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General Category => Gustav Mahler and Related Discussions => Topic started by: bluesbreaker on June 19, 2011, 12:57:57 PM
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I just went to this concert this afternoon:
http://nso.ntch.edu.tw/program/detail/id/181 (http://nso.ntch.edu.tw/program/detail/id/181)
It was a hit and miss for me. Out of 10 I would give 7. This symphony is defenitely taxing for many orchestras and this afternoon's concert is a living proof. The orchestra played well as a pro ensemble, but there were a few (just a few) wrong notes through out the performance, especially the brass section. The most noticeable moments were the posthorn section and the last few minutes of the finale. Still, the stars of the performance were the horns.
On the other hand, the percussion and woodwind sections could have been more aggressive.
Of course, commiting a few mistakes during a performance of such demanding piece is expectable, and forgivable. The main problem is that the performance as the whole was quite "conservative", for the lack of better word(well "Mahler-lite" is probably the right one). Over all it was quite a lyrical interpretation, somewhere between Bertini and Kubelik; but probably because of the conductor, or the reserve nature of Asian people, or both; the climaxes and wild parts during the first and third movements fell short. The SouthStorm section is the case in point: the percussion including the timpani did not go for it, just hit the notes as indicated, and that's all. Not impressed.
The 2 and 3 movements were fine, except the aforementioned posthorn that cracked a little.
I liked the alto. I think she nailed the misterious and the "natchmusik" feel of the movement. The fifth movement was quite standard, nothing exceptional. Now here is the finale. It was a swift one, no more than 22 minutes. I have no problem with fast finales since I like the Tennstedt one so much. But if this movement make you feel rushed, then something is wrong. The last 2 crescendos in the last section were so rushed that I felt they just wanted to wrap things up, especially the ending. To say the ending was anticlimatic is a understatement, and it is defenitely the conductor's fault. Maybe he had Kubelik's live M3 on Audite in mind? I don't know, but for whatever reason, it didn't work.
Overall this performnace only gets a 7 due to the rushed finale. Some curious points though:
1. The conductor was very animated on the podium and even rocket-jumped a couple of times, as if possessed by Bernstein. Unfortunately that did not translate into music. And....
2. ....he conducted batonless during the second movement.
3. The chorus ensembles were dominated by ladies, which means the children chorus were mostly girls. Now here is something I need some clarifications from seasoned Mahler nuts: Usually a boy chorus is employed for the Bim Bams AFAIK, so I wonder if it is unusual that the conductor preferred a girl chorus for live performance? Because I always have in mind that Mahler demanded a boy chorus for this movement.
This is my very first critical concert review. Thanks for reading.
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Mike, thank you very much for posting your review of the M3 concert. You made some very good points which I believe are good things to look at in every M3 performance.
For me, I love M3 so much that, (as looking at one of your children) it is sometimes difficult to see the faults.
But your report sounded very fair and comprehensive. You were right to note the too-fast crescendos and the make up of the choruses.
I especially enjoyed your description of the conductor as having:
"even rocket-jumped a couple of times, as if possessed by Bernstein."
Such a descriptive image!
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts about the performance.
John H
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Hey John thanks so much for your kind comment. As you may know I am from Taiwan and thought my not-so-perfect English writing would make this review hard to read.......
Since I heard the Mahler recordings by Lenny and Tennstedt, I am still searching for a Mahler preformance that will knock my socks off, or bring the roof down. Only the Levine M8 when he kicked off his Boston tenure came close to that.
Today's concert is part of Mahler's Odyssey that spans from 2010 to 2011, in order to commemorate GM's 150th birthday and 100th annyversary of his passing.
DLVDE, M8, and M2 are coming up. I just hope these won't be as light and "rushed" as today's M3.
Another side note. The audience applauded before the start of the second movement, just after the choruses and soloist settled down. I am sure that's not a common practice......
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...Now here is something I need some clarifications from seasoned Mahler nuts: Usually a boy chorus is employed for the Bim Bams AFAIK, so I wonder if it is unusual that the conductor preferred a girl chorus for live performance? Because I always have in mind that Mahler demanded a boy chorus for this movement.
It is unusual in my experience. As you suggest, the scores specify Coro di ragazzi (UE 950) or Knabenchor (UE 13822)—a boys choir—and the five live performances I've attended and most (all?) recordings of which I'm aware have used boys in the fifth movement. Perhaps in your case it was a practical matter: girls were available and boys were not?
I enjoyed reading your review.
James
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It is unusual in my experience. As you suggest, the scores specify Coro di ragazzi (UE 950) or Knabenchor (UE 13822)—a boys choir—and the five live performances I've attended and most (all?) recordings of which I'm aware have used boys in the fifth movement. Perhaps in your case it was a practical matter: girls were available and boys were not?
I enjoyed reading your review.
James
Thanks.
Actually the "girL" choir did not have girls only, there were a few boys around. But the girls were clearly the majority.
Still, having girls in the children chorus is unusual enough I think.
Michael
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How foolish I am. I forgot to mention about the trombone solo, another key point to look at.
It was very somber sounding, but lacks the raw and rough edge we love.
Anyway DLVDE is coming this september, followed by M8 in November and M2 on New Year's Eve. The same conductor, who is NSO's music director, will be handling these evenings. I am looking forward to these performances despite the shortcomings I felt yesterday.
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Jansons' recent M8 with the Concertgebouworkest also had a children's choir (boys and girls) instead of the boy's choir specified in the score. Is it perhaps simply a matter of time, in that Mahler wrote the symphony when there weren't mixed gender choirs?
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The 8th does not specify just boys. The main feature of Mahler's 1911 premiere was that it had a HUGE number of children - both boys and girls. The whole business about these kids cheering Mahler, and basically rushing him at the podium is an emotionally overwhelming thought. As I've said before, if I had a time machine, the Munich premiere of Mahler 8 would be my numero uno destiination.
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The 8th does not specify just boys. The main feature of Mahler's 1911 premiere was that it had a HUGE number of children - both boys and girls. The whole business about these kids cheering Mahler, and basically rushing him at the podium is an emotionally overwhelming thought. As I've said before, if I had a time machine, the Munich premiere of Mahler 8 would be my numero uno destiination.
Barry, you definitely would need a time machine. Before I paid a visit last fall to the Munich exhibition hall where the premiere of M8 took place, I was thankfully advised beforehand by James Meckley that the hall has since become a transportation museum. So when I got there, it wasn't worth it to try to get in, as all traces of any type of a concert venue had been erased, disappointingly.
Wade
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Fortunately for all of us, despite the Munich Hall, as Mahler says in "ich bin der Welt..."
he is there (not in Munich) "in meinem Himmel, in meinem Lieben, in meinem Lied" (in his heaven, in his love, in his song.), and we can join him in it.
John H
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It seems amazing that the Exhibition Hall survived all the heavy bombing that Munich took; or, did they have to rebuild it? (why would they, so I'm thinking it must have survived).
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It seems amazing that the Exhibition Hall survived all the heavy bombing that Munich took; or, did they have to rebuild it? (why would they, so I'm thinking it must have survived).
I seem to remember in another thread here, in a mini-conversation with James Meckley on the subject, it survived WWII bombing. I'm surprised that in all the varied numerous and extended discussions that have transpired on the subject of the premiere of M8 that no one has really mentioned in any book on Mahler that the Munich Exhibition Hall where the premiere took place was converted to a transportation museum. I would try to upload here a couple of photos I got of the outside of the hall in this post, but it seems that any photo I want to show here must already be up at a site with a URL address, which they aren't.
Wade
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Again, it's incredible that it survived such heavy bombing! I'm sure you've all seen the black & white photos of downtown Munich having been, more or less, leveled out after the bombing. Such destruction led Strauss to compose that "Metamorphosen" (a work I'm not crazy about on a purely musical plane). Surely it must have been a sign from above (and don't call me Shirley).
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Enough you guys! ;D
Stop talking about M8 before I get an anxious attack for anticipating the upcoming M8 too much! ;D
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Mike, you're going to love M8!
If you're not yet accustomed to M8, just regard the first part as a hymn, inviting the heavens to join and bless a musical celebration of life.
Then, consider Part 2 as a thanks to the heavens for all the beauty of life, and the promise of enjoying that life for ever after.
Just revel in the beauty of the music. Later, when you and M8 are "old friends"--that is the time to analyze and appreciate the meaning of each phrase.
Just my opinion, (but M8 and I have become close friends).
John H
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Ah John, I was just kidding. I am familiar enough about M8 and it's one of my fav Mahler symphonies.
I meant that I am lookign forward to the upcoming M8 this November, and you guys are talking too much and I would end up more and more anxious. Haha!!!!
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Where are you seeing the Mahler 8th? I'd like to know conductor and orchestra.
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I will be seeing the M8 right here in Taiwan, same as M3 last week:
http://nso.ntch.edu.tw/program/listing/pcid/1/category_id/6 (http://nso.ntch.edu.tw/program/listing/pcid/1/category_id/6)
The orchestra is the Taiwan's NSO and the music director will be conducting.
As you can see the " Mahler Oddysey" has been running from last season to this one. Before M8 there will be DLVDE, and the last stop is M2 on New years's Eve and New years Day.
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Wow, Michael--lucky you!
I can't imagine anything better than three of my personal favorites: M3, M8, M2.
If they do M6, they will have my top 4 Mahler symphonies. (Of course, personal favorites get rather crowded. How could I possibly leave out M9, M7, or M4?)
John H
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Wow, Michael--lucky you!
I can't imagine anything better than three of my personal favorites: M3, M8, M2.
If they do M6, they will have my top 4 Mahler symphonies. (Of course, personal favorites get rather crowded. How could I possibly leave out M9, M7, or M4?)
John H
They actually did the other symphonies before M3. I did not pay attention to classical music for a long while so essentially lost track of what has been going on. Luckily I caught up M3 and hopefully will attend M8, DLVDE, and M2. All of them are my fav symphonies. ;D