MTT/SFSO and Songs for Orchestra

[Leo K]

I heard this a few times today (the iTunes download), and can happily express my joy and satisfaction over this recording.  Especially The Ruckert Lieder.  Bravo to Susan Graham.  Her voice is rich and expressive, with refinement and nuance.  Kudos to MTT and the SFSO for letting the music sound so transparent and un-intrusive. For those with reservations for MTT's Mahler, I'm sure the Ruckert Lieder will please very much.

I was also blown away by Thomas Hampson, but his mature voice is a mixed bag for some people.  I happen to like his mature voice on this recording, as well as his other release with MTT, Das Lied von der Erde. He is in good form here.

I just wish the whole of Das Knaben Wunderhorn was recorded!  As it is, the selections here are very fine, and a joy to listen to over and over again.

--Todd

[Leo K]

I really can't get over how wonderful this recording is...the sonics are so realistic.

[barry guerrero]

I have to disagree. I think this CD is a miss on a number of points, not least of which is conceptually. I don't like this trend of recording only the male oriented, soldiering songs from "DKW". It gives a very distorted picture of "DKW" in general. Also, I think that MTT way "undercooks" the orchestration to the roughest songs, such as "Revelge" and "der Tambourgesell". This is especially true given the almost super-human effort that Hampson turns in this time.  In "Revelge", it's almost like MTT is saying with a really limp wrist, "come on guys, let's march".  I like Graham in most of the Ruckert Lieder, but she sings way too loudly through most of "Um Mitternacht". As a result, the climax at the end totally misfires. It's a tricky climax to pull off, and this is one of the poorer attempts, in my book. Todd, I would strongly urge you to try the either the new Markus Stenz "DKW", which is excellent albeit expensive, or get the new Boulez/DG recording that has a very decent "DKW", coupled with a knock-out M10 Adagio ("Urlicht" and "das Himmlische Leben" are left off). For just the Ruckert Lieder, try the excellent Anne Sophie von Otter/J.E. Gardiner one on DG. That's not to mention Janet Baker or Christa Ludwig, of course.

[Leo K]

I have to disagree. I think this CD is a miss on a number of points, not least of which is conceptually. I don't like this trend of recording only the male oriented, soldiering songs from "DKW". It gives a very distorted picture of "DKW" in general. Also, I think that MTT way "undercooks" the orchestration to the roughest songs, such as "Revelge" and "der Tambourgesell". This is especially true given the almost super-human effort that Hampson turns in this time.  In "Revelge", it's almost like MTT is saying with a really limp wrist, "come on guys, let's march".  I like Graham in most of the Ruckert Lieder, but she sings way too loudly through most of "Um Mitternacht". As a result, the climax at the end totally misfires. It's a tricky climax to pull off, and this is one of the poorer attempts, in my book. Todd, I would strongly urge you to try the either the new Markus Stenz "DKW", which is excellent albeit expensive, or get the new Boulez/DG recording that has a very decent "DKW", coupled with a knock-out M10 Adagio ("Urlicht" and "das Himmlische Leben" are left off). For just the Ruckert Lieder, try the excellent Anne Sophie von Otter/J.E. Gardiner one on DG. That's not to mention Janet Baker or Christa Ludwig, of course.

Thanks for your thoughts Barry. I will definitely have to get those recordings you suggested, as I have not heard many recordings of Mahler's orchestral songs, except for the occasional coupling, such as the Ozawa/Norman/Kindertotenlieder on Ozawa's Boston M7. I've also heard the Bernstein DKW on DG, which is pretty good. Other than that, I've barely stepped into the great Ruckert Lieder cycle.

By the way, what is your favorite Kindendtotenlieder?

--Todd

[barry guerrero]

"By the way, what is your favorite Kindendtotenlieder?"

Many of the good ones are, of course, out of print. I like the Christa Ludwig/Karajan one very much. Janet Baker/Bernstein is, IMHO, better than Baker/Barbirolli. Bryn Terfel recorded a very good one with Sinopoli (who's often times better with the song cycles anyway). If you buy the Philips "twofer" that has the Baker/King/Haitink "dLvdE", you'll get an excellent Haitink conducted "KTL" with Hermann Prey. The only problem is, is that the "KTL" are broken up across the two discs! I re-burned them on to one disc. Another very good one was the Waltraud Meier/Barenboim/Orchestre de Paris one on Erato. That would be a good one to find used (I think it comes with the Wesendonck Lieder).  Another one that's difficult to find now is the Fischer-Dieskau/Karl Bohm one on DG.

It's important in "KTL" that the last song, "Im diesem Wetter", be done rather swiftly, and there be a real sense of climax before the slow and soft section that concludes the work. Quite frankly, the version of "Im diesem Wetter" that's on the Ken Russell "Mahler" movie is outstanding, only it's sung in English! But you get a real sense of how that song really should go.

[Leo K]

Thanks for the heads up on those KTL recordings, I think I may have the Ludwig/Karajan one in my collection somewhere...I'll have to check on that when I get back home.

This morning I found the Stenz "DKW" on iTunes, so I downloaded it, and it is an amazing recording!  The best account of this lieder I've yet heard...and great sonics too!

--Todd

[Leo K]

I'll say it again: this Stenz DKW is profound and amazing! 

[barry guerrero]

"I'll say it again: this Stenz DKW is profound and amazing! "

I think it's the best one since Ludwig/Walter Berry/Bernstein for CBS (Sony). I like it better than the rightfully famous Szell one.