M9

[Thomas]

Hi everyone,

This Sunday I'll be lucky enough to hear Bernard Haitink conduct M9 with the Concertgebouw orchestra. As part of my 'preparation' I'm listening to several recordings of Mahler's last completed work. I would love to hear what your (current) favourite recordings are.
Oh, and will any other Dutch Mahlerites attend any of the three concerts this week?

[Freddy van Maurik]

Hi Thomas,

I know of several of my friends that they will be attending one of the concerts. I'm sorry that I'm not able to attend, due to other appointments.
I hope you'll enjoy a great concert, though!

My favourite M9 recordings (for what it's worth, and in random order) are:
Karajan BPO 1979/80 (as opposed to the Live 1982)
Chailly KCO 2004
Giulini CSO 1976
Nott Bamberger Symphoniker 2008
Haitink CO 1969


Cheers!
Freddy

[Thomas]

That's a list I could have compiled myself.. Although I prefer Karajan's live recording to the studio version, and I'm not familiar with the Nott's M9 (nor with Zinman's, which I hear is quite good).

Chailly and Haitink with the RCO are both great, as is Giulini's stoic M9 with Chicago. I recently discoverd Solti's early M9 with the London Symphony. It's really great and quite wild, much better than his later recording of the piece with Chicago, which I find shallow, both as a recording and as an interpretation.
Bernstein's endless M9 with the RCO is an acquired taste, but I like it, and then of course there's Klemperer.

Anyway, my list would look something like this (in chronological order):

Klemperer / New Philharmonia (1967)
Solti / LSO (1968)
Giulini / CSO (1976)
Bernstein / RCO (1985)
Sinopoli / Staatskapelle Dresden (1997)
Chailly / RCO (2004)

[barryguerrero]

I haven't been involved in a, 'what are your favorites' type poll in a long time. I'll make a few comments based one what I see here.

I think the Klemperer live recording with the Vienna Phil. is superior to the Philharmonia studio one. It's been on various Italian 'pirates', but also got issued in a Klemperer box by Testament. I just today heard a rumor that a tape exists for Klemperer's last M9 performance, live, with the New Philharmonia.

I also have a preference for Karajan's studio recording over his live one, but not by much. Both are very good in my book.

I like the 'pirate' of Bernstein's BSO (Tangelwood) performance the best, which means I like it the best of any. The Israel Phil. one on Helicon comes in second for me, followed by his earlier N.Y. Phil. recording. The Concertgebouw one comes in last place for me. For the Concertgebouw, I like Chailly's best. The Bernstein estate should really make Lenny's BSO M9 official.

I do share enthusiasm for Sinopoli's Dresden M9. I wish there was more Mahler with the Staatskapelle in general. Perhaps the recent Thielemann/Dresden M3 will get issued in some format.

I do not, however, have strong feelings for the Giulini/CSO M9. The two outer movements have spectacular moments - very expressionistic. However, the two inner movements are too heavy and just misfire. The performance just doesn't 'hang' for me. There exists a pirate of Giulini doing M9 in Los Angeles, and I'm willing to bet that it's actually better (but maybe not).

Speaking of L.A., I think the Dudamel M9 is surprisingly good and mature sounding. It has received much customer praise at Amazon, with very few detractors. I like it for Dudamel's pacing, and for the gorgeous playing of the L.A. Phil. I'm hoping that DG hasn't abandoned plans to issue a Dudamel/LAPO M6.

My favorite single disc version of M9 is the new Daniel Harding/Swedish R.S.O on Harmonia Mundi. The pacing is superb.

For Haitink, I think his BRSO one is best (also a single disc).

I like Solti's earlier LSO M9 in the first three movements, but less so in the finale. It's definitely better than his CSO remake, which struck me as a Karajan clone.

We're lucky, because pretty much every conductor and orchestra seems to 'rise to the occasion' when it comes to Mahler 9.

Barry

[Thomas]

I haven't heard Harding's M9 on Harmonia Mundi yet, but I'm very curious. Good to hear that you like it. His M10 with the Vienna Philharmonic wasn't very well received at the time, but I liked it.

Harding has never really impressed me very much, based on his work with the Concertgebouw orchestra, but I've never heard him do a Mahler symphony with them in concert. I have heard him conduct M9 with the Staatskapelle Dresden in Amsterdam a few years ago. The Staatskapelle is a wonderful orchestra, but overall it wasn't exeptional. I remember that they slowly dimmed the lights in the hall during the final pages of the Adagio. It was a pretty cheap and sentimental effect, I thought, and it hasn't exactly endeared me to Harding.. Anyway, what matters is his conducting and I'll seek out his M9 with the Swedish R.S.O.

[John Kim]

My current favorite M9th is Jansons/BRSO. The playing is incredibly smooth and the orchestra sounds just downright perfect, so easy at the music. Jansons must have studied the score for a very long time before recording the work the second time (his first being with Oslo Phi. ). Everything flows and fits into its place so naturally and effortlessly under his conducting. The sound is wonderful too.

The other favorite M9ths are in chronological order:

Bernstein/NYPO
Solti/LSO
Haitink/RCO
Karajan/BPO (live)
Levine/PO
Bernstein/BSO (Tanglewood)
Ozawa/BSO/NHK (his last concert in Boston)
Ozawa/SKO

I like the Klemperer too but wish the playing were better. I do have the Klemperer/VPO recording that Barry mentioned. The playing is better than PO but sonics are wanting.

Yoel Levi just recorded the work with KBS Symphony Orchestra and it will be released in the fall.

[barryguerrero]

I think Harding has probably had the most opportunity to 'grow' and hone his craft in Stockholm. There's a fabulous "Church Windows" (Respighi) with them on Youtube that I wish Harmonia Mundi would pick up and issue on disc.

I also like his Vienna Phil. M10, but I enjoy the Dausgaard even more.

[John Kim]

I need to revisit the Harding M9th. On my first hearing I thought the orchestra was weak and rushed in the climaxes of I. but I liked the Adagio. Usually, the climatic passages are where less than good orchestras reveal their limits.