Recent Posts

91

Gustav Mahler and Related Discussions / Brief samples of upcoming P. Jarvi/Zurich Tonhalle M5 from Presto Classical

« Last post by barryguerrero on December 24, 2024, 06:41:33 AM »

Here are brief snippets from the first release, Mahler 5, of the Paavo Jarvi/Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra's new Mahler cycle on the Alpha label. Sounds just like Mahler 5 to me! This will be a download only - at least initially - and will be released in early March. Note this will be Paavo Jarvi's second full Mahler cycle - his first one from Frankfurt being available on DVD/BluRay only. This will be the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra's second Mahler cycle as well - the first being the much underrated David Zinman cycle on RCA.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9748968--mahler-symphony-no-5

92

Gustav Mahler and Related Discussions / Re: OT: Happy Beethoven's Birthday!

« Last post by sbugala on December 20, 2024, 03:38:41 PM »

>> Years ago, there was an essay from Bruno Walter translated and posted on Andante's website. I wish I could find that again.

I have two books by Bruno Walter. One is his reminiscences of Mahler and the other is an autobiography, "Theme and Variations." I wonder if the essay you mentioned was excerpted from one of those.

That would be great if that was the case. I could be misremembering, but I want to say it was written in the 30s. I went looking for it some time ago, hoping it was still cached somewhere.

93

Gustav Mahler and Related Discussions / Re: OT: Happy Beethoven's Birthday!

« Last post by Roland Flessner on December 20, 2024, 01:30:00 AM »

>> Years ago, there was an essay from Bruno Walter translated and posted on Andante's website. I wish I could find that again.

I have two books by Bruno Walter. One is his reminiscences of Mahler and the other is an autobiography, "Theme and Variations." I wonder if the essay you mentioned was excerpted from one of those.

94

Gustav Mahler and Related Discussions / Re: OT: Happy Beethoven's Birthday!

« Last post by sbugala on December 19, 2024, 06:47:39 PM »

Thank you for sharing the Jochum quote. Sometimes, some excellent thoughts from a conductor in liner notes show why physical media is still a treasure. I'll probably have to share some of that essay.

Years ago, there was an essay from Bruno Walter translated and posted on Andante's website. I wish I could find that again.

As for the Missa Solemnis...I warmed to it when I finally tried it...and now I wonder if it's his greatest work. It moves me as much as Mahler's Second. My only problem now is, contrary to Roland's feelings; I can't tolerate HIP influenced versions of it. Donald Runnicles led a performance in St. Louis I loved...but some years later, David Robertson did on that I had to turn off from the radio because it sounded thin and scrawny.

95

Gustav Mahler and Related Discussions / Re: OT: Happy Beethoven's Birthday!

« Last post by Roland Flessner on December 18, 2024, 09:06:13 PM »

Worthwhile Beethoven, aside from the big hits: The op. 30 violin sonatas, all three showing the composer at his best. And the op. 74 "Harp" quartet, with a first movement both irreverent and sincere, a heartfelt slow movement, a demented scherzo with an explosively crazy trio section, and a finale comprised of imaginative variations. It bears comparison with the late quartets as it points to them.

Another wonderful quote, this from Joseph Kerman's "The Beethoven Quartets":

"A mature Beethoven piece, I think, I should be inclined to say, is a person; one meets and reacts to it with the same sort of particularity, intimacy, and concern as one does to another human being. . . Beethoven seems to have struggled to project in art the quality of human contact that he saw himself cut off from by deafness and by the daemon of creation. That, for him personally, was perhaps the essence of the heroic vision."

96

Gustav Mahler and Related Discussions / Re: OT: Happy Beethoven's Birthday!

« Last post by barryguerrero on December 17, 2024, 11:44:15 PM »

The "Choral Fantasy" is actually my single favorite work by Beethoven. It has everything great about Beethoven in one, handy-dandy work that's relatively succinct.

To me, Bach's Mass in B-minor is a much better work than the never ending St. Matthew Passion. That's just me. I think some of Bach's best works are in B-minor. Bach's fault is just too many notes. That said, I love the "Brandenburg" Concerti, and view them as the first truly great orchestral works. They amount to something.

97

Gustav Mahler and Related Discussions / Re: OT: Happy Beethoven's Birthday!

« Last post by waderice on December 17, 2024, 01:11:40 PM »

As a "retired" member of a few symphonic choruses (I can no longer stand for long periods of time in a choral concert), I had to get through 12 performances of Beethoven's 9th in 1976 (and a 13th a few years later).  I never had the opportunity to perform Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, nor Bach's St. Matthew Passion or the Mass in B Minor.  The first and the third works are generally two major choral works that are generally on a long list of a chorister's list of "must perform" works.  I saw/heard Robert Shaw conduct the Choral Arts Society of Washington in a performance of the Missa Solemnis years ago, and I recall that between movements, he had to step off the podium to collect himself, as this wasn't very long before he passed on.

Oh, and before I forget - I did have the opportunity to perform Beethoven's Choral Fantasy, which was sort of a hybrid study between a piano concerto and a prototype for the last movement of the Ninth Symphony.  And I cannot forget having done performances of Mahler's Second and Eighth Symphonies.

98

Gustav Mahler and Related Discussions / Re: OT: Happy Beethoven's Birthday!

« Last post by barryguerrero on December 17, 2024, 06:43:37 AM »

I generally prefer the more Haydn like Beethoven symphonies - 1,2,4 and 8 - to the more illustrious ones, with the exception of the "Pastoral". I don't ever need to hear B7 ever again - they play every single bloody day on the local classical music radio station. I have to be in the mood for B9, which is not all that often. And I agree with David Hurwitz's assessment of the "Erocia":  the orchestration is too small and too basic for such an 'epic' symphony. However, I always love it when Beethoven employs the horns in a trio section of his scherzo movements.

99

Gustav Mahler and Related Discussions / Re: OT: Happy Beethoven's Birthday!

« Last post by Roland Flessner on December 17, 2024, 02:54:49 AM »

It took me a long time to warm to Missa Solemnis but I finally did a few years ago. I do prefer the HIP-style performances, such as Gardiner, Rilling, Zinman, Herreweghe, etc.

There is very little Beethoven that I don't like but I do have a special regard for the humor in the Eighth Symphony (perhaps the least frequently performed). No Beethoven symphony could be called neglected but I love the Fourth. (Antiphonally placed violin sections are urgently needed.) Those not familiar with the op. 1 piano trios might make their acquaintance. The finale of op.1 #2 is great fun, kind of like the Lone Ranger for three musicians.

Quite a few of the violin sonatas will reward the listener as well.

I love the St. Matthew Passion but I don't think I've ever listened to it in a single evening even at home. Hearing it whole while planted in a wooden pew would present orthopedic challenges if nothing else.

100

Gustav Mahler and Related Discussions / Re: OT: Happy Beethoven's Birthday!

« Last post by barryguerrero on December 17, 2024, 12:04:25 AM »

I love the "Pastoral" Symphony, as well as most of the late string quartets from Beethoven. However, I've never really warmed-up to the "Missa Solemnis". It's interesting that Mahler never conducted that. I know other people who think it's the cat's meow. For big choral works, I guess I like Mahler 8 and the B. Britten "War" Requiem the most. Janacek's "Glogolitic" Mass too! Faure's Requiem is really nice. I guess for more traditional Austro/German types of masses, I like those from Haydn the most. The problem with big choral works is that they generally have long and dull vocal solos as well. At least Mahler knew to keep his vocal solos short   .   .    .   .  Frankly, I was never so bored in a concert than why I tried to sit through the whole of J.S. Bach's "St. Matthew" Passion at St. Paul's Cathedral in London in 1981. Never again!