Gustav Mahler: Symphonie No. 1
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Audio CD (16 January, 1992)
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Editorial Review

Claudio Abbado recorded a good, if not overwhelming, performance of this piece with the Chicago Symphony at the very beginning of the digital era. Well, here he is again with a vastly inferior orchestra (in Mahler, at least), and a recording of no special distinction. His interpretation, too, has lost some of its impact and tautness, which is so often the case with this conductor's remakes. If you want this symphony in digital, try Leonard Bernstein on DG, Neeme Järvi on Chandos, or Riccardo Chailly on London, all of which are magnificent. --David Hurwitz ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Very Clinical and Enjoyable Performance
I own both this recording, and ther seminal Bernstein recording(Sony) of Mahler's first, and they are extremely different performances, both is spirit and in end results. The Abbado recording, being a digital modern one, is very much superior in actual sound quality, whereas the Bernstein has a noticeable hiss due to the analog recording and transfer. Abbado and the Berlin Philharmonic deliver a very polished and clinical performance of the piece, and is really very enjoyable. He particularly does a great job with the first and fourth movements. As such, this is definetely worth listening to, and perhaps owning.

However, the Mahler symphonies typically are more than just about the sound, there is always a "soulfullness" to them. Somehow, that is strangely lacking here, and in my opinion is brilliantly captured by Bernstein. For instance, the quiet melodius third movement (featuring "Frere Jacques"), while well played in this performance, feels strangely out of place in between the other movements. Perhaps, a clinical approach to Mahler aiming at precision is always destined to lose some of the spirit of the pieces, which is why interpretations by Solti and Bernstein for this piece seem to be somewhat superior.

In spite of the criticism, Abbado has put on a fantastic performance, and I really do love what the Berlin Philharmonic does with the horns all through (always an important element to a good Mahler performance). So go ahead and listen to it and decide for yourself how Mahler would have felt about the spirit of this performance.

How objestive is this??!
Well I was shocked at first by Mr Hurwitz's review and his heroic statement, the BPO is much inferior to the Chicago orch. at least in Mahler, but after reading the response of the listners I find it futile to respond to him. First, point of culture; I love the Chicago orchestra with it's renowned brass section, and they produced a glowing account with Abbado of this symph. fo DG, I bet you that, but surely the BPO is really in a class of it's own, and I surely agree with SueLei that the BPO and VPO are the greatest two orchestras in the world and have been so since a very long time ago. Abbado produces a glowing account of this, much played, symphony, and although I prefere Brnstein's readings first with the NY philh. on Sony SACD and then his Concertgebow orchestra for DG, the Abbado has an excellent balance and the wonderful, unsurpassed sound of the BPO. As usual the string section of that orchestra is unique and unrivalled, and as a wonderful reading as this is, you also find yourself capitulating to the beauty of the sound and the magnificent overall satisfaction you get, Abbado really gives a fervant reading of the deepest intensity. I hope when amazon sets a review, it's reviewer has to be as objective as possible because all of us customers and reviwers who submit their opinion act as guides to buyers who might be perplexed as for- which version I should go for question- or writing our opinion with no personal feelings for what we like or dislike (regarding an orchstra or conductor/soloist) as much as possible.

The best Mahler Symphony 1
I must say that this is the best Mahler Symphony 1.
Abbado's conduct and Karajan's BPO made it the best one.
It's the first year Abbado work with BPO as chefconduct.BPO is still full of Karajan's sound not like today.
Abbado's deal is quite light, we can find it from his other Mahler wiht VPO or CSO, but here he can't do it, because Karajan still "alive", so the two reason made it best. ... Read more

Asin: B000001GEZ
Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Symphonic   

Mahler: Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection"
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Audio CD (19 December, 2000)
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Editorial Review

The Saito Kinen Orchestra was created in 1984 for a series of concerts honoring the memory of Hideo Saito, Japan's most influential music educator and founder of the Tokyo Music Academy that bears his name. One of its first and most famous graduates was Seiji Ozawa, who cofounded the orchestra and under whose leadership it performs worldwide. This record was taped live in Tokyo during special millennium concerts in 2000. Many of Saito's former students who now hold prominent positions in the West participated; the personnel list in the booklet contains numerous names familiar to American audiences, notably cellist Sadao Harada, founding member of the Tokyo String Quartet, and violinist Hiroko Yajima of the Mannes Trio.

Perhaps because it was taped in performance, the recording is not of optimal technical quality. Dynamic contrasts are excessive, from almost inaudible pianissimos to ear-splitting explosions of sound, necessitating an alert finger on the volume control, and the tone is sometimes harsh and shrill. The playing is good, with some beautiful solos from the concertmaster and the winds, but it's a little stiff, inflexible, and inhibited. The musicians do not seem entirely comfortable with Mahler's abrupt changes of tempo and mood, his unfettered flights into the depths and heights of emotion, his sardonic irony, his characteristic march and waltz rhythms. However, in the last movement, the power, mystery, and ecstasy of the music, as well as the concentrated expressiveness of the excellent chorus, combine to break down their restraint. Nathalie Stutzman has a lovely voice, but she sings with too much fussy intensity; Emiko Suga sounds pure, innocent, and angelic. --Edith Eisler ... Read more

Reviews (3)

(No stars)
This is an amazing recording. I mean that. I've heard Mahler played with what I felt was the wrong feeling or emphasis before ... but this is Mahler played with NO feeling and NO content. It's truly incredible what Seiji and this orchestra do to some of the most *directly* emotional music of all time: they de-content it. The pictures inside show him jumping up and down on the podium, but the orchestra sounds like they're on autopilot. Everyone is moving their fingers and playing all the notes, but the sweep and nuance of Mahler is not there, not even in flashes, not even hinted at. Simply put, this is the worst performance of Mahler I have ever heard.

From the opening tremolo there is no tension. Nothing builds in the first movement--there is no climax. The second movement lacks all Viennese charm, the third all Jewishness. There's no mystery in the horn call, no build, no ecstasy of redemption as the choir enters. Seiji seems to use sheer volume to mask the fact that he doesn't know what to say in this music. (In this he reminds me of the way John Eliot Gardiner uses speed.) And Nathalie Stutzmann is terrible, thick-voiced and stuffy. She does not seem to understand the meaning of the words she is singing.

Sound is very fine, but to what end? I never thought it possible that Mahler could sound just plain *empty.* Overwrought, yes. *Wrongly*-wrought, yes, but empty? This CD astonished me. Maybe everyone should hear it, to discover how one can play all the markings on the page and communicate nothing.

Other reviewers here have blamed the Boston Symphony for sounding bored and making Ozawa look bad. Place the blame where it belongs--at the podium, where credit is, after all, always given when things go right. The BSO positively sparkles under most of its guest conductors, whereas the Saito Kinen Orchestra here sounds exactly as the BSO does under Seiji. Don't blame the orchestra for not doing Seiji's job.

Simply the best
Ozawa of late, has been hampered by a bored Boston Symphony Orchestra, full of uninteresting repretoire and undesignated prinicpal section appointments. One wonders what happened to that dynamic Karajan protege of the 70's who inspired and charmed musicans to play their very best (the BSO certain do not under his current direction- 29 years is a long time)

Two answers: That impish Ozawa has been doing his best work of late in Vienna (where the Austrians seem quite happy with his leadership) and of course with his Saito Kinen Orchestra.

Simply put, this performance blew me away. Although I steadfastly subscribe to that crusty Klemperer version on EMI, Ozawa offers such a dyanmic, taut and dramatic performance that it can be included as one of the great Ressurections. The contralto is not Christa Ludwig, and she is a bit mannered for my tatse, but I cannot erase the first movement from my mind. Ozawa navigates this Brucknerian nightmare with such clarity , compassion and drama that I can no longer listen to the Klemperer disc because of the sloppy, plodding and unclear playing the Philharmonia engages in.

Mind you, I am familar with the Klemperer, Abbado Chicago&Vienna, Metha, Bernstein-Vienna, Solti, Tennstedt, and Inbal versions of this work. None of them offer the concentrated committment of an orchestra playing, and surpassing the very edge of their powers.

Give the first movement 15 mintues and you will be convinced.

Mahler's Debt to Beethoven
The Saito Kinen Orchestra was founded in 1984 by Seiji Ozawa and colleagues in memory of Ozawa`s mentor and one of the most influential of Japanese music educators, Hideo Saito.It is a wonderful ensemble which proves that Asians can be totally at home with western music.The personnel of the orchestra are listed in the booklet, a practice that I wish more companies would follow.They do a superb job with Mahler's extremes of dynamics and dramatic tempo changes, and the result is a terrific rendition of this powerfully evocative music.That the Japanese, who so love Beethoven that mass performances of his Ode to Joy are commonplace, are now performing Mahler so wonderfully is completely appropriate.

In this work, Mahler's debt to Beethoven is quite clear.Of course, Mahler's Second is a choral symphony following Beethoven's lead with his 9th.Mahler's funeral march in this piece is not only in the same key as the funeral march in Beethoven'sThird Symphony, the Eroica, but there are similarities in the initial melodies as well.Mahler expands the number of movements in this symphony (as in others) to five, as Beethoven did in his 6th Symphony.Beethoven expanded the classical orchestra with the addition of trombones, piccolo, and contrabassoon in his 5th Symphony to heighten the expressive quality of the music, and Mahler often expands the romantic orchestra for similar purposes.But most important is Beethoven's structural thinking which Mahler inherited.Beethoven so expands the traditional sonata-allegro form that just the first movement of his Eroica Symphony is as long or longer as a whole symphony by one of his predescessors.Mahler took this expansion to heart, and makes each of his symphonies an entire musical world.

Mahler's Second is often called the Resurrection Symphony, for the text of the final movement is a statement of faith in the afterlife.This text is based on an ode by Friedrich Klopstock, but Mahler himself made revisions and additions which make description of the journey of the soul to God more explicit. Mahler at one point created a program for the symphony which divided the work into sections such as "the last trump" and "the caller in the desert", but he later withdrew it as too much of a crutch for the audience.But these programatic details remain in the music--I think that one cannot listen to the passage that precedes the choir's first entrance in the final movement without an awareness that it represents the call to the final judgement, and that the flute is a musical portrayal of the holy spirit.

This piece is full of some of the most extraordinary music ever written, and the Saito Kinen Orchestra does a wonderful job with it.This is a beautifully recorded live performance, and I think the criticism in the editorial review above that the dynamic contrasts are too extreme is absurd.Mahler wrote these extreme dynamics and he meant them, and while they may make the music unsuitable for performance as background music, or to play on a car stereo or boombox, without them the soul of the music is lost.I think the dynamic contrasts are superbly done, and absolutely necessary to an understanding of and emotional reaction to the work--if you don't like them, get a compressor.My only minor criticism is that at the very end, the brass seems to let down a bit of the intensity.Whether this is due to fatigue (which can be significant in this work, as it is very demanding on the brass) or simply a desire to bring out the choir, I am not sure.But I can highly recommend this performance in spite of this minor flaw. ... Read more

Asin: B000054OXK
Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Orchestral & Symphonic    3. Symphonic   

Mahler: Symphony No. 3
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Audio CD (24 November, 1998)
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Editorial Review

If there's any doubt at all that the Mahler renaissance is alive and well in middle America, then this recording should dispel any doubts. The Cincinnati Symphony--their brass section in particular-- clearly took this project as a challenge, and it sounds like they must have blown the music right off of their stands! Their playing is tremendous. I haven't heard trumpets and trombones having such a vulgar good time in the first movement since Bernstein's own first recording from the early 1960s. Not only does Lopez-Cobos pace the symphony ideally, he does the best fifth movement you'll ever hear. And Telarc captures it all in miraculously close and clear sound. The offstage trumpet in the third movement, especially, has never been better balanced. A triumph for all concerned. --David Hurwitz ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Possibly the Best Recording of This Symphony
Long have I quested after a Mahler 3 that carried off the power and almost otherworldly grandeur of the first movement, the deceptively simple (but not simplistic) build of the final movement, and the charming and bewitching character of each middle movement.

This is that recording.

Besides pleasing interpretation and pacing (read: the last movement does not turn into a dirge as it does in so many other versions), the playing of the Cincinnati Symphony is outstanding. Peter Norton's trombone solo in the first movement is doubtlessly the best available recorded version, and the section plays up to his standard throughout.

And, lest we forget, there are Telarc's resplendent sonics. I have been a fan of the clean Telarc sound for years, but this is one of their best efforts, bringing off the warmth of Cincinnati's Music Hall quite well.

An outstanding effort by all. Recommended without reservation.

Technically stunning...yet empty.
This is without a doubt the best recorded version of Mahler's third available.The sound is absolutely resplendent and stunning.The orchestral playing is also superb, and from the standpoint of virtuosity, it is amoung the best.
Unfortunately, it is completely pedestrian in every other respect.The first movement is just plain boring and lacking in drive.One gets the feeling that the orchestra is simply playing the notes and not feeling the music.The other movements are equally passionless and bland.There is no sense of adventure or occaision in this performance.The conductor obviously knows the notes on the page, but not the zeitgeist of late 19th century Romanticism.
A better choice would be Zubin Mehta's recording on Decca.Even though the playing of the 1970's LAPO is not this good, there is an understanding of Mahler that is just not present here.Mehta's recorded sound represents the best that 1970's analogue had to offer.Horenstein's is also good, but worse played and worse recorded than Mehta's.Both of Bernstein's recordings are eccentric (perhaps ego-centric) but at least they are not boring.

A Great Symphony, A Great Recording
I bought this CD to become acquainted with the work as I have been becoming a fan of Mahler's music.Little did I know that I would be left quite satisfied about not needing another recording of the work.The brass in the first movement are the most striking to me.They seem to take this first movement personally and really stand up to the task.One thing that has been criticized is the singing of the soloist.I am not well hearsed in that type of singing, but I find it quite lovely.The pinnacle of the symphony like most symphonies is the ending.The climax is incredibly built by Lopez-Cobos.The recorded sound is excellent.Also, at two CDs for the price of one, you can't go wrong. ... Read more

Asin: B00000DMWW
Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Orchestral & Symphonic    3. Symphonic   

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 4
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Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
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Editorial Review

Leonard Bernstein's earlier recording of this symphony for Sony was, andremains, one of the best. This new one, however, really is something special. Asin his recording of the First with this orchestra, Bernstein's tempos havemarkedly speeded up, especially in the slow movement. He seems to have reallydiscovered the secret of the music's essential innocence, and he now knowsexactly when to make a point and when to just let the music speak naturally. Theuse of a boy soprano in the finale is unique but not unexpected. Mahler himselfthought about it but opted for an adult soprano because he believed that thiswould prove less limiting to future performances of the work. He was right, ofcourse, but so is Bernstein for letting us hear the composer's original thoughtsin such a pure and enjoyable form. --David Hurwitz ... Read more

Reviews (7)

This is a "Must Have" recording
I have listened to the Szell and the Abaddo performances of this symphony. I remember as a child being turned off by this performance.
Now I am grown up! When I heard the boy soprano Wittek do the last movement, I had to stop my car on the side of the street and listen without moving. I was totally turned on by this performance. It is true that in other recordings the soprano (usually female) generally has a more operatic voice then this young boy. However, this performance is daring and took my breath away.
The other movements (1-3) are equally brilliant. Bernstein makes this work into an absolute masterpiece.
The Szell performance is also phenomenal. I would recommend getting both performances. The Szell is a wonderful performance, and this Bernstein performance is an emotional experience.
I can understand why some people might find it hard to hear this performance with the boy singing the fourth movement. However, I think that an open mind will help these people realize what a brilliant idea it was to use this soprano. The whole experience was overwhelming for me.

Don't believe it
In a word or two, this CD is a semi-turkey. It has moderately good sonics, nothing special. I put this comment first (even though it is the least important thing about this recording) because it is by far the most favorable thing I'm going to say. Bernstein sounds totally at sea here, sometimes directing what seems to be random wandering by the Concertgebouw when he loses the line of the symphony's development. The vocal part, sung with empathy, is one of the great vocal moments of the entire literature. It *can* melt titanium, but Helmut Wittek is either off key or has a very unsympathetic mixdown. He is unmoved by the score besides, to judge by the unpersuasive result. I really love this symphony; get the Szell/Cleveland/Raskin (or even the 1960 Bernstein/NY Phil/Grist) version and do yourself a favor. Even those who are willing to have more than one Mahler #4 don't want this one.

Simply delightful.
I've already listened to both the Sony recording and the DG recording of Bernstein conducting Mahler's fourth, which is considered to be the most charming and the brightest of the symphonies.

The Amsterdam Concertgebow Orchestra played with such delicacy, especially in the second movement, where the strings played their lushes melodies Bernstein could have really enjoyed singing. Also the tempo was slightly calmer and slower, "without haste", compared to the Sony recording with the New York Phil.

As for using a boy soprano, as Mahler intended to signify innocence and childlike quality, I find it favorable for Helmut Wittek to sing the "descripton of heaven", even though I still prefer Reri Grist's more moving and sweet voice as recorded in the previous one.

Each has their pros and cons, but it's just a minor thing. Overall, either is highly recommended. ... Read more

Asin: B000001G9E
Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Symphonic   

Mahler: Symphony No. 5
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Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
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Editorial Review

Mahler's Fifth was one of the pieces Leonard Bernstein owned. This interpretation is broader than the one he recorded with the New York Philharmonic in the early 1960s, but it's little changed in feeling. It is, however, far more polished and a good deal more persuasive. The recording, like all of Bernstein's later Mahler cycle, was made live; here, he and the Vienna Philharmonic give a gripping performance full of telling nuance, intensely expressive yet thoroughly controlled. It's a reading both Dionysiac and "Bachic"--as in J. S. Bach, not Bacchus--one in which the impetuous energy of the score is transmitted to the fullest degree, but not at the expense of the extraordinary (for Mahler) contrapuntal detail. Most remarkable of all, perhaps, is Bernstein's sureness of touch, his ability to realize the many little expressive gestures that no longer merely draw attention to themselves the way they used to, but add up to something miraculous. The Philharmonic players, with him all the way, contribute many wonderful touches, especially the strings. The recording, made not in Vienna but in Frankfurt's Alte Oper, is solid and has remarkable impact. While the bass is a bit diffuse and the sound stage not the clearest, the image is reasonably detailed and well balanced, the atmosphere good. --Ted Libbey ... Read more

Reviews (19)

A Real "Adagietto"
This recording of the 5th is undoubtedly the most true to Mahler's score and intention, especially in the case of the "Adagietto". It is wonderfully presented here. What puzzles me is the complete and utter misconception about the tempo of this beautiful movement. Most seem to think "Adagietto" means "a bit faster than Adagio", when it reality the title has NOTHING to do with tempo. In Italian, it simply means "little adagio", which refers to the small scale/length of the movement. If you want to know the tempo of this movement, look no further than the score where it is clearly marked - Sehr langsam (very slow). How on earth would any competent conductor take this marking, made by Mahler, to mean anything other than "very slow"? Did Mahler make a mistake? Did Mahler not understand the meaning of Sehr langsam? It seems that many do not trust Mahler to mark his own tempos - which is odd, because Gustav Mahler was the epitome of precise and in-depth markings. On top of it all, the second measure (where the 1st violins enter) is marked "molto rit, espressivo" (slow up alot, expressively). So not only are you "very slow" to begin with, but you get even slower in just the 2nd measure. There are other passages in which every single note has a tenuto (accent). How can you play these notes and passages effectively if you are trampling them in a nice Andante (like the Zander recording)? If you take the time to look for all the cues Mahler is giving you, and have a real sense of Mahler and his compositions, there is no way to speed up this beautiful little Adagio.

To the reviewer (Modée) who said "...the early tradition of interpretations indicate that a swift take is what Mahler probably had in mind, despite the 'sehr langsam'...", I can give you a direct quote from Mahler himself on musical tradition - "Tradition ist Schlamperei" (tradition is sloppiness). Take Mahler for what the score says.

So why do conductors, some of them very famous, take the tempo so fast? Because they are trying to set their "interpretations" apart from the rest. If you want to hear Mahler 5 performed as he intended, this is the recording for you. If you want to hear a conductor pushing his own agenda onto the music, buy another (and yes, this is the exact opposite of what you usually hear about a Bernstein recording - for those who see the irony, no further explanation is needed).

Overrated
I must admit that I always have had difficulties with Bernstein's Mahler interpretations, both his earlier on CBS/SONY and - in particular - the newer on DG. I cannot really appreciate Bernstein's habit of exaggerating phrasing and orchestral details, as well as his overall broad emphasis on sentimentality. These are the typical features his Mahler interpretations are notoriously famous for.

What we have here, consequently, are big and bold interpretations, like Mahler's music on steroids. I don't think Mahler's music needs such a heavy articulation.

The worst thing with this recording, however, is the adagietto. In this movement, Bernstein goes for the Visconti "Death in Venice" style. It is taken in a very slow and mannered way. I am not convinced that this depressing and syrup-sentimental view of the movement is correct. Mahler originally wrote it as a love song, and the early tradition of interpretations indicate that a swift take is what Mahler probably had in mind, despite the "sehr langsam". Bruno Walter's 1947 mono take with NYPO (SONY) is for example below 8 minutes in duration. This is also the case with an even earlier, 1926 Mengelberg take (Naxos Historical or Archipel, on the latter together with symphony #4). Schwarz (Everest), Barshai (Brilliant), Kondrashin (Audiophile), Zander (Telarc - listen to the second discussion disc for Zander's argument) and most recently Gielen (Hänssler, part of a box) have all similar tempo choices. Thus, following an "authenticist" view of this movement it is an intermezzo leading to the grand finale. By contrast, Bernstein plays it as a showpiece: an elegy that can be performed in isolation from the rest of the work. This is not to surprise. In 1968 Bernstein performed the movement at Robert Kennedy's funeral, and he was probably keen on his funeral-elegy conception of the music from that occasion onwards.

Conclusion: Any of the recordings mentioned above is preferable to this one.

The very best of Mahler!
This is the very best recording of the Mahler`s symphonies, I`ve ever heard (DG edition)! Bernstein knows what to point out and how to do it! Just wonderful! ... Read more

Asin: B000001G9F
Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Symphonic   

Mahler: Symphonie No.6
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Audio CD (11 April, 1995)
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Reviews (18)

Beautiful, but lacking intensity
Boulez gives a top-notch reading of the Mahler 6th, and it's true that his tempi are near-perfect and the playing of the VPO astonishingly good.The only thing lacking is any real fire.The interpretations seems pretty tepid, and there isn't much excitement in the enormous finale, a movement that demands hieghtened emotions.That's probably why the hammer blows are so "wimpy," as one reviewer said.Had they been the big booms which most conductors favor, they would have been jarringly out of place in Boulez' reading.There's no way they would have been convincing.Essentially, I found this to be a very French rendering of a Germanic score.There are astonishing moments of clarity and beauty--revelatory, in fact.Boulez brings out lines in the music that never were apparent to me before.But still, when all is said and done, the performance intrigued me, but did not get me emotionally involved.I could keep a cool distance to the performance that I never can with Barbirolli, Bernstein or Szell.

It has so many things going for it.
I've listened to all the usual suspects in those competing for "Best Mahler 6th" and this one is the one that I prefer after repeated listenings.I love Karajan's reading of the opening movement, it is big and powerful (probably a bit more than Boulez's) and you can't argue with saying that Bernstein's is certainly among the finest either.

Boulez does an excellent job here, it is meticulous reading as others have said.At times in the first movement, I wish the brass was a bit stronger, but that is really just a minor grumble.One of the other things that makes me come back to this onemore often is the fact that it is on a single disc.I can listen to it all the way through without having to change CDs or have a huge gap in between movements waiting for the CD changer to kick in.When three recordings are as neck and neck as Bernstein, Boulez and Karajan, the single disc (for price & convenience) pushed it over the top for me.

I'm sure a lot of people will grumble, moan and roll their eyes at this, but let's be honest,how many people besides those with music degrees or listening to the recording with a copy of the score in their lap are going to miss a few seconds here and there?I'd rather here it tightenedup and put it all on one disc.

not for intellectuals
I shall make it short, because there are already so much excellent reviews written in favour of Boulez.
Because I'm very sensitive for tempi I didn't actually like Barbirolli's recording in which the first movement is very sloooow. My attention slips away and, perhaps not fairly I put this record aside. Rattle, however is way too fast in the opening movement. Inbal is ok, but takes the second movement (scherzo) too slow in contrast with the first movement.
Boulez is just right.
Right in everything, to my ears that is. I cannot say it more often, with Boulez music flows, makes sense and the drama is right there: in the music itself.
So damn good!
One comment: I've read some reviews by a reviewer named Tony Duggan on Music Webb and there he states that any new performance must present the listener some questions about the music score and about the music as you know it. He has a point, I agree with him, that is intellectually.
But that means I musn't like Boulez' reading because it answers the questions and fullfillsalmost all my wishes in this symphonie. Therefore it would be better to favour a slow Barbirolli and a speedy Rattle.
Luckily I'm not an intellectual, so that I can rank this Boulez at the top and give it without hesitations 5 stars. For me the reference. ... Read more

Asin: B000001GOZ
Sales Rank: 50147
Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Symphonic   

Mahler: Symphonie No.7
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Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
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Reviews (8)

Bernstein, Mahler 7, NYPO: Intense, grand, poetic ebb & flow
I am coming to this Mahler symphony a bit later than the rest, it's so incredibly complex and layered. Motives almost constantly transform, as they pass from one group of players to another group, sometimes almost right in the middle of a rising or descending musical phrase. The CD at hand is the second time around for Bernstein and NYPO. They first did it in the complete CBS-Sony set (still available). I have also heard the likes of Abbado-Chicago and Boulez-Cleveland; and while I find myself admiring those highly polished, cool performances, I don't find that they tell me anything very deep about Mahler.

This recording, in contrast, almost never seems to fail to speak in a recreation of Mahler's characteristic voice. Every second of every phrase is emotionally inflected, and the narration ... although quite complex in many passages .... never seems to completely falter. Of course, some people find themselves allergic to the older Bernstein, who tended to bring a sense of rubato, ebb and flow, to almost everything he re-recorded for the DG catalogue. In this case, he got it completely and irresistibly right. Yes, he speeds up. Yes, he slows down. But he is always shifting and dreaming, exactly with the phrase. Bernstein is on record, saying something like, we were dreaming together when we did this seventh of Mahler's. You might agree with him when you hear the orchestral elan the NYPO mustered on these discs. Every department is captured in fine detail, which as it happens serves this music so well just because there is always so much going on in it's polyphony.

The dark night of the soul that Mahler captured in the two night music movements is never entirely calmed or stilled. And the bounding energies that Mahler unleashes in the two outer movements bring an intense brightness to balance the dark night's mysteries, without ever quite dispelling our awareness that, no matter how high the noon, night will fall. And what night. Mahler's night, in these performers' hands, yields up almost oriental perfumes in some passages, or the rasping sounds of crickets in other places, or the rustle in the forests that will let you know every night predator is hungry and on the prowl for red meat.

Well, with the Mahler 7 you have to pick and choose. If Halloween is one of your favorite holidays, and you stay up late to watch old Dracula movies; you will probably love the Mahler 7 in general, and this performance in particular.You will find yourself smack dab right in the middle of Edgar Allen Poe country, with Austrian and Bohemian Slavic frights to sweeten and spice up your visit to the haunted realms, once the sun has fallen behind the horizon.

A comment on the sound. One poster described it as shrill. I don't find that true as I listen tonight. The sound is quite panoramic and lets the different bands in the orchestra flex all their muscle, this way and that, without every losing depth and tonal warmth. In fact, I hope this recording gets remastered in SuperAudio soon. Multichannel if the master tapes permit. It reveals the whole of Mahler, who said after all, a symphony must contain the whole world. So, take the leap, and you can see what makes the seventh symphony both so alluring, as well as so greatly challenging to so many musicians. I have heard fans say that Bernstein could be the equal of Furtwangler, on a good night. This performance was captured on very good nights, indeed.

Five stars, then, going on however many you think you can count in a dramatic night sky while you listen to this recording.

This recording is ridiculous
And that's a good thing, mind you.Massive brass (and I do mean massive) to make the Vienna Philharmonic look sheepish.Fleet string playing without a hitch.Excellent recorded sound (I'm not sure what the other reviewer was hearing).Bernstein's interpretation is expansive and yet forward-looking.At over 80 minutes length I was able to listen to this in one sitting and not once lose my concentration or become bored.There is nothing pedantic about what Bernstein does here.This is the one people.It is worth every penny of the $ 33.98 investment.

The high point of Bernstein's DG cycle
A choice between this 1985 live recording and the "studio" set Bernstein made 20 years earlier, with the same orchestra in the same hall, isn't clear-cut. In both recordings Bernstein is among the leading exponents of this very unwieldy and difficult symphony, and he's got the best orchestra of anyone who has truly grasped the Mahler Seventh (others include Horenstein, Inbal, and the underrated Tennstedt). The older rendition has that thrill of discovery you find throughout Lenny's mid-'60s Mahler series (now available singly or in a boxed set on Sony), and it comes in about four minutes faster, so it can fit onto one mid-priced CD versus the two full-priced and poorly-filled discs here. And the mid-'60s New York Philharmonic had more "soul" than their mid-'80s counterparts.

However, even though I prefer the 1965 Seventh for the reasons cited above (and also for sound quality--nothing special, but far easier on the ear than the harsh, shrill sonics of this early-digital production), this remake, which is the best thing about Bernstein's mid-'80s Mahler series, does hold together a little more cohesively. That's no small detail in this above all of Mahler's other symphonies. At the same time, the sense of mystery has deepened--and that's no small detail in this case, either. Also, the New York Philharmonic, if a little more strident than the folks who played under Lenny's baton 20 years earlier, are technically a more polished ensemble than the New York Phil of 1965.

Put it this way, though: With either of Bernstein's Mahler Sevenths, you're getting one of the finest recordings available, even if each has a few points in its favor compared to the other. I'd give it 5 stars but for the recorded sound, which is a black mark in DG's annals. ... Read more

Asin: B000001G7H
Sales Rank: 74294
Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Symphonic   

Mahler 8
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (13 March, 2001)
list price: $17.98 -- our price: $17.98
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Editorial Review

With this stunningly recorded account of Mahler's Symphony No.8, Riccardo Chailly and his Concertgebouw forces provide a clear modern recommendation for this gigantic piece. Chailly's strength lies in his ability for long-range thought, and he projects Mahler's vast canvas with the utmost clarity and conviction. The impressive opening is taken broadly and expansively; one is aware of the import of the journey that follows. Throughout the performance, Chailly's clear analytical approach to texture and musical flow serves only to accentuate the text and its meaning. This means, for example, that the final reappearance of the opening cry of "Veni Creator spiritus" can be truly climactic.

Perhaps Chailly is at his most successful in the long second movement. He keeps the extended opening section at a slight remove, so that the disembodied, fragmentary world he creates reflects the scale of the experience to come. For once, the vocal soloists make for a well-integrated team. For the Mahler collector, this issue will ideally complement Horenstein, Solti, Kubelík, and the ever-impressive Tennstedt. As a bonus, Mahler scholar Donald Mitchell's booklet notes are authoritative and thought-provoking. --Colin Clarke ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Shattering and Brilliant
Aside from the Horenstein version with the London, this may be the best conducted recording of this masterwork. The recording itself is sonically unbeliveable, near window-breaking at times (much like Maestro Chailly's wonderful Third).I agree with the amazon.com reviewer's assessment of the second movement -- it is profound. But so is all the rest of it. I have never pariticularly liked the Solti performance and have not heard the Kubilik. No matter. Chailly and the Concertgebouw, the soloists (all of whom are quite good), and the choral singers (adults and children) are simply out of this word fantasic in giving us this Eighth!

Accurate, magical, very satisfying
People may be disconcerted by Chailly's slow initial speed of the first part, but at least it's completely what Mahler intended (as the score indicates Impetuoso but only a few bars later also mentions "Don't Hurry") and Chailly's interpretation is nothing short of accuracy and certainly isn't underplayed. He also manages to build up one of the most crushing returns of the Veni Creator Spiritus theme available on disc. I prefer this way of handling the grand, baroque-like first part to the almost apathic, hurrying or plain fast speeds the likes of Solti and Bernstein used for their renditions of the 8th.

The second part is gorgeously played by the Concertgebouw, with thruthfully touching moments and elements of fantasy and heaven ringing through the bars. The singers al have their perfectly acceptable contributions and for once, at least, they do not sound like little isles but as a part of a team. The last 10 minutes of Chailly's Mahler 8th are truly magical, even solemn, and the big climax at the end simply has to be heared to believed. Never - and I've listened to dozens of other Mahler 8ths - have I heard an ending executed with the same amount of heavenlike nobility (though completely controlled) as in this Concertgebouw rendition.

In sum? Chailly may not be the conductor for you if you are on the lookout for a hysterical, edgy, highly controversial, fast or rousing account of Mahler's 8th, but he does manage to press forward in a consciencious and responsible manner, bringing out details and colours some renditions simply pass by. The chorus is incredible, the soloists extremely satisfying and the orchestra, like always for Mahler, is simply stunning. One can really feel dedication and believe are at the centre of things. In sum, you simply can't go wrong in this Mahler 8th. But turn on your sound!

DVD-Audio version.
Truthfully, I haven't given the CD-audio version of Chailly's rendition of Mahler's 8th a good listen (and don't intend to), since I've opted for the DVD-audio version - so I can't draw comparisons between the two. However, I can say with confidence the version I've got sounds quite fine indeed, with good articulation of voices and instruments.
With the proper (quiet!) listening conditions arranged (I listened with a high quality pair of Grado headphones, from the Prestige Series, via a discreet pre-amp), this is a moving experience indeed. Suffice to say, it was several hours before I could get the end of both the 1st & 2nd parts out of my head!
In short, strongly recommended!
If you're looking for more (and arguably, better Mahler), do yourself a favor and get Chailly's rendition of Mahler's 5th, and Sir Simon Rattle's rendition of Mahler's 2nd (all of part 1 and the end of part 2 are superlative)....and you're all set. ... Read more

Asin: B000056ETV
Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Orchestral & Symphonic    3. Symphonic   

Mahler: Symphony No. 9 in D Major
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (29 September, 1998)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $11.98
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Editorial Review

This, Leonard Bernstein's first recording of the Ninth Symphony, has held up very well over time. Although it lacks the searing intensity in the finale of his later version with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, it's also a bit quicker generally, and in the middle movements even more exciting. As a single disc reissue at mid-price, there's no reason at all to hesitate. --David Hurwitz ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Mahler Symphony 9
Leonard Bernstein with few exceptions was always a great conductor of the music of Gustav Mahler.

He recorded this symphony three times, once in his 1980s DG Mahler cycle, once with Berliner Philharmoniker also on the DG label, and here.The one in Berlin is the best however it is sadly out of print.Faced with a choice between his DG cycle and his Sony cycle (this is from Sony), I prefer the Sony simply because this sounds more natural to me whereas the DG cycle tends to be a bit over the top (not to mention way more expensive).

That being said, this is a very good recording of Mahler's 9th symphony and at only mid-price this is certainly a bargain that is highly recommendable.

Bernstein - Mahler : The greatness of music
I have to say that I am a Lenny fan. His Mahler is unique, full of passion, fire-like passion. This one could n't be an exception. The NYPO make marvellous sounds and surprisingly enough the transfer is very good (the big problem with the NYPO cycle would be the sound). Having it in one CD it makes a top recommendation although if you are into Mahler or Bernstein the account with the BPO (2CDs) may give you something more (One and only time did Lenny conducted Karajan's Orchestra - you can imagine the result...)

Good Recording of Mahler's final Symphony
Never heard Mahler's 9th Symphony before?This is an excellent place to start.Bernstein's Mahler expertise really shines in this, his first of three recordings of the piece.What I like about this particular recording is the strait forward manner in which it is played, giving the listener agood feel for the score.Lenny, being his usual self adds a lot of his ownpersonality to the performace, contributing to the experience.However, Ipersonally feel that the Berlin Philharmonic's "sound" is bettersuited to this piece.Their playing has a certain glow to it that workswell with Mahler's 9th.Bernstein's later recording with the BPO in thelate 70s is a good example.In addition, thereare two Herbert von Karajan recordings of Mahler's 9th with the Berlinerswhich took place in the early 80s.The second version (also on DG costing$30+) is stunning.The two DG performances while very nice are also verycostly, and if you've never heard the piece, this recording will serve youvery well as an intro.Happy listening. ... Read more

Asin: B00000C298
Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Orchestral & Symphonic    3. Symphonic   

Mahler - Symphony 10 / Berliner Philharmoniker · Rattle
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (06 June, 2000)
list price: $16.98 -- our price: $16.98
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Editorial Review

Just as the Payne/Elgar Symphony No. 3 is not Edward Elgar's definitive statement, Mahler did not complete a Symphony No. 10. He did, however, leave "a work fully prepared in the sketch," the complete unorchestrated musical material. Had he lived, Mahler would almost certainly have shaped the material further. This means that the performance edition prepared by Deryck Cooke in the early 1960s is not a completion, it's an orchestration of the short score left at Mahler's death in 1911. It nevertheless sounds very "complete," both in itself and as a summation of the romantic-epic 19th century German musical tradition. Hereafter, the France of Debussy and Ravel would lead the musical world, and Stravinsky's 1913 Parisian premiere of The Rite of Spring would turn it upside-down.

Simon Rattle has recorded a fine version with the CBSO. In 1980, Rattle conducted the Symphony No. 10 in a highly acclaimed performance with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, and this later version with the Berlin Philharmonic offers even greater expressive control and power. The tempos are slightly slower and, inevitably, the performances more musically eloquent. The excellent live sound omits all but the faintest background noise, and the grave beauty of the Finale becomes a deeply moving testament to a world long-since gone. --Gary S. Dalkin ... Read more

Reviews (23)

A fine performance
The Berlin Philharmonic has a tradition as a great Mahler orchestra, and they give their best for Sir Simon. The Cooke version seems to have become the standard edition of the unfinished 10th, and it does contain important differences from the much more adventurous Clinton Carpenter version, or the more recent Remo Mazzetti version. Crisp, buoyand playing make for a very satisfying reading of this most enigmatic of Mahler works.

a must have for any Mahlerians
This is one of the best recordings of Mahler's 10th ever made. Really red blooded performance, generally slow tempi (but not boring of course because very controlled), very good sound quality. As you know, this is the best completion of this "sketched" symphony. I impressed especially with 1st Adagio and 5th Finale movement. In the last minutes of Adagio, there are very dissonance (but they're very amazing) chords, nearly atonal, and they're spine-chilling (this passages comes again in Finale). There are 2 scherzos, which the first is unregulared rhytms, the second is the ghostly, devilish fast waltz. And the finale is terrific (starts with the bass drum strokes which "death blows") and then really Mahlerian tempestous Allegro and as like the first mov. again Adagio and heavenly and calm conclusion. Simon Rattle (who may be conducted this symphony over 100 times) is clearly one of the best performer of this work, comparable with Eugene Ormandy and Mark Wigglesworh's (on a BBC broadcast) versions.

It is an essential recording and highly recommended for any classical music lovers.

Vintage Rattle
Rattle had recorded this symphony over 20 yrs ago with the City of Birmingham Symphony orchestra and produced a classic recording. Now older, more experienced and with the stately BPO he has surpassed his earlier masterpiece. The electricity of the first performance may be less but the sound, playing of the orchestra and overall tour de force makes this version oen to sell your shirt for. A neglected symphony due to the controversy over which completed version is best but Rattle brings it forward and under the BPO it is a true masterpiece. ... Read more

Asin: B00004RITP
Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Orchestral & Symphonic    3. Symphonic   

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde; Symphony No9
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (12 January, 1999)
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Reviews (6)

very well rounded
Although this performance lacks the immediately distinctive interpretive qualities of some other well known and regarded interpretations, it may be more successful in balancing the various disparate elements of this great and complex work. All the expressive points are made, and the textures and counterpoint are admirably clarified without sounding antiseptic or pedantic. Perhaps the most comparable interpretation to this one in these respects is the live Kubelik BRSO on Audite.Haitink's phrasing is not as poetic as Kubelik's, but the orchestral playing is more technically assured and refined than the sometimes coarse sounding Bavarians.Haitink also maintains a steadier tempo throughout the adagio finale than does Kubelik (as Horenstein on BBC Legends also does, but with more distinctive shaping of phrases within the basic tempo than is the case with Haitink).Very highly recommended, being at mid-price, and coupled with a rather sobersided but very well sung and played account of Das Lied Von Der Erde.

Among the best versions of both works, a true bargain!
This recording of Mahler's 9th stood among the best when it was first released, and time ha not changed that fact.Here, to paraphrase what the Mahler afficionado Deryck Cooke said when he first reviewed it in Gramophone, is not Klemperer, Barbirolli, Horenstein, or anyone else's version of the 9th.This feels like MAHLER's version of Mahler's 9th.This is because all Haitink does is scrupulouly (but not pedantically) follow the directions of Mahler, and the Concertgebouw Orchestra play their pants off.Not until Karajan's second effort (live, not studio) did another version of the 9th equal this one.But still, this has never really been surpassed, but maybe equalled a few times.(If it has, I would like to hear that one!)
The accompanying performance of Das Lied von Erde is considered by some to be the difinitive account, and, while I love and respect this recording, I feel that there are a few others (Berstein on Decca, Klemperer for EMI, and Kubelik for Audite) that are as good, and I might even say just slightly better.But really, you can't go wrong with this recording.So there you have it.Two of the best recording of two of Mahler's best pieces.At and a two-for-one price.This really is a GREAT bargain.If you haven't heard either of these works, these really are two of the best introductions to these works you can get.If you already have a few versions of each, they're still worth getting for the insights into the score which they show you that you may have previously missed.I envy those of you who will be hearing this performances for the first time.Happy listening!

Could be the all-around best Ninth
"Balm after New York." That was how Mahler, then the music director of the apparently slipshod and untrainable New York Philharmonic, described a guest-conducting engagement with the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam. Six decades after the composer wrote those words, the Concertgebouw's Mahler tradition was still quite strong, and helped to produce what may be the overall best Mahler Ninth on records.

By "best" I don't mean the most emotionally draining; I do mean that in balancing all of the elements which make a successful performance of this musicial premonition of death, Bernard Haitink, the orchestra, and the recording engineers achieve here an almost ideal equilibrium. The result has the clarity of Pierre Boulez without the aloofness that is most noticeable in the French conductor's finale, and the poignancy that comes from not overstating the music's message of confronting and accepting the inevitable (unlike Leonard Bernstein in his Ninth with this orchestra). The total playing times of the first and final movements are closely matched without slowing down the one or speeding up the other--a problem in some other versions. And the orchestra's characteristic playing is captured in analog sound that holds up well today. As an extra added attraction, this Philips Duo release squeezes the entire work onto one CD of just under 81 minutes (the newer "50 Great Recordings" reissue splits the symphony between discs and adds a so-so performance of the "Wunderhorn" songs.)

The second disc in this set is another Mahler recording by the same forces joined by soloists Janet Baker and James King, "Das Lied von der Erde." This was the recording by which I came to know Mahler's next-to-last completed work, and as sometimes happens over a period of years, its impact has diminished for me. While Haitink's accompaniment still seems excellent, both Baker and King (but especially King) are a little lacking in involvement as I hear them now. Nor does King's delivery seem as ideally matched to his songs as that of Michael Schade on the wonderful DG recording conducted by Boulez.

So, a Ninth that may be the finest of all and a "Das Lied" that doesn't quite match it but is still distinguished, all at a two-for-one price. For my money, that's a hell of a bargain. ... Read more

Asin: B00000HY8K
Sales Rank: 113544
Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Orchestral & Symphonic    3. Symphonic