Mahler 7 for Chamber Orchestra!

[James Meckley]

Here's something I don't believe has been mentioned here:

Mahler Symphony No. 7
Arranged for Chamber Orchestra by Klaus Simon
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Linn Records, Glasgow ©2020

Mr. Simon hopes his arrangement will "enable a new and slimmer, even clearer, listening experience." This arrangement, along with his arrangements of six other Mahler symphonies, has been published by Universal Edition, Wien.

[ChrisH]

I just took a quick listen to the samples on the Linn website...

I feel so very sorry for the gentleman who had to play the lead trumpet in the Rondo-Finale. The first trumpet lick is exposed and difficult after playing on your face for the entire performance. I mean, it goes to concert C again, and again. So this guy strips down the orchestra to piano, timpani and horn which gives the trumpet player no cushion underneath him to actually play this lick. Frightening!

[barryguerrero]

.    .    .   which really begs the question, what the hell is the point! Not only is M7 one of Mahler's best traversals from darkness to light, it's clearly his 'concerto for orchestra'. In no other symphony is the orchestration such an integral part of what is being expressed in the music (first movement of M3, yes). It's not just a question of big vs. small.