Kubelik / 100

[Roland Flessner]

Tomorrow marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Rafael Kubelik. Celebrate by playing your favorite Kubelik recordings, whether Mahler or someone else.

I just listened to "Šárka" from "Má vlast," with the VPO from the late Fifties. It's a fire-breathing performance. I have many other Kubelik recordings to tempt me this weekend.

[ChrisH]

I really enjoy Kubelik. Excellent Schumann and Beethoven recordings. My favorite thing he recorded is Die Meistersinger.

[Roland Flessner]

His conducting just radiated joy. I've described him before as the conductor least likely to be accused of phoning it in.

These days I listen a lot to Dvořák S7. Contrast any performance by Kubelik with Nikolaus Harnoncourt. He always seems to be wearing a scowl, and his CD of the Dvořák sounds like he wanted to be somewhere else during the sessions.

[barry guerrero]

Kubelik is great. But I also have Harnoncourt's Dvorak, and I like it in a completely different way. Harnoncourt can't help the way he looks - he always takes things a bit too seriously. I'm happy to have both conductors in Dvorak.

[Roland Flessner]

Here's a lovely quote from Kubelik:

“It has taken us all the wars and suffering to understand Mahler . . . Nobody else has dared to put so many human problems into their music,
or tried to work out those problems in terms of music . . . I know of no composer, except Beethoven, who expressed such a love of mankind.”

[akiralx]

I love his Orchestre de Paris Beethoven Pastoral from his multi-orchestra cycle.

Also the wonderful Dvorak 6 with the BPO on DG (rather better than the Orfeo one with his own BavRSO).

[David Boxwell]

Still just about everyone's favorite Mahler 1 conductor!

[barry guerrero]

I think both his 'live' and studio M5 are very solid too.

[Roland Flessner]

Barry, I did not mean to insult Maestro Harnoncourt for his looks, but I do wonder if that scowl and his sometimes dour performances are related. After all, Lincoln said, "After 40, every man gets the face he deserves."

Akiralx, I agree enthusiastically on the Dvořák S6. I love those slamming tympani in the Scherzo!

Another conductor with a centenary this year is Witold Rowicki, in February. I don't know if he conducted Mahler, but his Dvořák symphonies with the LSO are very strong performances.

[barry guerrero]

Oh, please, Harnoncourt could probably use some insulting. I'm just pointing out that his Dvorak is good in a completely different manner. It helps to have the Concertgebouw and Teldec too.

And yes, the Rowicki cycle is really good, and has been completely overshadowed by the better known Kertesz cycle.

[wagnerlover]

My favorite M1 is still the Kubelik. 
I also love all three of his M7 recordings.
and his M8 (live) and DLVDE are way up there too.

I so wish there were a Kubelik RING

[barry guerrero]

"I so wish there were a Kubelik RING"

Interesting thought. I think his M8 - live or studio - has, hands down, the best solo singing on it of any Mahler 8. I just wished the big moments in both parts bloomed out a bit more.

[David Boxwell]

Handsome 23-CD box (Schumann, Beethoven, Dvorak, and Mahler) from just released from DG to celebrate the centenary.  Can't ascertain if anything's been remastered. . .