Boulez M6 from Lucerne on Accentus

[barry guerrero]

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=boulez+mahler+6+accentus&x=0&y=0

I got this thinking that it was going to be on DVD. But it's still an interesting Mahler 6 - much closer to his earlier BBC S.O. one from the early '70s. The timings are pretty much the same as the VPO one for the first two movements, but is a full minute faster in both the slow movement and finale. Thus, the timings are 23:10; 12:19; 13:04; 28:09. The playing is fairly good too, but not the most experienced. Still, the Lucerne Fest. Academy Orch. plays with plenty of enthusiasm.

The Webern "Passacaglia" and Stravinsky's "Song of the Nightingale" Suite are both real strong.

[chalkpie]

Are the hammerblows stronger than the DG recording?

[barry guerrero]

Yes, just slightly. The second one has lots of cymbals and tam-tam. It's an expensive set, so make certain that you would really want to make that commitment. As I said, I thought I was getting a DVD.

[Russ Smiley]

Are the hammerblows stronger than the DG recording?

Seriously, was a hammer used in the Boulez/VPO DG recording?   Unlike nearly every other M6 recording that I have, I can't hear (on my modest equipment) any hammer impact.  The first just sounds like a drum to me.  The second is drums and tam-tam.  Where's the hammer?  In many other ways I really like this recording (organic cowbells, sleezy tuba, etc.)... but no hammer!?!

[barry guerrero]

The Vienna Phil. uses a very large wooden hammer - I've seen it several times. Since it's a dull, wooden sound, it's very easy for it to get blended with the bass drum.

[chalkpie]

I'm surprised Boulez let this slide, knowing what a perfectionist he is regarding being faithful to the score and his obsessive nature with texture and balance. I guess he's showing his age 

[barry guerrero]

I don't think you're understanding the situation. Mahler calls for the two hammer strokes to be doubled with bass drum. If you don't use a bass drum, in most instances, there's going to be absolutely zero reverb to the hammer sound itself. Now, these days, many orchestras have built these big wooden sound boxes. In such cases, you probably don't need a bass drum stroke. But if you're hitting a big wooden hammer on to some sort of wooden chopping block, you really aren't going to get all that much sound UNLESS you electronically amplify it. Further more, the second hammer stroke gives the conductor the option of adding cymbals and tam-tam (and most conductors do pick up that option).

So, the bottom line is this: regardless of how giant of a wooden hammer you might be swinging, it really isn't going to make a huge enough noise against Mahler's 'wall of sound' coming from the brass, UNLESS you also have some kind of huge wooden box with a sound hole to go along with the hammer. In most instances, the bass drum is really needed.

Also, keep in mind that there's nothing in Mahler's annotation in the score that says that the hammer should completely bury everything else. Mahler was more concerned about the quality of the sound than the actual volume. He makes it very clear that it is to be non-metallic, but doesn't really specify wood. It's really a logistics problem, and there's only so much insisting that ANY conductor can do with the Vienna Phil.

[Fafner]

The playing is fairly good too, but not the most experienced. Still, the Lucerne Fest. Academy Orch. plays with plenty of enthusiasm.

It has to be remembered that this is a youth orchestra; this hasn't to be confounded with Abbado's Lucerne Festival Orchestra: this is a completely different thing.

[barry guerrero]

Of course.