On Tue, 26 Nov 2002 10:28:39 -0500 Alan Kayser <alankayser@hotmail.com> wrote:
I'm wondering what the general opinion among the more expert of you might be concerning John Elliot Gardiner's DG cycle
My preference for Norrington is almost entirely based on the fact that I heard it first. Among period-instruments afficionados, Gardiner is generally considered to be the better musician. To my ears, this is less clearly the case in their respective Beethoven cycles than in their recordings of Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique, where Norrington got there first but Gardiner clearly did a better job.
How about opinions on Mahler, specifically complete symphonic collections. I have the EMI Tennstedt, but am partial to Chailly's Fifth, a wonderful rendition IMHO.
I don't know if there's one single Mahler cycle that garners a unanimous vote - though Chailly's ongoing cycle may yet achieve that status, based on evidence so far. The only cycle that comes close to winning the sweepstakes is Bernstein's earlier set on Sony Classical; *some* of the versions in his later Deutsche Grammophon set are as good (and some are better), but some are definitely worse. Personally, I'm a generally fan of single-conductor cycles, since you get a unified overview of the works in question. But Mahler was such a unique and variable composer that in his case, I've made an exception, patching together favorite recordings of the various symphonies by a variety of conductors and orchestras, heavy on Bernstein and Rattle but also including alternative views by Klemperer (2), Barbirolli (5, 9), Eschenbach (1, 5) and Tilson Thomas (1, 6). Steve Smith ssmith36@sprynet.com NP - Beethoven, Violin Sonata No. 1 - Dumay / Pires (DG)
on 11/26/02 9:42 AM, Steve Smith at ssmith36@sprynet.com wrote:
I've made an exception, patching together favorite recordings of the various symphonies by a variety of conductors and orchestras, heavy on Bernstein and Rattle
Much as I love Leonard Bernstein, I really don't dig his choice of Jeanne Tourel for the vocal Mahler. I know his 1960s Mahler recordings are supposed to be definitive, but the rubatos tend to be a bit extreme and his way with dynamics tends towards melodrama. Mahler built enough of the highly emotional right into the pieces, and it's easy to overdo. About four years ago, I had the fortune to attend a concert of the 9 conducted by Zubin Mehta. For those of you not familar, the last section of the adagio that closes the symphony is a long, slow fadeout. Of all the bits of business in Mahler's canon, this tends to be handled the most sloppily (tempos deccelerating, dynamics that don't make much sense etc). Mehta, OTTH, handled it as a kind of slow march into the sunset -- super-steady tempo, with an ongoing diminuendo that seemed regulated by the tempo. It gave the ending -- and therefore the whole piece -- a stately quality one usually associates with Brahms, and also gave the orchestra something to play that they could -- as a band -- latch onto, a common feeling to communicate. It was splendid. Afterwards, I was introduced to Zubin, with whom I spoke for a minute (he was quite aware of Mark Feldman's playing on Uri's record). Then -- ohboy ohboy ohboy ohboy -- the score librarian (whose brother got us the tix) asked if I wanted to see something interesting. Sure. We went back to the libaray room, and there, on a desk, was Mahler's own finished score for the 9. "Those markings there are Stoki's. Those -- he pointed -- are Lenny Bernstein's. And those -- again pointing -- are Mahler's." I put my hand on the thing, hoping something of Bernstein's musicality would infiltrate my palm. So far, no luck. skip h
----- Original Message ----- From: skip Heller <velaires@earthlink.net>
"Those markings there are Stoki's. Those -- he pointed -- are Lenny Bernstein's. And those -- again pointing -- are Mahler's." I put my hand on the thing, hoping something of Bernstein's musicality would infiltrate my palm. So far, no luck.
So you were not interested in Mahler's musicality? Marcin
on 11/27/02 1:06 AM, Marcin Gokieli at marcingokieli@go2.pl wrote:
----- Original Message ----- From: skip Heller <velaires@earthlink.net>
"Those markings there are Stoki's. Those -- he pointed -- are Lenny Bernstein's. And those -- again pointing -- are Mahler's." I put my hand on the thing, hoping something of Bernstein's musicality would infiltrate my palm. So far, no luck.
So you were not interested in Mahler's musicality? Marcin
I was and am. But Bernstein has just been such a role model for me in a great many ways. I'm a big Mahler fan, but I have been at periods a Bernstein fanatic. sh
From: Steve Smith <ssmith36@sprynet.com>
I don't know if there's one single Mahler cycle that garners a unanimous vote - though Chailly's ongoing cycle may yet achieve that status, based on evidence so far.
I've seen him performing the 10th with royal Concertgebouw. The best symphonic concert I've been to - and take care that I'm not that much of a Mhler fan. But the way it sounded, the melodies, floored me Marcin
participants (3)
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Marcin Gokieli -
skip Heller -
Steve Smith