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Gustav Mahler and Related Discussions / Re: So why do labels start Mahler cycles, only to give up on them!?!

« Last post by shawn on August 18, 2025, 09:51:15 PM »

I think conductors ought not to feel obliged to establish a complete Mahler cycle. I honestly think we are all better off when conductors only pick the numbers they feel strongest about. Prime example is Haitink. He only did No. 8 for Philips because his cycle would not have been complete without it. His performance is certainly professional and every note is in place, but you can feel he didn't care for this symphony.

I'm certainly not of the opinion that too much Mahler is a bad thing, but quality should always prevail over quantity. I know, in the end it's all a matter of personal taste, but just because we can call a cycle 'complete' doesn't automatically mean it's one for the ages.

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Gustav Mahler and Related Discussions / Re: So why do labels start Mahler cycles, only to give up on them!?!

« Last post by waderice on August 18, 2025, 07:06:03 PM »

It's all about economics.  In other words, how well are the so-far released recordings of whomever's given cycle selling?  I'm certain that all of the labels turning out CDs of a given conductor's cycle have their economic crystal ball gazers looking at how well their particular cycle is selling, and what they project how well the cycle will sell on down the line.  To them, they want to sell, but crystal ball gazing is risky at best.

One big disappointment for me:  I had hoped that the full cycle of the Markus Stenz/Gurzenich-Orchester Köln as a box set would have been released in SACD format.  Instead, when I put in my order for the full cycle, I found that after it arrived, it was only produced as regular CD only.  So Oehms (the label for this cycle) must have found that there wasn't enough funding available to produce the entire cycle as a box set in SACD format.

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Gustav Mahler and Related Discussions / Re: So why do labels start Mahler cycles, only to give up on them!?!

« Last post by John Kim on August 17, 2025, 10:26:16 PM »

Philips actually acknowledged that the reason why they decided to discontinue the Haitink/BPO Mahler cycle was because their CDs weren't selling well. They had only two more to go: M8th & 9th.

John

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Gustav Mahler and Related Discussions / Re: So why do labels start Mahler cycles, only to give up on them!?!

« Last post by erikwilson7 on August 14, 2025, 05:49:08 PM »

Less exciting but still worth mentioning: whatever happened to the Netopil/Essen recordings? There's another cycle I was expecting. And the new P. Järvi project has been quiet since the first release of M5 (which I thought was really quite good).

It's as if the promise of a cycle is a tool that labels use to generate excitement and sell a few records, and hope people eventually forget about the promise.

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Gustav Mahler and Related Discussions / So why do labels start Mahler cycles, only to give up on them!?!

« Last post by barryguerrero on August 14, 2025, 04:03:17 PM »

These seems to happen time and time again. Record labels make huge announcements about starting a new Mahler cycle with tons of enthusiasm, only to give up on the project somewhere downstream - simply because they don't sell like Madonna records. Is this stupid or what?!?  .   .   . The trend to give up started with the Haitink/Berlin cycle on Philips. Actually, RCA dropped any attempt at completing James Levine's Mahler cycle, allegedly having to do with his first known scandal with a minor. Even though the first two releases of Mahler with Andrew Litton and the Dallas Symphony made something of a relative splash, Delos never did release the long promised 8th symphony from Dallas with Litton (which I was greatly looking forward to). And now were getting this sudden 'Mahler release constipation' from Pentatone. Don't bother with the hype if you can't see something through to the end.

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Gustav Mahler and Related Discussions / Re: twice written to Pentatone; twice zero response

« Last post by John Kim on August 01, 2025, 05:09:55 AM »

We have live archives of Bychkov/CPO M6th and 9th (both of which are outstanding), so at least we have an idea how the rest of the cycle might have gone.

John

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Gustav Mahler and Related Discussions / Re: twice written to Pentatone; twice zero response

« Last post by John Kim on August 01, 2025, 04:46:16 AM »

Maybe they themselves don't know what to do with the rest of the cycle.

I read somewhere that Pentatone will release the entire cycle next year including the 6th-9th (possibly the 10th Adagio as well) in a single box set.

John

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Gustav Mahler and Related Discussions / twice written to Pentatone; twice zero response

« Last post by barryguerrero on July 28, 2025, 06:27:51 PM »

I may be a pest to them, but I find Pentatone's lack of response to my inquiries to be irresponsible and rude. I've twice tried to ask them what their intentions are for the rest of the S. Bychkov/Czech Phil. Mahler cycle. In my second inquiry, I even stated that, "we don't know yet", would be a perfectly legitimate and satisfactory answer. Nothing. Nada, zilch, nichts, nyet, zippo!

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Gustav Mahler and Related Discussions / Re: Austrian Radio (O1) broadcast of Y. Sado/Tonkustler Orch. M8

« Last post by barryguerrero on June 19, 2025, 08:51:47 PM »

John, according to one online source, the 9th was performed just a year ago (June 2024).

https://www.operabase.com/productions/symphony-no-9-188903/de

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Gustav Mahler and Related Discussions / Re: Austrian Radio (O1) broadcast of Y. Sado/Tonkustler Orch. M8

« Last post by John Kim on June 17, 2025, 05:44:11 PM »

Wagner can be toxic and addictive. But I never knew M8th can be too. I've listened to the archive four times already and don't think I'll be tired of it^ This is a great performance by any standard. Sado's tempo is for most part slow, maybe a bit too slow, but he manages to keep the music cogent and still flowing. He holds every part of the orchestra, choirs, and soloists really well too. The much drawn out coda of Part II is the slowest and grandest I've ever heard, but hey, it WORKS! I am eagerly waiting for the upcoming official release of the concert.

John