finally!!! - re: M3/6 (Haitink/CSO)

[barry guerrero]

Go to www.cso.org/main. Then go to "multimedia", then "CSO Resound". There, you can hear excerpts from their upcoming Mahler 3 release. The first five snippets sound perfectly fine, if also slightly earthbound (one snippet per movement). But then to listen to the excerpt from the sixth movement. They give away the brass dominated passage that leads up to the last cymbal crash in the movement. Right at the cymbal crash, not only do we get really strong playing from the divisi trombones (it's two part writing, with two trombones on each part), but the timpani and bass drum rolls underneath the brass are real strong as well. Believe it or not, this is almost never the case - we usually get just one or the other (or neither, and so the trumpets dominate by default). This same passage was done reasonably well on Haitink's Berlin remake, but it's even stronger here. Check it out.

Barry

[Jot N. Tittle]

Thanks, Barry. I note that the CSO offers this at a pre-issue price of $16.99 until May 4 (plus $5.99 shipping). That beats the current pre-issue price at Amazon.com ($24.98 + shipping).

    . & '

[Amphissa]

Unfortunately, it is Haitink. Like the energizer bunny, he keeps trying and trying and trying with Mahler, but I can never sit through an entire recording by him. His deadpan approach to Mahler is typically so bland that it becomes truly annoying to me. So even when there is a nice moment like this, the overall performance just leaves me bored to tears. And he does this again and again, with great orchestra after great orchestra. Life is too short to waste hours listening to Haitink recordings.

And don't get me started on what I think of his Brahms !! 

So, when someone hears the complete recording, let us know if it's really any different from his other recordings in its overall conception and style. I find it hard to believe that he went through any sort of major transformation.

How this man ever ended up conducting the great orchestras of the world is beyond me.

[Jot N. Tittle]

Yeah, but have you ever heard his Brahms?

     . & '

[Damfino]

His deadpan approach to Mahler is typically so bland that it becomes truly annoying to me.

I have always liked Haitink's origianal RCO recording of the 3rd.  Haitink's rather brisk and unaffected approach is probably what you mean by "deadpan".  Supposedly, Haitink's approach is that the music is extroverted and emotional enough on its own and does not need any extra schmaltzing by the conductor to make it moving.  It is the later Haitink recordings that do not do much for me.  I will have to hear more about his new recordings before I pick them up.  His old recordings of nos. 3 & 6 have a lack of bass to them, but work pretty well for me over all.