Mahler Mania, Rebooted

[Brian]

UPDATE: tomorrow night's conductor is now James Conlon. Interestingly, I heard him 20 years ago in the same piece, when he made his debut with the Minnesota Orchestra. (Rhetorical query: who makes his initial appearance with the Mahler 8? )

Well, I can think of at least one conductor whose first major conducting appearance was Mahler 3, which they'd never studied through before...and that worked out fine! 

[Karl Henning]

[brewski]

Well, I can think of at least one conductor whose first major conducting appearance was Mahler 3, which they'd never studied through before...and that worked out fine! 

Who, who? (If I knew, I've forgotten. )

-Bruce

[brewski]

Rhetorically speaking, it's probably either his first program with the orchestra, or his first time conducting M8.

If it were his debut, that would be quite a feat...

Clarification: AFAIK, it was his first time with the ensemble. (No idea if he had conducted it before, but something tells me he wouldn't have agreed if he didn't have some familiarity.)

-Bruce

[Brian]

Who, who? (If I knew, I've forgotten. )

-Bruce

25-year-old composer Esa-Pekka Salonen flying in last-minute to replace Michael Tilson Thomas at the Philharmonia.

[brewski]

25-year-old composer Esa-Pekka Salonen flying in last-minute to replace Michael Tilson Thomas at the Philharmonia.

I'm not sure I ever heard that story! Thank you so much.

-Bruce

[Brian]

I'm not sure I ever heard that story! Thank you so much.

-Bruce

Yeah! He learned conducting just to promote his own music. I'm not sure how Philharmonia found out about him, but that was as far as I know his first real international gig and it turned him into an overnight sensation.

[vers la flamme]

^That's especially intriguing as I distinctly remember watching a clip of Salonen trash talking the 3rd (he seemed to think that wide swathes of the first movement were nothing but bombastic filler).

[brewski]

On Friday, 16 June, the Frankfurt Radio Symphony will livestream Mahler 4, with Benedetta Torre, soprano, and conductor Alain Altinoglu. (Alas, it looks like they will not be broadcasting the first half of the program, with Seong Jin Cho as soloist in Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 2.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L85Dpm7Ix_g

-Bruce

[vers la flamme]

Listening to the 6th and the 9th a LOT lately. I used to say the 6th was my least favorite but I'm not so sure about that at all anymore.

My favorite conductor in both of these, lately, is Karajan. For some reason his Mahler really does it for me.

Anyone else listening to Mahler's 6th and/or 9th excessively these days?

[DavidW]

Not so long ago I became quite fixated on the 9th - and Bruno Walter's 1938 Vienna recording in particular - after attending an excellent concert performance.  It is often the way.  Something switches in the brain, and for a while that's all you want to hear.

That was my introduction to the Mahler 9!

[relm1]

Today, I listened to Carpenter's completion of Mahler Symphony No. 10 (Litton/DSO).  I really enjoyed it.  I didn't notice much difference in the first scherzo since that was completed by Mahler.  This version probably includes my favorite version of Purgatorio with small subtle flourishes...it just feels more authentic and flushed out.  The second scherzo features some lovely though sparingly used tranquil passages I hadn't heard before.  Some nice and very subtle references to other works like the bass clarinet solo at the end of scherzo II being from Das Lied von der Erde.  It's very natural and subtle.  The finale is a bit more passionate though in its rising and seething...at times Tristan and Isolde.  Think more operatic but I can't tell how much of that is Litton's interpretation versus Carpenters completion.  In conclusion, it is definitely worth hearing the less familiar completions of this fantastic symphony if you like it.

I've very used to Cooke III but this version includes some interesting choices.  I also think it is a testament to how complete this symphony is that in this very different version of the symphony than Cooke, it is still mostly the same as Cooke. 

I think if I were to assemble my favorite version, it would be:

I.   Adagio: Cooke III
II.   Scherzo I : Carpenter
III.   Purgatorio : Carpenter
IV.   Scherzo II : Carpenter
V.   Finale: Mazzetti II tied with Carpenter

If I had to pick a single completion for the whole work, it would be Barshai and maybe Cooke III after that because that is the one that all others are compared to.  But truthfully, the other versions are NOT that far apart but I think Carpenter is probably the furthest from Cooke III yet not all that different once you get used to it.  Cooke III and Carpenter are probably at opposite ends yet 90% the same.   That remaining 90% is purely Mahler.

[JBS]

Zinman used Carpenter's version for his recording of the 10th. I didn't like it, although it's been long enough since I listened that I don't remember most details. I think there was too much drum for my liking among other things.

[vers la flamme]

Happy 163rd to a great composer!

I have not been all the way tuned in to Mahler like I can sometimes get, where his music is the only thing I want to hear for weeks on end. What I've been listening to a good bit of lately is the 9th and, especially, the 6th. Today I'm listening to the 4th, in this very good recording:



I almost wrote very good recent recording before checking the date; 1999. Still, much of the Mahler in my collection is a lot older than that. I would love to catch up on some great performances from the past 10 years or so. Any recommendations? (I have way more Mahler than I need as it is, so any recommendations must be absolutely earth-shattering and unmissable  ...)

[Lisztianwagner]

Happy 163rd to a great composer!

I have not been all the way tuned in to Mahler like I can sometimes get, where his music is the only thing I want to hear for weeks on end. What I've been listening to a good bit of lately is the 9th and, especially, the 6th. Today I'm listening to the 4th, in this very good recording:



I almost wrote very good recent recording before checking the date; 1999. Still, much of the Mahler in my collection is a lot older than that. I would love to catch up on some great performances from the past 10 years or so. Any recommendations? (I have way more Mahler than I need as it is, so any recommendations must be absolutely earth-shattering and unmissable  ...)

Jansons/Royal Concertgebouw (2015) and Jurowski/London Philharmonic (2016) are the most recent recordings that come to my mind; I don't know how earth-shattering they can be considered (older Mahlerian performances as for example Karajan and Bernstein, are still more breathtaking in my opinion), but certainly both of them are suggestive and thrilling; I would especially recommend Jansons/RCO.

[brewski]

For the birthday boy, a rare listen to Kindertotenlieder, with Robert Holl, bass, and Chailly and the Concertgebouw (recorded in 1989). Holl's rich voice is perfect here. (I am not that familiar with his recorded output.)



-Bruce

[aukhawk]

Vanska / Minnesota Orch is a recent cycle (still ongoing, awaiting 3 and 8, I think) which is full of good things IMHO.

[brewski]

Vanska / Minnesota Orch is a recent cycle (still ongoing, awaiting 3 and 8, I think) which is full of good things IMHO.

Definitely full of good things. I was in the audience for No. 8 (which the orchestra had on its website for awhile), and heard No. 3 live online. I assume BIS is preparing both for commercial release. The sound quality in the series is great, too.

-Bruce

[Wanderer]

Vanska / Minnesota Orch is a recent cycle (still ongoing, awaiting 3 and 8, I think) which is full of good things IMHO.

I've been holding on from buying, waiting for the eventual boxset. Same with the Iván and Ádám Fischer cycles, which I also consider very worthwhile. Streaming is ideal for situations such as these. 

[vers la flamme]

I've been holding on from buying, waiting for the eventual boxset. Same with the Iván and Ádám Fischer cycles, which I also consider very worthwhile. Streaming is ideal for situations such as these.

Interesting that two brothers are simultaneously recording Mahler cycles. I wonder if they ever get together and compare and contrast their approaches to the music.