Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde

[ezodisy]

For me, there's one Das Lied that stands out from all the others...the live SOBR/Kubelik on Audite with Waldemar Kmentt and Janet Baker. I find that Kubelik's direction is constantly attentive to both the details and the larger structure of the work, Kmentt gets as much as I've heard from the tenor songs, and Baker's simply incomparable. (I think Baker's studio recording with Haitink is also very fine, but I prefer Kubelik's interpretation and choice of tenor.)

same here Edward, great performance and the recording sounds very good too.

[Lilas Pastia]

Bruno Walter chose Maureen Forrester to sing his last public DLVDE (in New York). The Abschied survives on a recently issued Gala disc. This has been praised to the rafters by the American Record Guide reviewer. I'll try to lay my hands on it (coupled with Schumann lieder cycles). I have two complete DLVDE with Forrester (Reiner and Szell) and she sings it with boiling point emotional temperature. VERY different from the poised, elegiac and poetic Baker.

[knight66]

Of the two complete performances, which one would you recommend above the other?

Mike

[Lilas Pastia]

Both have the same tenor (Richard Lewis). I prefer the Szell, which is a 1967 live recording with the Cleveland Orchestra on tour in Berlin. It is that bit more intense and at the same time more spontaneous than the RCA disc under Reiner. I also prefer their playing. The sound leaves much to be desired compared to the Hifi RCA.

[knight66]

Andre, Thanks, I have ordered it. I would be interested in an approach to contrast with Baker.

Mike

[Bunny]

No one seems to have mentioned Oue's recording with the Minnesota O, Michelle de Young and Jon Villars.  It's up there with my favorites as well.  Also, Bertini's DLVE is excellent -- a great bonus in the box set of his Mahler cycle.  I think it's also available in SACD from Japanese websites.


 

[imperfection]

No one seems to have mentioned Oue's recording with the Minnesota O, Michelle de Young and Jon Villars.  It's up there with my favorites as well.  Also, Bertini's DLVE is excellent -- a great bonus in the box set of his Mahler cycle.  I think it's also available in SACD from Japanese websites.


 

A gorgeous cover, too.

[DieNacht]

Am considering this - Mahler "Das Lied von der Erde" with Maazel live 1960 at La Fenice.
I often find Italian orchestras disappointing, but there are exceptions - and early Maazel can be good at times.

Does anyone know it ?

[knight66]

I have just ordered the recently surfaced line Krips version of DLVDE with Wunderlich and Fischer Dieskau. Should be a fitting tribute to the latter. I have not read any reviews of the performance, but I suspect it ought to be top notch.

Mike

[DieNacht]

I have just ordered the recently surfaced line Krips version of DLVDE with Wunderlich and Fischer Dieskau. Should be a fitting tribute to the latter. I have not read any reviews of the performance, but I suspect it ought to be top notch.

Mike

Sounds very interesting ! Tell about it, when it arrives !

[knight66]

Sure will. I do have the Bernstein/Fischer Dieskau version. But the tenor there is good, not great.

Mike

[DavidRoss]

Boulez/WP, Kubelik/BRSO (Audite), MTT/SFS, Klemperer/Philharmonia, Haitink/RCO (hard to beat Baker!)

[DavidRoss]

Can anyone recommend a good chamber version of this work? I've never heard any chamber version, but I am intrigued.

The only one I have is Herreweghe. I like it, but the full orchestral work is chamber-like enough plus boasts sumptuousness. And neither soloist is up to the standards of those in the recordings I posted above.

[knight66]

I think I am up around 16 versions and I agree re Baker, esp with Kubelik. I second Klemperer and recommend Levine, Giulini, Walter and Szell. Each for different reasons, not all entirely legitimate. I seem to be allergic to MTT, in anything.

Mike

[kishnevi]

I have just ordered the recently surfaced line Krips version of DLVDE with Wunderlich and Fischer Dieskau. Should be a fitting tribute to the latter. I have not read any reviews of the performance, but I suspect it ought to be top notch.

Mike

I got it when it first came out, and I'll repeat what I've said before (probably on the Mahler Mania thread)--the audio is not that great but generally acceptable;  the same applies to the orchestral playing.  But it's an absolute must to have because both singers surpass their performances on their more famous recordings (D F-D with Bernstein,  Wunderlich with Klemperer).

[Mirror Image]

Klemperer is the only performance I remember of Das Lied von der Erde, but I'm anxious to hear MTT's and Boulez's. My Dad owns all the Mahler. I'm pretty sure he has about 6 or 7 recordings of this work and quite possibly more.

[knight66]

I got it when it first came out, and I'll repeat what I've said before (probably on the Mahler Mania thread)--the audio is not that great but generally acceptable;  the same applies to the orchestral playing.  But it's an absolute must to have because both singers surpass their performances on their more famous recordings (D F-D with Bernstein,  Wunderlich with Klemperer).

Thanks. That manages well my expectations re the sound. I have DFD in the Bernstein performance and think he comes under stree in the final song's upper reaches due to the slow pace of some sections. DFD is also by then striking some words hard and tooth pasting the sound. I also have him about seven years earlier in the Kletzki version, which I think is under rated. DFD was in fresher voice and integrates the lines and phrasing without the later bumps. Murray Dickie is the tenor, usually singing light roles, he manages quite well here and really does use the words. It is a version that is worth looking out for.

Mike

[Leo K.]

Klemperer is the only performance I remember of Das Lied von der Erde, but I'm anxious to hear MTT's and Boulez's. My Dad owns all the Mahler. I'm pretty sure he has about 6 or 7 recordings of this work and quite possibly more.

MTT's Das Lied is amazing to my ears, easily my top version, and I've heard quite a bit. Let us know what you think when you hear it!

[eyeresist]

the Kletzki version, which I think is under rated. DFD was in fresher voice and integrates the lines and phrasing without the later bumps. Murray Dickie is the tenor, usually singing light roles, he manages quite well here and really does use the words. It is a version that is worth looking out for.

Indeed. Sadly out of print at the moment. 

[kishnevi]

Indeed. Sadly out of print at the moment. 

But at the moment still available on Amazon MP for 9.99 USD and up, and coupled with the Fourth Symphony, no less.
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