General Category > Gustav Mahler and Related Discussions

Ordered sacd/cd of Vanska/BIS M8 for Christmas

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Leo K:
Just wanted to drop a note about the new Vanska Mahler 8th recording - it's seriously impressive! The engineering and mastering truly stand out with that crispness in both the orchestra and vocalists, without any muddled sound. The clarity of the organ in the first movement caught my attention right from the start. Plus, the choir's balanced presence adds a nice touch without overpowering the piece. Vanska's subtle agogic accents in the 2nd movement are very nice, they do bring out some intriguing elements in the score I've never noticed before. Experts here can maybe see if the score is being followed accurately. Good organ and tam tam at the end. Breathtaking. Overall, it's a definite winner!

Cheers,
Todd

John Kim:
I'd agree with most of Leo's comments, but I wish Vanska had taken the closing pages of Part II. more slowly. The work needs more ecstasy and grandiosity than what he provides here. Neumann/CPO is unmatched in this aspect.

John

erikwilson7:
Neumann/CPO over Bertini? Nothing against the Neumann, it’s great, but Bertini’s ending is insanely grandiose.

Agreed about the Vanska tempos. I really like the recording overall so far though.

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