Mahler Symphonies Favorite Recordings
Apr 19, 2006 at 3:20 AM Post #2,341 of 3,718
Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark from HFR
LOL! That record served us well, eh, Jar? After I got Walter's on CD (as soon as it was available, of course), I sold the LP. I hope it has served others well, too. Thinking back, though, there was one thing that drove me nuts: The side split for the record was about 7 minutes into the funeral march. Just when it was at its peak of intensity... you had to get up and flip the record to hear the other 4 minutes of the movement and the finale.

Ah, memories! Mahler's 1st will always be dear to me, because you can hear him become "MAHLER" right before your ears. Parts of the first movement could almost pass for nature music by any high-quality romanticist. But then there's Mahler's exquisite instrumental touches. And the development section, which is spellbinding. And then the sudden shadows and anxiety toward the end of the movement. And again, the scherzo starts off gruff and lumbering like many other such pieces, but soon Mahler's peculiar essence gels the rather conventional material into something ardent and fervent. The trio dares to play with a sentimental tune, always hesitating just this side of mawkishness, making the listener fall in love with a country waltz beneath the harvest moon. With the opening drum taps of the third movement, it's over. The full Mahler has emerged out into the broad daylight of...well, midnight... but you get my point!

No, I'm telling you, you guys all missed out on the BEST Mahler listening. My parents had an old garage that was detached from the house, and they lived in a semi-rural area, so the closest house was a few hundred yards away. In the summer, they never kept the cars inside the garage, so I would "take it over" and move my stereo and lots of my records out there. Oh, how many times Mason and I would sit out there until late, late at night, playing music. We could usually go at a pretty vigorous level, because the folks had air conditioners running. Of course, we did wake them up a few times. In particular, I remember a Solti Mahler 8 that got a little out of hand. But they were pretty tolerant. I must say, that was some of the best listening I ever did... Music rolling out into the night as a sweet breeze blew gently into the old wooden garage. Now that is the way to listen to Mahler!
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Mark



I still remember the smell of that garage, a kind of mix of old paint and oil.. I remember singing along with Mata's CARMINA BURANA flippin' the pages of the score to keep along.. listening to Das Lied under the stars... or any of the times listening to Le Bouf Sur le Toit... oh, and then there was that Dorati Rite of Spring when we were set up in the basement.. oh my. That freezer made a nice bass drum, didn't it?

The main thing that gets me about the M1, is just how freaking different it sounded as compared to the things I'd heard up to that point. The opening is so static. It's not walking through a garden. It's sitting smack in the middle of the garden and watching the flowers, water and animals move around you.. To be blunt, what balls it took for Mahler to start of a symphony like that.. and it works so damn well.

-jar
 
Apr 19, 2006 at 4:04 AM Post #2,342 of 3,718
I came to Mahler, pretty much by Head-Fi. This place lead me down the path of Classical music expenidtures.
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Apr 19, 2006 at 9:38 AM Post #2,343 of 3,718
Quote:

Originally Posted by Doc Sarvis
What a wonderful poem - it has always been a family favorite; my son and I memorized it! This line has always confused me, though. What do you think it means?


OK, I'll go into lit prof mode here, since I teach this poem a couple of times a year
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To me, that stanza normally suggests our intellectual relationship with the world, and that line describes the point where our contributions no longer have the "flash" and "light": maybe we've become too conditioned, too used to our mental labor, or we simply have nothing new to say. Which, of course, doesn't mean that it's time to let ourselves fade away!

I love Bunny's reading of it, too, since I think wisdom (hopefully) becomes more tempered with age.

(exiting lit prof mode)

Like a couple of others here, I've been listening to Mahler (and many other composers) most of my life, thanks to my parents. Our house was always full of music, and I was fortunate enough to attend many concerts.

My first symphonies were M4 and M1 (in that order), and the rest have followed gradually, over the years.

And, as someone mentioned, Mahler's symphonies really test conductors and orchestras, which means that one can never listen to too many interpretations!

P.S. I recently received a copy of Deryck Cooke's "Gustav Mahler: An Introduction to His Music." For those of you who don't have it, it's a wonderful little (120 pages or so) book that explains the background and workings of all the symphonies as well as Mahler's other compositions. It's a good companion to a listening session.
 
Apr 19, 2006 at 3:45 PM Post #2,344 of 3,718
Quote:

Originally Posted by bookdoctor
I love Bunny's reading of it, too, since I think wisdom (hopefully) becomes more tempered with age.

(exiting lit prof mode)



Thanks for the kind words.
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Quote:

And, as someone mentioned, Mahler's symphonies really test conductors and orchestras, which means that one can never listen to too many interpretations!


Yes, I keep telling my husband that.

Mahler definitely has my wallet on a diet. It's losing so much weight, I'm beginning to think it has a "wasting" disorder.
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Apr 19, 2006 at 6:20 PM Post #2,345 of 3,718
In addition to complete Tennstedt set have a couple more Mahler CDs ordered awaiting delivery:
Schuricht/Stuttgard SWR/Classica D'oro M3 (mono)
Otmar Suitner/Berlin Classics M2


The Schuricht M3 will be added to my Schuricht/Westminster M1, M5, M7
 
Apr 19, 2006 at 11:18 PM Post #2,346 of 3,718
I gave, Bertini Mahler is on order. Hope you are all happy now!
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Apr 20, 2006 at 12:55 AM Post #2,347 of 3,718
Quote:

Originally Posted by scottder
I gave, Bertini Mahler is on order. Hope you are all happy now!
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Not as happy as I hope you will be. As much as I like Mahler a la Pierre Boulez, even I have to admit that Bertini knew his business.
 
Apr 20, 2006 at 11:52 PM Post #2,348 of 3,718
Quote:

Originally Posted by PSmith08
Not as happy as I hope you will be. As much as I like Mahler a la Pierre Boulez, even I have to admit that Bertini knew his business.


I look forward to hearing it, I am on a journey throught various M7's. It's the one Mahler Symphony that has eluded me.

Scott
 
Apr 21, 2006 at 1:22 AM Post #2,349 of 3,718
Mahler 2nd.....revisiting some old references, changes.

Current list top 5 M2:
1)Solti/CSO/London
2)Bernstein/Sony
3)Mehta/Decca Legends
4)Rattle/EMI GROTC
5)Litton/Delos
6)Kaplan/Conifer

Like Scott I just got my remastered Rattle M2 GROTC version and am selling old CD used at Amazon to offset purchase. I haven't heard this recording for sometime and although I was pleased with improved sound the performance was not as great as I previously remembered, or perhaps my taste has changed a bit......regardless I can no longer include the Rattle in top 5. A bit too relaxed in spots and doesn't have the intensity or focus of my beloved Solti or Bernstein (Sony) M2s.

On the other the hand am now listening to Kaplan/Conifer M2 and this is much better than I previously remembered, this has real power when called for and yet is delicate as a feather.....absolutely stunning debut work by Kaplan! This moves up the list and replaces Rattle, it is clearly better performance now to me, it may even move ahead of Mehta once I revisit that recording.

New Top 5 M2 List:
1)Solti/CSO/London
2)Bernstein/Sony
3)Mehta/Decca Legends
4)Kaplan/Conifer
5)Litton/Delos
 
Apr 21, 2006 at 1:32 AM Post #2,350 of 3,718
Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkAngel
I was pleased with improved sound the performance was not as great as I previously remembered, or perhaps my taste has changed a bit......regardless I can no longer include the Rattle in top 5.


Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkAngel
On the other the hand am now listening to Kaplan/Conifer M2 and this is much better than I previously remembered...


First sign of senility, losing ones memory. Who are you again
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Apr 21, 2006 at 6:13 AM Post #2,351 of 3,718
Just picked up the new Barenboim M7 this evening. I only gave it a cursory spin while I was making a late supper, so I haven't had a chance yet to listen closely. First impression is that it is pretty impressive, definitely a step up from the same conductor's M5 from a few years back. The opening does display some of the same tendency towards stiffness and overliteralism (and why a conductor who adores Furtwangler would have this problem is beyond me), but once the first movement gets going, it seems very committed and not just an average runthrough. The first Nachtmusik is moderately paced with a nicely laid-back middle section. The scherzo is sure to prove controversial. It's even faster than Abbado's CSO recording. Most performances give the movement the unease of "things that go bump in the night." Barenboim (like Abbado before him) gives you the things that threaten to leap out of your speakers and chase you round the room. Great fun, though. And (again defying sense for a Furtwanglerian) here in the scherzo where the tempo is so fast that sprung rhythms aren't needed, Barenboim springs the rhythms. Where was that in the first movement? Anyways, the slow movement flows without being quite the sprint that Boulez made it, and the finale plays up the contrasts from section to section quite nicely, without dawdling. The recorded sound seemed spectacular (I was in the next room, though). It certainly has a clear and powerful bass. All in all, looks like a qualified success. Very good, despite some stiffness. Certainly more alive than Tilson Thomas' recent enervated gloss.

M
 
Apr 21, 2006 at 11:56 AM Post #2,352 of 3,718
I generally don't like Barenboim's work, but after hearing various descriptions of his Mahler M7 may have to give it a try especially since it is a 1CD version.

Scott
Yes hard to keep track of all these versions, plus all the regular rock music etc. so I do have to refresh my memory from time to time
 
Apr 21, 2006 at 2:36 PM Post #2,353 of 3,718
Hi DarkAngel,

If you haven't had the chance to hear this one again, try to relisten to Bruno Walter's M2. I was really surprised when I listened again (after the Klemp) over the weekend. It's interesting having 2 versions that fit on 1 cd.
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Have to agree with the assesment of the Bernstein, Mehta (I wish they would remaster that one!), Kaplan and Litton (great sound, even if it is only 2 channels).

I may have to just give in and order the rest of the Solti Mahler.
 
Apr 22, 2006 at 12:16 AM Post #2,354 of 3,718
Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunnyears
Hi DarkAngel,

If you haven't had the chance to hear this one again, try to relisten to Bruno Walter's M2. I was really surprised when I listened again (after the Klemp) over the weekend. It's interesting having 2 versions that fit on 1 cd.
wink.gif


Have to agree with the assesment of the Bernstein, Mehta (I wish they would remaster that one!), Kaplan and Litton (great sound, even if it is only 2 channels).

I may have to just give in and order the rest of the Solti Mahler.



If you get the 1CD Decca Legends Mehta M2 it is remastered (as are all Decca Legends series) but many people have the 2CD Mehta M2 that also includes Schmidt symphony 4.......life is not complete with Solti/CSO M2!

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Tennstedt complete set arrived today from overstock.com!
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Apr 22, 2006 at 2:05 AM Post #2,355 of 3,718
Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkAngel
If you get the 1CD Decca Legends Mehta M2 it is remastered (as are all Decca Legends series) but many people have the 2CD Mehta M2 that also includes Schmidt symphony 4.......life is not complete with Solti/CSO M2!



Wow, I have the original 2cd Mehta M2 without the Schmidt! I guess every decade brings a new reissue...

-jar
 

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