, as it were. But it leaves a rather poor impression, imho.

[relm1]

The BPO's excerpted performance of the first movement from the Sixth is currently available on YouTube:

Generally speaking, I find moments to both like and dislike, but the Sixth is a bit of a hairball for any orchestra, including the very best.

One of the moments I dislike the most is at 11:16, where one of the percussionists is tasked with both the tam-tam and xylophone parts in quick succession.

This should never have happened.

Seriously... one of the most famed orchestras in existence cannot staff properly for a concert? Or if nothing else, the timpanist could have walked over and took one of the parts. ( I've not yet checked the score, but I know this work extremely well and am 99% certain that the timpanist is idle during the passage. )

It is of course possible that there was some sort of last-minute emergency, and the young lady simply stepped up to fill the breach, as it were. But it leaves a rather poor impression, imho.

I find that odd to be so specifically focused on something clearly manageable.  They sort this stuff out mostly for practicality and if someone has a big moment coming up they won't be used just because they are sitting around doing nothing at that spot.  On a tangent though, sometimes composers ARE inconsiderate of what they ask of performers.  A better example than what you pointed out was when they give a brass player (especially low brass which are heavier instruments) like a beat or two to take the mute on or off in fast tempo music.  They should sit in the seat of a player and do what they're asking of the player.  It's very challenging to not make noise or worse, drop the mute, and there is a lot of mental anguish that goes in to something that shouldn't be on the performers mind at all.

[LKB]

Here's something I just came across in the last half-hour:

I'd be interested in others' reactions.

[lordlance]

People have any recordings from the last decade that they found spectacular/reference? I ask because there's certainly a constant flow of them... Vanska's AND Bychkov's cycle, Payare's (incomplete cycle?) recordings with OSM, Jansons' BRSO and Harding's SRSO M5...

[Brian]

Critical acclaim has come for Payare 2 and Vanska 8, and DavidW loves Vanska 10. I love Alexandre Bloch 7. Curious to hear other people's suggestions.

[relm1]

Mahler's Symphony No. 2 is going to be performed locally in a month.  I'm thinking of going but there are only a handful of seats remaining at extremely high prices.  I've seen it once or twice before and those were seminal moments in my life.  Still, it's hard to justify the crazy cost.  It's around $300 and includes a useless $40 service fee type of thing.  Maybe I'll pass.  Maybe my soul needs this right now though.

[LKB]

Mahler's Symphony No. 2 is going to be performed locally in a month.  I'm thinking of going but there are only a handful of seats remaining at extremely high prices.  I've seen it once or twice before and those were seminal moments in my life.  Still, it's hard to justify the crazy cost.  It's around $300 and includes a useless $40 service fee type of thing.  Maybe I'll pass.  Maybe my soul needs this right now though.

While I am not sure that I am qualified to offer advice regarding your situation ( though I have sung in the chorus for Resurrection seven times between 1980 and this past February, I have actually never attended a performance ), I am of the opinion that if you suspect that you need it on some level and if the cost is something that you can deal with, then you should go.

[Brian]

$300 is wild...here at the Dallas Symphony the most expensive seats in the middle of the orchestra floor are $140.

[DavidW]

People have any recordings from the last decade that they found spectacular/reference? I ask because there's certainly a constant flow of them... Vanska's AND Bychkov's cycle, Payare's (incomplete cycle?) recordings with OSM, Jansons' BRSO and Harding's SRSO M5...

Bychkov is quite cool and cerebral. While people like to make that accusation about Vanska, I don't think he is as extreme. I think the standouts on the Vanska are the 8th and 10th. Jansons is good, but not great imo. My favorite of the new cycles is Nott. Also check out Haitink's incomplete cycle on BR classics.

[brewski]

Mahler's Symphony No. 2 is going to be performed locally in a month.  I'm thinking of going but there are only a handful of seats remaining at extremely high prices.  I've seen it once or twice before and those were seminal moments in my life.  Still, it's hard to justify the crazy cost.  It's around $300 and includes a useless $40 service fee type of thing.  Maybe I'll pass.  Maybe my soul needs this right now though.

Just looked at the LA Phil's website (if that's the one you're referring to) and while there are so many things in the plus column — the orchestra, Dudamel, the venue, and of course, the piece itself — the ticket prices are really crazy. I see that for some performances there are seats in the Terrace for under $200. I've sat in that section, and for that price it might be worth it, especially since sitting further back in the hall would probably be better for sound.

[brewski]

People have any recordings from the last decade that they found spectacular/reference? I ask because there's certainly a constant flow of them... Vanska's AND Bychkov's cycle, Payare's (incomplete cycle?) recordings with OSM, Jansons' BRSO and Harding's SRSO M5...

Another vote for Vanska, whose cycle is really good, and with superlative sound. Haven't heard the others you mention, though I like Bychkov's live performances, e.g., this one of the Fifth with the Czech Philharmonic, recorded in October 2024.