revisiting Jarvi M8 on BIS

[barry guerrero]

Hi there,

After having gotten rid of it several years ago, I picked up a used copy of Jarvi's Mahler 8th on BIS for less than $6. I have no idea why I discarded this one to begin with (?). Upon rehearing it, it's truly a very exciting (albeit fast) performance that's very well recorded. Some of the vocal solos aren't the best, but isn't that nearly always the case? At least it has a strong childrens chorus, and a very audible electronic organ with plenty of bass. The whole performance barely takes more than 70 minutes. Yet, the ending of Part 2 doesn't sound too fast at all - certainly not in proportion to the rest of the performance. I'm really glad to have re-added this one to my collection. FYI.

Barry

[david johnson]

i never think of jarvi/mahler.  i'll have to consider this some.

dj

[barry guerrero]

The 8th was a live performance - given in front of the queen of Sweden (whoop-dee-doo) - as a memorial fundraiser for the sinking of some ferry boat with lots of passangers. It truly must have been an exciting event.

Jarvi did several Mahler symphonies with the Royal Scottish. I still have his M1 with them, which I feel is really very good. He did a very decent M3 with them as well. He also made a super, super fast M6 with the Royal Scottish as well. Many people hated it, but I thought it was exciting as all get-up, and an obvious rebuttal to all those M6 recordings that just kept getting slower and slower (Chailly, Segerstam, Tennstedt II, Bernstein II, etc.). I wasn't so bothered by it. As I said, I drive slow but listen fast.

[sperlsco]

After having gotten rid of it several years ago...

, Barry

What does this mean?  You got rid of a Mahler recording?  I recently ran out of room in my CD case and had to make my son and daughter share a bedroom so that I could make more room for CD storage. 

Get rid of a Mahler CD -- utter sacrilege.   

(Sorry, I know I've made a a similar joke before.  But I am laid up in bed after some minor gum surgery.)

Okay, now for some thread content -- this recording is also included as part of a Brilliant box set (the one that contains the Horenstein M3 among others).