Welcome to New Members!

[john haueisen]

I'm sure everyone on the Board welcomes new members such as "realmadrid" who just registered today.

Bienvenidos a Juanpadron, realmadrid!  Esperamos que le gusta lo que lee en este foro de Gustav Mahler.

--John Haueisen

[Leo K]

Welcome and post often!


--Todd

[john haueisen]

Hey Todd,
I just noticed that you've changed the photo.
Does it look like Anton Bruckner has been ousted by, is that Alma Mahler?

[Leo K]

Hey Todd,
I just noticed that you've changed the photo.
Does it look like Anton Bruckner has been ousted by, is that Alma Mahler?

Yes indeed! 

--Todd

[Damfino]

For a supposedly great beauty, i have never found Alma to be all that attractive. Different eras, I suppose. However, here is the one pic of Alma where she looks pretty hot:

[john haueisen]

I certainly agree with both your comments, Damfino.
Recently, when I was showing pictures of Alma to my wife, she said, "You guys just like her because she had a big chest."
Incredibly, I had never noticed that.  I do think her eyes were lovely, but the more I read of the way she treated Gustav, the less attractive she seems to me.
--John H

[klingsor]

Hello

Just joined today

I have had a long-term Mahler addiction which went into 'remission' for a few years (I hardly listened). The Mahler symphonies were part of my mind, I could hear any of them in my head when I wanted and any most of the songs and cycles as well, plus Das Lied. Then, I heard a highly  recommended performance of M5 (Stenz) and my Mahler mania got a kick start.

I go back to the late 60s with Mahler. It started with a newspaper photo of Bernstein conducting M2. The look on his face intrigued me, what kind of music can this be? I bought the Walter NYP recording and was hooked. Later, the Walter and Klemperer recordings of M9 added to the frenzy, along with Solti and Bernstein's M5, then Horenstein's M1 (LSO) on that old Nonesuch issue (a world in itself, that recording). To this day M9 and M1 are my favorites of the symphonies. I have favorite movements from the rest.

I worked for many years in record stores and have heard and collected tons of Mahler recordings, but since the early 90s, I have not kept up. So this board will be interesting and instructive in many ways

Thanks.

[john haueisen]

Welcome Klingsor, and thanks for your comments!
Your thoughts about the Leonard Bernstein article are especially appropriate.  Many tend to see Bernstein as a self-promoting performer.  Whatever was in his head as he was conducting, only he knew for certain. 
But I can add that, watching recordings of his performances, like you, I asked myself, "This guy seems to absolutely LOVE this music!"
--John H

[klingsor]

Welcome Klingsor, and thanks for your comments!
Your thoughts about the Leonard Bernstein article are especially appropriate.  Many tend to see Bernstein as a self-promoting performer.  Whatever was in his head as he was conducting, only he knew for certain. 
But I can add that, watching recordings of his performances, like you, I asked myself, "This guy seems to absolutely LOVE this music!"
--John H

Thanks John. Right, Bernstein looks like he LOVES that music and it sends him someplace that really made me curious. I glad to this day that I followed up by hearing Mahler.

PS--I think Bernstein's first recording of M8 (Columbia) is masterful and compromised only by occasionally congested sound. And I finally came to appreciate his M6 from the same period, an amazing finale in that one.

[Leo K]

Welcome Klingsor!

By the way, last night I had a dream of finding the Bernstein DG cycle on SHN format at a price of under 200 bucks! I was trying to justify getting the set!  Each symphony came with a miniature master tape!

--Todd