gustavmahlerboard.com
General Category => Gustav Mahler and Related Discussions => Topic started by: erikwilson7 on February 03, 2022, 10:51:33 PM
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https://www.pentatonemusic.com/czech-philharmonic-signs-to-pentatone/?fbclid=IwAR3VKtk2Ogn5zy6L2dT_jK7wWqsnkVcQByAkOD5d0Gk0dr03zOMYbINgYkQ
First release in the cycle is Mahler 4 in April.
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And a brief video teaser:
https://youtu.be/EbWwCiLykpI
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Oh, another discovery. It seems the PHYSICAL release is due for April 8, but the digital download is available now from Pentatone’s site(?!).
https://www.pentatonemusic.com/product/mahler-symphony-no-4-3/?fbclid=IwAR1ot3ncEiZxPb9i1B3HEc3cnCD3uX5r__DrHwG4B3SlW7yOY8bQhRsq1K0
Haven’t listened to anything but the durations look standard.
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Sorry to be so superficial, but what a terrible looking cover! . . . Bychkov is doing M7 with the L.A. Phil. in the last weekend of March.
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I'll be picking this up as it is released. The Czech Philharmonic is one of my favorite orchestras. Semyon Bychkov also brought my my local orchestra, the Grand Rapids Symphony, to it's highest point in their history. The recorded sound should be excellent, too. I'm actually surprised that this is the first Mahler cycle done by Pentatone.
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Pentatone's quality is very high. They produced the M4 with Gustavo Gimeno and Luxembourg (feat. Miah Persson) a few years back, and it remains one of my favorites of all.
I don't really know of Bychkov's Mahler credentials besides his old M3, which is quite good but very long. Anyone have other, more recent insight on his way with Mahler's music?
And regarding the Czech Phil, I'm very excited to hear them in Mahler again. The Neumann cycle is very hit-and-miss for me, but when it's a hit it's a home run. They have such an authentic sound, and it's perfect for Mahler's music.
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I saw Bychkov give an outstanding M6 with the Vienna Phil. in Berkeley, Ca. I liked much more than the famous Bernstein one, which I also 'saw' on tour at Carnegie Hall. There's a very good DVD of "DLvdE" with Bychkov conducting from Cologne (I think). Tor Kerstin and Waltraud Meier were vocalists, I think. I have a burned copy of it some place.
I think Bychkov is a very good conductor, and is well respected as a guest conductor when he's in San Francisco. However, he doesn't 'pick up the tempo' when making recordings. As you might recall, Fritz Reiner said that you should make recordings roughly 10 or 15 percent faster than you do your live performances. I think he had something there.
Interesting factoid on the Bychkov/V.P.O. M6: he was going to conduct it in andante/scherzo order, but changed his mind to scherzo/andante order at the last moment. Good for him - it worked fabulously. I believe that that is very possibly what happened at Mahler's own last performance of M6 in Vienna. There was a reliable witness to that happening.
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I prefer the andante second, but I’ll take it either way. I’m not picky, and they both work (if the conductor makes it work).
I hope Bychkov does scherzo second then, if it worked out to well.
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I am so thrilled to hear the news. His M3rd with WDR Sinfonie Koln was outstanding. I'd be curious to hear his VPO M6th!
Alas, it seems these recordings will be released on CDs, not on hybrid SACDs.
John
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John, if you do find a 'pirate' of an M6 with Bychkov/V.P.O., it might very well be in andante/scherzo order as I'm sure Berkeley wasn't the first stop in their tour. You would want a recording from a better sounding venue than Zellerbach in Berkeley anyway. It's ONLY saving grace as a concert venue, is that it has a Myer computerized sound system in there. Those Myer systems have performed miracles in many challenged venues around the world.
Why would Pentatone not want to issue a full Mahler series in sacd hybrid, when their entire line is centered around sacd hybrids? I don't get that.
Regardless, here's Chen Reiss singing Mahler 4/IV with Markus Stenz conducting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5D0nAGSkvE
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She sounds very good, Barry. Thanks for sharing. I've recently come to love the Jakub Hrůša recording with Bamberg featuring Anna Lucia Richter. She is so amazing in the finale.
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By the way, I have a Bychkov/Czech Phil. "Manfred" Symphony (Tchaik.) on Decca that's really very good.
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You can download Bychkov/Czech Philharmonic here:
Shostakovich - symphony 7:
https://uloz.to/file/VEo76jff6t3W/ceska-filharmonie-zahajovaci-koncert-126-sezony-ts#!ZJL3ZmR2ZwR1AwtmMGOwAGEwLGN5L1pmqQMJAmIfnUuHpwIyBN==
Click on "Stahnout pomalu zdarma" (Slow download for free).
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I can't download it. It is taking forever.
John
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Temporarily on my google drive.
S7 - Bychkov, CPO, 29.09.2021.mp4
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Uv2aoDs_dZs-8mW49dP-trX7JNYrl4L_/view?usp=sharing
D9 - Bychkov, CPO, 03.10.2018.mkv
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1reHMd3hn6I5e83ETV4MWyJ7_h1YwkzVR/view?usp=sharing
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Bychkov also led the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra in the M6, and it was incredible. The hammerblows set a new standard for me. You can see they used a big box, and the percussionist had to climb a ladder to strike it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piCs75zRom0
Bychkov did the inner movements in S/A order, after changing his mind as he did in Berkley. I know there's debate...but I prefer it that way.
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By the way, John and everyone else, Spotify has a Bychkov/N.Y. Phil. M6 that was never issued on a disc (I don't think). It's good, but not as good as the one I remember with the V.P.O. The New York Phil. sounds as though it still carried the influence of late Lorin Maazel.
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I see that M6 on Spotify, but the album cover is showing Alan Gilbert conducting. The song info shows Bychkov. I wonder which one is right.
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I could download the Bychkov/CPO Shosy 7th, but the first few seconds of I. are missing.
John
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Going back up to the Bychkov/S.L.S.O. M6 video, there's no demo of the box! When I last played M6 with Redwood Symphony, we had a box that was just about that size. However, the wood was too thin and it wasn't reinforced in any way. It just sounded a bit too 'thuddy' or something. My understanding is that it had been a shipping container. Also, I think it helps to have a hammer that has a relatively bigger surface area - just as it helps to have a tam-tam mallet with more surface area than usual.
And speaking of the S.L.S.O., I saw an OUTSTANDING M5 with them and David Robertson (conductor), on tour, also in Zellerbach in Berkeley. It was as good as any I've ever heard it.
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Barry,
I know. I wish they would've demonstrated it, too. The thuds were incredible. It reminded me of the Pows on the original Mario Brothers arcade game. I think anyone standing up would've been knocked upside down. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh0_sYvBPP4
I think I mentioned it at the time...but I foolishly passed on hearing that M5 with Robertson. I've probably heard that work live more than any other Mahler Symphony...including when the SFSO did it here on tour with MTT in the 90s. You've made me regret me skipping it.
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I'm listening to Bychkov/NYPO M6th. MARVELOUS!
John
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Again, I hope it’s Bychkov and not Gilbert as the album cover displays. Anyone else seeing this mix-up?
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Erik,
I must say, it is more in the Bychkov style than in the Gilbert style.
It sounds like so.
John
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I'm thinking so too. Gilbert is more "middle of the road."
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From what I can hear, it's definitely Bychkov, not Gilbert. It is a GREAT M6th. I am really impressed and eagerly look forward to the Bychkov/CPO Mahler cycle.
John
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I'm liking Bychkov, but I'm most interested in how good Pentatone's engineering will be. Also I'm very excited to hear the CPO do Mahler.
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I think the sound quality will most likely be very good. I'm sure the cycle be a worth while addition. It looks like he's conducting M3 and M7 in various places, so perhaps those will be among the first releases. I already have an excellent Czech Phil. M7 with E. Inbal conducting (Exton). They've recorded it five times already: Neumann, Ashkenazy, Kobayashi, Macal and Inbal. The Macal seems to be easy to find. On the other hand, I've never been as crazy about Neumann's M3 as many of the critics of the day were. I'm looking forward to a new and, hopefully, improved M3 from the C.P.O. For the time being, yet another really good M4 will have to do.
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Of the Neumann cycle on Supraphon, I'm fond of 1, 2, 3, 4... and maybe 8. I mostly admire it for how characteristically unique the CPO sounds.
As far ass Neumann himself goes, I like his earlier stuff with Leipzig. That early M7 is very good.
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Yes, exactly. I like Neumann's Leipzig M6 also. I forgot to mention that K.-I. Kobayashi recorded a very good M3 with the Czech Phil. (Exton). However, as is often the case with Kobayashi, he hummed and grunted along with the music throughout much of the recording. I'm guessing that's why Kobayashi has never made a dent in the U.S.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken%27ichiro_Kobayashi
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I have to confess that I was a little skeptical that this was Bychkov's Mahler Sixth. I thought there was a metatag error of some kind and that the label was correct. However, I think the group is correct. Here's a review from the New York Times essentially confirming that it's his: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/13/arts/music/review-an-intense-yet-pastoral-mahler-cowbells-included.html and another https://newyorkclassicalreview.com/2016/02/bychkov-philharmonic-create-a-dark-magic-with-mahlers-sixth/
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Thanks so much for clarifying this.
It’s more odd now that the metadata is correct but that album cover isn’t (?!)
Weird. But I’m glad it’s Bychkov.
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Word. I know there's a couple other ambiguous downloads from the NYPhil. One at least has Christoph von Dohnanyi on the cover...but the labelling is still wrong. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZKC2H54/ref=sr_1_17?crid=2Q543SXUEVL2T&keywords=dvorak+new+york+philharmonic&qid=1644528619&s=dmusic&sprefix=dvorak+new+york+philharmonic%2Cdigital-music%2C52&sr=1-17
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Bychkov had to cancel his upcoming LA Phil M7 concert. Former Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra director, David Robertson; will step in to replace him.
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I saw Robertson give an outstanding M5 with the SLSO on tour in Berkeley, Ca.