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General Category => Gustav Mahler and Related Discussions => Topic started by: barryguerrero on September 03, 2021, 04:27:54 PM
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https://open.spotify.com/album/4J5XAhBQiaxYl7BEJyFkaz
The sound is better here than on E-Classical. It's strange that they left the spontaneous applause on at the end of Part 1. Perhaps people jumped in too soon, or they didn't anticipate that happening. Who knows.
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I’m planning on doing a brief write-up on this one once I ‘digest’ it a bit more. What are your initial thoughts on it so far?
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Mostly good. I wish it didn't have applause after Part I, but that's no big deal. Offstage and onstage brass (trombones) could be stronger near the end of Part II, but I think Jurowski held them back deliberately in order make the crescendo at the very end appear stronger. Nice sounding strokes on the Paiste tam-tam. I certainly like it better than the 1991 Tennstedt.
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I was somewhat letdown and underwhelmed by this M8th. Jurowski uses a small choir for the sake of clarity. But what he gains in the clarity he loses in the spectacle.
John
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For me, the proportion of children to adults is an overriding factor. It stands to reason that if you have two very large adult choirs, you need a larger number of children. Mahler had roughly 350 children for the world premiere - a number that I believe has not since been duplicated.
Regardless, I'm withholding judgement until the CD actually arrives. So far, the cast of soloists is a bit of a mixed bag (as it nearly always is). I find Barry Banks (tenor) tolerable, but not outstanding either. I do like the way they made the crappy Paiste tam-tams audible and 'ring on', without them also sounding like someone bashed in an over-sized cymbal.
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The beginning of Part 2 is disappointing too. It has to be mysterious, sweeping, and passionate. I hardly felt it that way in Jurowski. But then, I too want to wait until my CD arrives.
John
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I’ll write more about this recording at some point in the future, but the first few syllables of “Alles Vergängliche” are messy.
There’s a lot to commend in this recording though.
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I think so too. I think it might 'gel' better when hearing it in its totality on CD. The applause at the end of Part I is distracting - I think it kills the continuity a bit. The bass-baritone (second solo in Part II) isn't so great, but that's OK. On the plus side, there are places where the childrens chorus is strong and clear. I like some of Jurowski's small 'interpretative' touches. I do like having a very short pause before the third tam-tam stroke (the first one that's doubled by the crash cymbals). I also think some of the women soloists are pretty good.
Let's put it this way, I can already tell that I like it better than the over-hyped and overwrought 1991 live Tennstedt recording. I don't like it better than the Rattle/B.P.O. one (better singers), or the sadly maligned Nezet-Seguin/Philly one. It's Dudamel's L.A. Phil. remake of M8 from Disney Hall that I'm disappointed with. At this point I'm not sure how I feel about Reference Recording's M8 with Thierry Fischer/Utah Symphony from the Mormon Tabernacle. Much of it is very good, but the end to Part II is awfully swift. Also, the sound is rather 'bright' inside the Tabernacle.