Mahler 5/Chailly/Leipzig

[ChrisH]

I've got the entire blu-ray set of this Chailly-Leipzig Mahler cycle released so far. Though it's not complete yet, it may be hard for them to top this Mahler 5. Chailly gives a very different look than his previous recording with the RCO. Where that one was very romantic and lush, this is quite lean; never lacking for power though. The Gewandhous leave it all on the table here. It sounds more 20th century. The lines and counterpoint are clear and precise. All the dissonance is brought to light. The tempo is pretty quick, but very natural and flowing. It all really just comes alive for me. Nothing sounds forced, or meddled with, just how it should be.

Chailly really treats this as a 3 part symphony. There is no pause between the 1st and 2nd movement. These movements are dark and strong. Tension is high, the strings really butt up against their opposing wind and brass lines. He builds everything nicely then unleashes in the climax of the 2nd movement. He lets them go; I must really commend the woodwinds here, they are always present in the whirling chromatic lines.

The 3rd movement bright and open. It flows wonderfully from Landler to waltz with great pulse and swing. The playing is ironic at times, sardonic at others. Contra-bassoon is playing like a mad-man. Lead horn knocks it out of the park, he is seated with orchestra. Apparently he doesn't like to play standing. Chailly really gets the this great raucous feeling in the landler and then gives us something almost sensual in the waltz. It's an excellent Scherzo.

4th movement comes in at about 8:30. Wonderful string sound and excellent miking of the harp.

The finale really rips with very clean, precise yet still joyous playing. He takes us to the bright day very effectively. Everything speaks from little crescendos in the bass lines to amazing balances between the sections. The players seemed to really be enjoying themselves, some of them were even smiling!

There is also a 20 minute documentary where Chailly discuss' how he came to this interpretation. He studied a lot of Mengleberg and Walters scores for this work. He also talked about how he wanted this to not just be a rehash of his earlier cycle.

Audio and video quality is top notch. This sounds better than the other releases. Not by much though. I would highly recommend this blu-ray. This has moved in to my top picks for the symphony.

[barry guerrero]

Thank you for your thorough review. I think it's very interesting how Chailly and Leipzig are taking a more 'turn-of-the-century' route, while Thielemann seems to be solidly reestablishing the standard line of Austro/German works in Dresden. You almost wonder if they got together and discussed this strategy together. However, they do go head-to-head on Brahms: Decca vs. DG. I'll check this M5 out, but I'm hoping to hear Chailly do a total re-think with his M7.

[ChrisH]

It would be interesting to hear Theilemann conduct Mahler. He's not interested in it, though. He said something along those lines in an interview. His Ring is quite good though, at least the orchestral parts, the singing is not to hot.

When I was in Leipzig for the Mahlerfest a few years ago, the city was really pushing itself in a more modern direction while still holding onto their musical and theater tradition. They found themselves, after the wall fell, in a similar situation that Detroit finds itself in. In that, it seemed that Leipzig was really trying to give itself a fresh, new face. It's very similar to what Chailly has done with the orchestra. They have surely moved away from the Austro/German feel.

Chailly's 7th with the RCO is different, for sure. I think his go 'round this time will be quite good. I'm really interested in hearing his new1st and 3rd, too.

[barry guerrero]

 "I think his go 'round this time will be quite good (M7). I'm really interested in hearing his new 1st and 3rd, too"

Yeah, me too. I already have a very good M3 on dvd with Abbado/Lucerne Festival S.O., but can't have too many!

[James Meckley]

The Blu-ray of Chailly's Leipzig Mahler 9 was released September 30, 2014; currently available from Amazon.com.

James

[sperlsco]

Thanks for the great review.  I just ordered the M5, M6, and M9 blu-rays and will need to decide where to start.  The M2 and M8 from this cycle are absolute top tier favorites of mine.  I'm also a big fan of Chailly's RCOA cycle and agree that the aforementioned M7 is a weak point.