Video fragment of Flipse in M8

[stillivor]

Thanks to twitter, here's a little of Flipse's performance of M8, here of the closing moments of part 1.

Presumably the same performance from June 1954 issued by Philips on LP.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54I87ct01Zc&feature=youtu.be




     Ivor

[waderice]

Interesting film clip - it looks like it took place in an airplane hangar - not much different than the sort of building in Munich where the first performance took place.  Thanks for bringing this to our attention.  I have this performance on LP in my collection, and need to get it transferred to CD.

Barry, where do you think they got the organ from?  An organ in an airplane hangar is quite an oddity, to say the least.  Maybe the offstage brass were the ushers for the concert that positioned themselves in the back by the hangar doors. 

Wade

[James Meckley]

Fascinating film footage. Thanks, Ivor.

The venue is Ahoy Hall, a large indoor sporting arena in Rotterdam, built in 1950, expanded in 1970, and expanded again in 1998. It's still in regular use for major rock concerts and sporting events. During this live performance and recording (3 July 1954), a sound-absorbing floor covering was deployed and tram service was interrupted in the area to avoid interfering with the performance. Programs were printed on special soft paper to cut down on noise from that source. At the time, the hall seating capacity was 8,500 and the concert was sold out.

As to the organ, it certainly doesn't look portable to me. I'd guess it was a permanent part of the arena, at least in the period from 1950 until 1970.

This is the same performance issued on Philips LPs, and now on Scribendum CDs. Scribendum say the date was 3 July 1954. The timings for the two movements are 25:48 and 56:06. The transfer is just okay, but better than the one given to the accompanying Wyn Morris NPO M10. I'm told there is a much better transfer available on the Rotterdam Philharmonic's own label, but I can't vouch for that. The performance itself could best be described as scrappy but enthusiastic. No problem hearing the children here!

James

[Stürmisch Bewegt]

As to the organ, it certainly doesn't look portable to me. I'd guess it was a permanent part of the arena, at least in the period from 1950 until 1970

"There was no suitable concert hall in Rotterdam at the time so the decision was taken to give the concert at an industrial exhibition hall, Ahoy’ (apparently, the apostrophe was a remnant of the original exclamation mark). A huge logistical effort was required to make the venue fit for purpose, including the building and installation of a purpose-built organ, which a Leiden firm built free of charge! "

Read more: http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/Feb11/mahler68_rotterdam.htm#ixzz1n0Ej2z28

[stillivor]

So it was a sell-out, as was the Horenstein m8 in 1959; at a time when Mahler's stock was allegedly at a low ebb.

 So,as I've asked before, how come there so many interested and enthusiastic audience members? Or was the audience simply ahead of  the critics and the industry?




     Ivor