Haitink Mahler 9, June 8, 2018

[Prospero]

I attended my first concert at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam on June 8 with Haitink and the Concertgebouw Orchestra in the Mahler 9th. It is humbling to hear such a work and this conductor and orchestra in such a hall. A little more generous, subtle, and warm acoustic than the Musikverein in my distant memory. I did hear Kubelik in the 9th there with BRSO in 1976.

This was a performance of great modern struggle and beauty, from thunder to whispers. Even deeper in my experience than a great Tennstedt 6 in London in 1983.

As you may know, Haitink fell leaving the platform behind the cellos. The thoughts and feelings of the fading away of the end seemed to portend final matters.

There is said to be a trap door there for bringing the larger instruments to the platform. Apparently Haitink is reasonably well, but could not conduct the third performance on the 10th. I believe the performance on the 8th was recorded by Dutch radio.

We do mainly rely on recordings. But to hear a great orchestra in such a hall with a deeply experienced and committed conductor live in such a work with overwhelming immediacy and range goes far beyond any recording.

[Thomas]

I'm jealous, you heard Kubelik in '76 Tennstedt in '83, and I had a ticket for Haitink on the 10th..

[Nataliez]

I got this information first and I want to know where to find it.

[Prospero]

Your message is unclear. My post above is a first person report of the concert on June 8 that I attended. I was traveling and had no access to the supposed broadcast, though I have contacts in Amsterdam, who might know about the broadcast.

I am now at the Marlboro Music Festival in southern Vermont and just talked after a concert with Mitsuko Uchida about Brahms chamber music.

Tom in Vermont

[John Kim]

Is there an archive of the Haitink/RCO M9th that we can listen?

[Freddy van Maurik]

Sadly, no.
The concert on sunday the 10th of June was scheduled for recording and broadcast on Dutch radio. It was in fact recorded and broadcast, but as you know, it wasn't conducted by Haitink, but byh his assistent (sorry, I don't recall his name). I've heard he did fairly well, given the circumstances, but not nearly as fine as Haitink.

By the end of this month, however, Haitink will conduct M9 again in the same hall with the same orchestra. This is a substitute concert for M7 with Gatti, which was cancelled of course after the orchestra gave Gatti his marching orders.
I hope this concert will be picked up by Dutch radio. Will let you know if I have news on this!

Cheers,
Freddy

[Prospero]

Alas, I recently checked Dutch radio for a recording of the Haitink Mahler 9 that I heard in June. Unfortunately, they recorded the Sunday performance with the young substitute conductor. So what I heard of Haitink live was what remains.

I believe Haitink will be conducting the 9th in Lucerne and Amsterdam with the Concertgebouw in the near future, so there might be new material from one of those events coming up.

So I confirm Freddy's comment with regret. Maybe the next performance will be preserved. His comment on the substitute for the originally scheduled Gatti 7th is new information for me.

Best,

Tom in Vermont

[GL]

I attended the performances of the 8th and the 10th. The orchestra was prepared by Haitink and his assistant Kerem Hasan and played in the same way for both conductors (in fact, I expected a more fast Rondo-Burleske from the 63 years younger conductor, but he dragged it as his 89 years senior colleague).

I appreciated a lot Haitink's not slow and at the same time not hurried tempos in the first and last movements. The music flowed and breathed naturally, wonderfully. The work of the strings in the finale was magnificent. I was mesmerized. Some young conductors think that "spiritual" means "slow" and "more slow"; the old, wise Haitink knows better.

I think his better Ninth is the one captured live at the Christmas matinee.

[Prospero]

I was at both.

I must disagree on the performance on the 10th. The first movement on the 10th with Hasem was awkward and disjointed in my view with a number of orchestral fluffs. Partly the orchestra's not really knowing him, partly the great demands of the movement. The rest was fairly good. But again no comparison, in my opinion, of the last movement with Haitink's on the 8th.  Hasem's Landler 2nd movement on the 10th seemed best to me. Commendable stepping in at virtually the last moment. Being in on the rehearsals is not the same as years of performance and life experience. The ninth is among the deepest and most personal of orchestral works.

The trust of the orchestra in Haitink has been stated in a number of player interviews. I met orchestra members after the concert on the 8th and Hainiks's fall, who were crying with concern for him.

[Freddy van Maurik]

Well, as it appears the concert on June 8th was recorded after all. And it will be broadcast on Dutch Radio 4 on November 18th!

See: https://www.nporadio4.nl/zondagmiddagconcert/uitzendingen/591867:2018-11-18-het-zondagmiddagconcert

[barryguerrero]

Much ado about nothing. The Concertgebouw remains rudderless. They had a conductor who brought genuine fire, vision and direction to the table, but he was dismissed. I know nothing about the 'me-too' incidents concerning him, nor do I want to. I will buy NOTHING with the Concertgebouw until they get back on track with someone is at least as good as Gatti. For some reason, Jansons is a complete snooze in Amsterdam. We've already seen plenty of Haitink, but I do appreciate the experience and wisdom he brings to the table. However, it is time to move on, and not with the current slow trudge towards mediocrity.

[John Kim]

Freddy,

Thanks for the info. I have a feeling that RCO will eventually release Haitink's M9th on SACD. This symphony is the only one among Mahler Symphonies that RCO label doesn't have in their CD catalog. And it doesn't look like Jansons will finish his RCO Mahler cycle with M9th.

John

[Prospero]

Thank you, Freddy, for the update on the  broadcast of the Haitink M9 of June 8. It was quite special for me being in attendance for y first concert in the Concertgebouw. The combination of the interpretation, the playing of the RCO, and the acoustic  of the hall was unique in my experience. It must have been of note in Amsterdam perhaps for both the performance and  then the shock of Haitnk's fall after the concert.

[barryguerrero]

"It doesn't look like Jansons will finish his RCO Mahler cycle with M9th"

Good. No great loss there. Maybe RCO Live should just go away, since they've now screwed everything up. We'll never get an official release of the excellent Gatti/RCOA Mahler 3.