for John Kim and others: Jansons/BRSO M3 vs. Haitink/BRSO M3 (?)

[barryguerrero]

I haven't listened through entire BRSO issue of Jansons M3 yet. Clearly the sound quality is better on the Haitink. The Jansons is recorded more closely. I think the percussion are a bit better on the Haitink, but Jansons' N. Stutzman is clearly the better singer - a true contralto. Both of them are really good with the last 7 minutes of the Adagio. Your thoughts, please. Pros and cons.

Erik, I would be interested in your thoughts on the Adam Fischer M3 vs. Jansons/BRSO M3 (I think you know them both pretty well). I think you've commented that you wish Adam Fischer had the BRSO at his disposal.

[John Kim]

Barry,

Jansons/BRSO M3rd: I really like the recording for both performance & sound. I don't have any issues with the sonics (Im listening to the latest remastering). Like you said, Stuzmann in IV is outstanding and unbeatable. However, I have two quibbles. First, in the coda of III. I can hardly hear tam tam. Second, V. is weak. I mean, where is the menace in the middle section of the movt.? Jansons doesn't seem to understand the meaning of What Angels Tell me in this sense, but most other conductors don either. However, the last 7 min of Finale is beyond reproach: I really like the way Jansons draws the last bar of the movt long enough to have the full impact.

Haitink/BRSO M3rd: I think the opening movt is simply too long and dragging not just tempo wise but also in its contents. The rest of the performance is very fine though.

John

[barryguerrero]

Those are pretty much my observations as well. I also like how Jansons holds out the final note, but not as long as Abbado does on his earlier Vienna Phil. recording of M3 (which is really too long, I think). Thanks.

[waderice]

I haven't heard Nathalie Stutzman sing in any Mahler performances, though I think she probably ought to be good.  I've seen/heard her in her alternate role - as conductor.  I've seen her conduct the Philadelphia Orchestra on two or three occasions, though I cannot remember what it was I saw her conduct (until the end of this season, she is the associate conductor).  My wife wants to see more female conductors and I certainly would like to see more of them to get a better idea of how women do on the podium (and it doesn't have to be Mahler).  Stutzman became the first woman to conduct at Bayreuth this past summer (in a production of Tannhäuser).  She currently is the music director of the Atlanta Symphony.

Wade

[erikwilson7]

I really do prefer A. Fischer's M3 conducting to Jansons'. And to clarify what I meant before, I think that if Fischer were conducting the BRSO instead of Dusseldorf we'd have a truly great M3. His approach seems to me like something that would fit well with the BRSO, almost in a Kubelik-ian sense. That sort of applies to most of the A. Fischer cycle.

I do think Sutzmann outshines Anna Larsson here - but only slightly. I generally adore Anna Larsson's voice.

That being said, Jansons does a fine job with it overall. I just think that the A. Fischer one is worth comparing, probably due to them being contemporaneous.

If I could only choose one, I think I'd be happy with either.

[erikwilson7]

I forgot to respond to the main topic in question. But I think Barry's thoughts capture my own pretty well too. The sound is probably better on the Haitink, especially the percussion. That's not to say Jansons' is lacking there though - it's passable.

Overall I think I prefer Jansons here though. Haitink is very steadfast in the first movement; he takes about 36 minutes for it. That brings it down a notch as that's the most important movement for me and it tends to drag a bit.

Haitink is good as expected in the finale. I even still prefer Jansons here though. Like Barry said, he really holds that last note (not too much!) and it's effective. I think it's paced a bit better too under Jansons.

Even after all of this, Haitink's very first recording of M3 is the real winner still.