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General Category => Gustav Mahler and Related Discussions => Topic started by: Freddy van Maurik on April 20, 2011, 04:03:06 PM
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Hi,
Today, I received some new Mahler-stuff:
- M9 - Saraste; after enthusiastic reports on this board, I felt I had to get this...
- dLvdE - Krips; previously unreleased recording with Wunderlich and Fischer-Dieskau
- M3 - Jansons; the concerts were extremely good, so I hear... let's see what this SACD brings
- M8 - Wit on Blu-ray Audio; for just 9 euro's, I'm rather curious whether this will sound even better on blu-ray
- M7 - Abbado on Blu-ray; the next Lucern-concert on blu-ray - I love these!
Cheers!
Freddy
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Freddy,
Sounds good!
Do you know if Jansons/RCO will eventually complete a cycle by recording all of Mahler symphonies?
So far we got M1, M2, M3, M5, and M6.
I'd love to hear Jansons' way with M7th and M9th with this orchestra.
John,
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Freddy,
Please get back to us on ALL of these. Thanks!
Barry
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Freddy,
Sounds good!
Do you know if Jansons/RCO will eventually complete a cycle by recording all of Mahler symphonies?
So far we got M1, M2, M3, M5, and M6.
I'd love to hear Jansons' way with M7th and M9th with this orchestra.
John,
And by a cycle we (or at least I) want to include an M10 (complete) and Das Lied.
Roffe
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At some point, I did hear about a complete cycle by Jansons and his Amsterdam team. However, directly following the 2010-2011 season, the orchestra will play NO Mahler at all. I hope there will be more Mahler in 2013, but for now, I wouldn't get my hopes up.
Freddy
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At some point, I did hear about a complete cycle by Jansons and his Amsterdam team. However, directly following the 2010-2011 season, the orchestra will play NO Mahler at all. I hope there will be more Mahler in 2013, but for now, I wouldn't get my hopes up.
Freddy
I hope he will record M7th with RCO. I heard his live concert in early 2000s and loved every second of it.
John,
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At some point, I did hear about a complete cycle by Jansons and his Amsterdam team. However, directly following the 2010-2011 season, the orchestra will play NO Mahler at all. I hope there will be more Mahler in 2013, but for now, I wouldn't get my hopes up.
Freddy
Sad to hear. In the Mengelberg years after Mahler's death the Concertgebouw Orchestra played an average of three or four Mahler symphonies every seson. Before that between 1903 and 1909 Mahler conducted six of his symphonies with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, as well as 'Das klagende Lied' and the 'Kindertotenlieder'.
Roffe
PS. Good Friday seemed to me to be a good day (no pun intended) to devote my listening to Mahler's Mass (also known as M8).
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I'm sure the Concertgebouw just wants to take a break from Mahler, that's all. After all, they've done a complete cycle under Chailly, and now another one under Jansons. Plus, I'm sure they've made countless other performances with numerous other conductors too. The music loses its 'specialness' if you do it every five seconds or so. The problem is, there is no other great music for them to do. They realyl ought to make a complete "Des Knaben Wunderhorn". However, with their terrific woodwinds, they should probably go on a Czech music binge for a while. Sibelius and Nielsen from the Concertgebouw could be interesting too. They're also excellent at French music, although Jansons has already recorded "La Mer" (not terribly well, actually).
Barry
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I'm sure you are right Barry. I don't seriously think they would abandon an over 100 year old Mahler tradition. The orchestra and the audience just need a wee break from Mahler, as we all may need from time to time.
Roffe
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No, that's not what I meant. They won't abandon Mahler at all, of course! I just think it's not too sure that a complete cycle on RCO Live under Jansons' baton will be released over time. There will certainly be more Mahler by the Concertgebouworchestra after 2012.
And 'taking a break', yes - that's exactly what they're doing, after this complete cycle over 2 seasons. I hope this cycle will be issued on dvd/blu-ray. The first 5 (the first season) was broadcast in July of last year and the next 6 (second season, including dLvdE) will be broadcast in July of this year. I only attended the M4 with Fischer, which was near perfect, but I also really enjoyed the tv-broadcasts of the other 4 symphonies, so far.
It would be nice to get them in superiour quality (image and sound) on blu-ray. These would be included:
M1 - Harding
M2 - Merbeth, Fink - Jansons (already on DVD, included with the RCO Live SACD)
M3 - Fink - Jansons
M4 - Persson - Fischer
M5 - Gatti
M6 - Maazel (ouch... I hear this wasn't too good... I never was a Maazel fan)
M7 - Boulez
M8 - Jansons (I've heard people say that this was the best M8 they ever attended - you might say 'how many M8 can you attend in a lifetime', but these people have heard M8 by Haitink in 1988,1995 (Rotterdam, excellent performance!), Chailly in 1995, 1998 and a few more)
M9 - Haitink
dLvdE - Larsson, Dean Smith - Luisi
M10 - Inbal (Cooke)
Well, we'll see...
Freddy
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Love the Wit M8. This one will be among the classics.
Looking forward to your review.
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Freddy, you haven't "gotten" back to us. Have you heard the Wit M8 on Blu-Ray yet? What are your feelings regarding Jansons/RCOA M3 vs. Chailly/RCOA? Inquiring Mahler nuts want to know.
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And what about the Saraste M9? I know his Sixth was highly-praised on the board (I was the first, I think), but his M9, at least the one on iTunes, is a washout.
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Hey, hey, don't rush it... ;) I have a 16-week old daughter (I reckon I hadn't mentioned that to you guys yet) and I've been terribly busy lately. I have given the Wit M8 on Blu-Ray a quick listen and I think the sound has improved, but not too much. Considering the price, though, anyone with a blu-ray player ought to give this a go.
The M3 by Jansons is, IMHO, nearly as good as the Chailly one, and the RCO Live SACD sound is great - but so was the Decca SACD printing of the Chailly. On first hearing, it immediately ranks among my top choices, but I've only heard it once, and I was working on something, so I wasn't listening to carefully...
The Saraste M9 has quite a few flaws, indeed, but there is much to enjoy, too. Alas, I have have so many great M9's already, that this one will end up somewhere at the end of the list. No real urgent need to get this, though, for any of you.
And the Abbado M7 is an excellent addition to this cycle. I absolutely adore Abbado and his way with Mahler, so I'm not entirely unbiased, but I'd urge all of you to add these performances to your collection.
Not a very detailed review, I acknowledge, I'll try to get back after I've heard these a few times with a more detailed description.
Cheers!
Freddy
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Sorry if we rushed you but those comments are plenty helpful. Congratulations on the daughter!
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I have a 16-week old daughter...
Cheers!
Freddy
Congratulations!!! I have a 7 year old daughter and a 6 year old son. Try playing the opening of the M1 finale for her and let me know how it goes! ;)
Actually, my kids have become pretty adept at knowing when I play Mahler -- although they have a 90+% chance of being right when I play classical music.
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Was there for the Sunday performance of M8 in Amsterdam under Jansons. It was only my third live M8 (second was Boulez/Staatskapelle) and it was definitely something very special. I never experienced such a hushed audience! Either they really respect the orchestra and Jansons or they felt as well, that a M8 is something extraordinary whenever it happens. And Robert Dean Smith was, I think, even a bit better than last I saw him live with Boulez. The choirs weren't big, but my, was the hall filled with sound (my first time in the Concertgebouw; it really has a fantastic sound)! I had the feeling the brass had to watch how loud they're playing, resulting with a nice glowing sound that organically rises just above the orchestra when needed. I recorded from a Dutch radio the concert stream, but it's in wma format (Windows Media Audio) but VLC should be able to play it even for those on other than Windows platform (let me know if there's interest).
I can tell you, that cameras were there and from a posting on the orchestra's Facebook page it is obvious that it wasn't only for a TV broadcast, but for a DVD: "Massive stage for Mahler 8 and it will be expanded with lights and cameras on Friday for the dvd recording...".
Oh, Barry, I'm sure you know the orchestra's Dvorak recordings with Harnoncourt? The bass drum in "The Water Goblin" still chills me to the bone and I never heard such great bassoon playing (among many other fantastic woodwind solo's), as in these recordings. But yeah, why not play all the Dvorak symphonies?
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I attended the same performance of M8 in Amsterdam! and when it finished I was in tears... It was my fourth M8 live, and for sure one of the deepest Mahler experiences in my life. I'll be back in Amsterdam this weekend to celebrate the centennial with Haitink's performance of M9 on Sunday, and Gerd Albrecht conducting of M2 on Saturday.
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"Oh, Barry, I'm sure you know the orchestra's Dvorak recordings with Harnoncourt? The bass drum in "The Water Goblin" still chills me to the bone and I never heard such great bassoon playing (among many other fantastic woodwind solo's), as in these recordings. But yeah, why not play all the Dvorak symphonies"
Yep, I own the Dvorak tone poems with Harnoncourt. Definitely proto-Mahler.
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Freddy, thanks for your reply on the Saraste M9. Having heard mostly the Finale, I agree there are some good moments.
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Please do report on the Haitink M9, as I am going to see his performance with the CSO in June and would like to know what I'm getting. ;-)
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Please do report on the Haitink M9, as I am going to see his performance with the CSO in June and would like to know what I'm getting. ;-)
Let's hope that CSO will record the Haitink M9th concert this time.
M9th is way overdue for him to re-record.
John