[GustavMahler]

I agree with you, But at the same time you could say "Why C here? Today C# is more appropriate!"
You still should have some borders. Btw I am listening to Mahler's 8th conducted by Bernstein with the Wiener Philharmonic-And it is so beautiful and well recorded too. You can really feel like the chorus is whispering in your ears in the second part when they first enter. 

 

[icebear]

I guess a particular note is pretty much "written in stone" but there obviously is quite a bit of wiggle room for the conductor to emphazise tempo and dynamics within whatever the composer put down in regards to instructions.
And these instructions are not like "14 min. 29 seconds sharp" for the adagio

.
 
I guess if your are standing in front of an orchestra, your personality is not to blend in and make a do over of something that can already be had in 10 other recordings. You want to give it something unique and different to stand out from the crowd and please the audience within the existing borders.

 

[GustavMahler]

You are right. A conductor cannot just mechanically conduct what the composer intended-He must bring something of his own, Or else it won't have any passion. (I learn conducting and composing too so i am torn between the two )

 

[mbhaub]

Agreed. That's one of most interesting and fun things about collecting classical music is to hear and compare different interpretations. Most people today wouldn't tolerate the ubiquitous use of portamento that was the norm in string playing a century ago. Elgar's own recordings are interesting and shed a lot of light on how some passages should go, but no one (except maybe Solti) followed his lead in tempos for the symphonies. Still, given the overwhelming fascination throughout the world  with Mahler, it would have been tremendously interesting if we had just one recording of him performing a symphony with an orchestra.

 

[serman005]

I am not a Mahler expert, but I will just throw out there to the assembled (someone may have already mentioned this, but):
 
Symphony No. 2
Solti, Zakai, Buchanan
CSO, Vienna State Opera Chorus, 1980
 
Pretty sweet performance! On Decca, for those interested.

 

[GustavMahler]

I didn't hear a lot of Gergiev's Mahler interpretations, But from what i heard i don't  think he understands Mahler well enough.

 

[SpirosG]

Gergiev used to br first class, when back in Russia with Mariinsky ... after his west conquest he's like running a high speed marathon ... he tries to do everything, every composer, every task (manager, maestro, ceo, whatever) in the least time possible ... thus, he's really messing with things ... his Mahler circle is really awful ... his recent Brahms a disaster ... it is a pity ...

 

[mbhaub]

In general, I think you're right - but not completely. His recent Prokofiev Romeo & Juliet is just sizzling. One of, if not, the greatest. Searing intensity. His Mahler cycle isn't really that terrible, in fact there are a couple of the symphonies that he does quite well, not surprisingly 6, 7 among them. As a set though, there are many far better and in better sound. A pity, because if there's one orchestra that should do a Mahler cycle it's the LSO.
 
There's a new version of the 9th, on ARS with a CHAMBER group called ensemble mini and the conductor is a young Brit named Joolz Gale. Terrific! The orchestration was reduced to a 17 piece chamber score and it works extremely well. The closing pages are just heartbreakingly beautiful. Puts many a full-orchestra version by many famous conductors to shame. Some are put off by just the idea of re-orchestrating Mahler, but if you love the 9th, you must hear this new version. And it's in sacd sound.

 

[SpirosG]

ok ! Don't get me wrong...
 
Russians and ballet music is his piece of cake ... he doesn't even have to try to be good  ... and it is logical, that out of  a whole Mahler cirlce, you can find some interesting moments /parts ...
 
But, from the artist of the Gergiev's caliber we should expect much much more ... 
 
I've heard about the minis, but didn't pay attention. Now you recommend them, I'll give them a serious ear. Thnx !!!

 

[Quinto]

Into Mahler again in these troubling times..

 

[CanadianMaestro]

Listened to Mahler #3, Boulez/VPO last night. Sweet.

 

[duetta]

Watched these Tilson-Thomas Mahler programs (from the SF Symphony's Keeping Score series) last week. They are now being steamed by the orchestra via youtube.

Keeping Score - Gustav Mahler: Origins -

Keeping Score - Gustav Mahler: Legacy -

Highly recommended for the storytelling. Even though the sound is limited to the 192kb of youtube, I came away extremely impressed with the engineering on these recordings as well.

Matt C

 

[CanadianMaestro]

^ I have TT's 3rd, 5th, and 7th. Pretty good SQ and artistically they're very good.