Mahler Mania, Rebooted

Started by Greta, May 01, 2007, 08:06:38 PM

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Renfield

Quote from: Jezetha on April 07, 2008, 11:53:44 AM
I am at last listening to Gielen's Second - outstanding.

Isn't it? ;D

I'm glad more people are getting to know this Mahler cycle; truly a stupendous achievement, on Gielen's part.

J.Z. Herrenberg

Quote from: Renfield on April 07, 2008, 02:39:09 PM
Isn't it? ;D

I'm glad more people are getting to know this Mahler cycle; truly a stupendous achievement, on Gielen's part.

I just discovered/realized eClassical has most of the Gielen Mahler symphonies... Any favourites?
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

Drasko

Quote from: Jezetha on April 07, 2008, 02:55:55 PM
I just discovered/realized eClassical has most of the Gielen Mahler symphonies... Any favourites?

7

J.Z. Herrenberg

Quote from: Drasko on April 07, 2008, 03:18:20 PM
7

Then I'll know what to do. Apart from the fact the Seventh has been a perennial favourite of mine.

(I'm almost a 'Veteran Member' and decided to become a 'Silver Subscriber'...)
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

Renfield

Quote from: Jezetha on April 07, 2008, 02:55:55 PM
I just discovered/realized eClassical has most of the Gielen Mahler symphonies... Any favourites?

Apart from the 2nd? The 7th, as Drasko said, also the 5th, 6th and 9th for me; the 8th as well, if you like Mahler's 8th.

(I like Mahler's 8th, but a lot of people seem not to with quite some vehemence, and this is certainly not a recording to start with. ;))


Wait, did I just recommend all the cycle but the 1st and 3rd? I'm telling you, it's that good! :P

Haffner

Quote from: Jezetha on April 07, 2008, 03:33:07 PM
Then I'll know what to do. Apart from the fact the Seventh has been a perennial favourite of mine.

(I'm almost a 'Veteran Member' and decided to become a 'Silver Subscriber'...)




I'm feeling you here. I've been there. It was nice.

Bonehelm

Anyone have a good M3 finale to recommend? Just the finale...who does it well? I have Abbado/BPO but find it too bland, Bernstein/NYPO but find it dynamically compressed, Kubelik/BRSO but find it too brisk, Bertini but find it too emotionless.

Renfield

The best Mahler 3 finale I've ever heard was from Abbado and the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, in their Proms performance last summer (which I listened to via BBC3, online).

I do realise that's not of much help, but I thought I'd make a point of how good that was. ;D


Have you tried Abbado with the VPO? Boulez? Haitink?

J.Z. Herrenberg

Quote from: Renfield on April 07, 2008, 04:19:10 PM
Apart from the 2nd? The 7th, as Drasko said, also the 5th, 6th and 9th for me; the 8th as well, if you like Mahler's 8th.

(I like Mahler's 8th, but a lot of people seem not to with quite some vehemence, and this is certainly not a recording to start with. ;))


Wait, did I just recommend all the cycle but the 1st and 3rd? I'm telling you, it's that good! :P

Well, that's the original blanket endorsement, and no mistake! Point taken...  ;) (And I like the Eighth, though they don't have it on eClassical...)

Quote from: Haffner on April 07, 2008, 04:37:35 PM
I'm feeling you here. I've been there. It was nice.

You are aristocracy (and sound like it!) And Harry is God.

I'll join you soon (2 posts to go).

Ah, no mountains left to climb...

Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

Wanderer

Quote from: Perfect FIFTH on April 07, 2008, 08:53:45 PM
Anyone have a good M3 finale to recommend? Just the finale...who does it well?

Segerstam (Danish National RSO) does it extremely well.

Haffner

I enjoy the Litton-conducted 3rd. Alot.

PSmith08

Quote from: Perfect FIFTH on April 07, 2008, 08:53:45 PM
Anyone have a good M3 finale to recommend? Just the finale...who does it well? I have Abbado/BPO but find it too bland, Bernstein/NYPO but find it dynamically compressed, Kubelik/BRSO but find it too brisk, Bertini but find it too emotionless.

I prefer, most of all, the live Boulez M3 from the '07 Mahler-Zyklus. His studio WP set isn't bad, but I wouldn't want to be without the Chailly record.

Bonehelm

Thanks for all the above recommendations, I'll definitely check them out. :) I re-listened to the Abbado/BPO, but I don't know why I just keep coming back to the Bernstein/NYPO. Maybe it's because of the latter conductor's famed soul-stirring music making...

knight66

I have bought the new LSO/Gergiev Mahler 6th. It is poles apart from the Mackerras version I have. Gergiev plays up the extremes, both in repose and drama. The Andante is played as the second movement and there are two hammer blows, though even without the third one, the final moments are dramatic and satisfying.

This is seemingly a live performance, there is plenty of adrenalin and thrust. The sound is close and fairly dry. Strings are silken when needed and there sounds to be plenty of detail within the soundpicture, for sure, more than the BBC managed for Mackerras, though the first hammer blow is almost lost within the orchestral textures.

Gergiev does bring balm after a gutwrenching first movement and he is not afraid to have the woodwind or strings sound acidic. After one point in the final movement, I thought we were lurching from bitterness into Rachmaninoff. It is exciting music making, possibly even on the hysterical side of the Mahler interpretative spectrum.

His version of the 1st is supposedly available, though I could not find it in London this week, but I am keen to hear what he does with it.

Initially, when Gergiev signed on with the LSO, the news was that he could not record with them due to contractual commitments; these apparently have been solved.

Mike
DavidW: Yeah Mike doesn't get angry, he gets even.
I wasted time: and time wasted me.

Sergeant Rock

Quote from: knight on May 24, 2008, 06:09:50 AM
I have bought the new LSO/Gergiev Mahler 6th....

Good review, Mike, and very persuasive. Makes me want to buy another Mahler 6...damn you to hell  :D

Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

knight66

Haha...as I was once taught; if in doubt, take as a compliment.

I know Gergiev has had very mixed reviews for the London Mahler cycle so far. I would be interested to hear one of the supposedly less coherent interpretations to see what I would make of it.

Awaiting me are the initial three Mahler symphonies on DVD with Lennie presiding. That was prompted by enthusiasm here. I need to choose my time carefully for commandeering the TV. At the moment, we have all got the West Wing bug and are going through the entire lot on DVD at different speeds. But Mahler needs to win out....soon.

Mike

DavidW: Yeah Mike doesn't get angry, he gets even.
I wasted time: and time wasted me.

Papy Oli

#356
Mike,

The LSO site lists the release of the 1st for May 26th. Samples can heard there too :

http://lso.co.uk/detailedrecordinginfo&showdetailstype=recording&detailID=185

Papy

PS : Should i mention that they do Mahler ringtones too ? 0:)

Edit : t'is always better with a link  :-[
Olivier

knight66

Papy, Thanks, I was sure it was around and I am also sure I went to the wrong stores. One, that is right beside English National Opera has always specialised in vocal music. It used nevertheless to stock all the main new issues whether vocal or not. Policy changes, instead they have stripped out all music that is not either vocal or ballet and have filled the shelves with foreign language films...an obvious linkage there.

Mike

DavidW: Yeah Mike doesn't get angry, he gets even.
I wasted time: and time wasted me.

J.Z. Herrenberg

Quote from: knight on May 24, 2008, 06:09:50 AM
Gergiev does bring balm after a gutwrenching first movement and he is not afraid to have the woodwind or strings sound acidic. After one point in the final movement, I thought we were lurching from bitterness into Rachmaninoff.

Brilliant.
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

Bonehelm

Rattle's 2nd is kind of weird...why is the chromatic descension at the end of the Totenfeier so slow? And the finale sounds underpowered...give me my Mehta and Bernstein back, thank you.