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General Category => Gustav Mahler and Related Discussions => Topic started by: barryguerrero on March 02, 2021, 05:40:08 AM
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Dutton Labs is issuing the Stokowski/London Symphony/RCA Mahler 2 in an sacd/cd hybrid. In case you've never heard it, this is a VERY individualistic approach to M2 - not at all cookie cutter-ish. I loved it as a kid and I still have a soft spot for it. Among the many 'Stokowski-isms': he blows right through Mahler's "pesante" marking at the climax of the first movement's development section, plowing straight on at a blistering tempo. It's wrong and it's exciting as all hell. He also does the several final minutes of the first movement better than anyone I've heard. John Fletcher on tuba plays like a god possessed. I might very well get this. Also, the vocalists could hardly be improved upon: Brigitte Fassbaender and Margaret Price. https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8874231--mahler-symphony-no-2-resurrection
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I have the RCA CD. Isn't the playing of LSO under Stokowski on the verge of falling apart from time to time? Otherwise, I really like the fast climax of I. as well as the apocalyptic ending.
John
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I haven't heard Stokowski's M2 yet, but I oughta. I don't usually like individualistic or idiosyncratic approaches to Mahler (like Bernstein's DG, or Tilson Thomas SFSO). I think it's harder to actually get everything right than it is to make it your own.
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Isn't the playing of LSO under Stokowski on the verge of falling apart from time to time? Otherwise, I really like the fast climax of I. as well as the apocalyptic ending.
John
Yes, the 1974 RCA Stokowski/LSO is apocalyptic but messy, exceedingly messy. As to the tuba, it sounds like RCA put a mic about four feet from his bell and set the level several notches too high.
However, there's another Stokowski recording of M2 from the 1963 Proms on the BBC label. It's better played and recorded, but not quite so apocalyptic. [EDIT] I forgot to add that this one also features the LSO.
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I like them both. While Stoki' plows through the Pesante at the climax of the first movement, he goes really slow at the loud ending of the long march passage in the finale. I really think it actually makes more sense.
There's also a Philadelphia M2 with Stokie, but the sound isn't particularly good.
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Pretty amazing that Stokowski was 28 (nearly my age) at the premiere of Mahler 8 in 1910, and he recorded that M2 when Led Zeppelin was in their prime.
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. . . and he was in his early 90's when he recorded that last M2 in London.