Dohnányi M9

[Thomass]

I was wondering what people’s opinions are on the 1997 Decca M9 from the Cleveland Orchestra with Christoph von Dohnányi. I know some critics like it for the playing of the orchestra and Dohnányi’s objectivity, whereas others feel that this objectivity (or dispassionateness) is a liability. The entire Decca/Cleveland/Dohnányi collaboration (an aborted Ring, some Bruckners) seems to have disappeared from the radar, but I generally like these recordings. I’m not familiar with the M9 though.

[shawn]

Hello Thomass,

I've only heard some of Dohnányi's recordings, mainly his Mahler (which won't surprise you  )

To be frank, Mahler is not ideally suited to Dohnányi. There is transparency and objectivity, proficiently played, on the whole decently recorded, but it doesn't feel quite like Mahler. These recordings, including the Ninth, do not carry enough passion, and lack fantasy. It sounds, at least to me, very calculated.

To be fair, Szell was better in Mahler, but not by much. Szell and Bernstein were contemporaries, but their respective interpretations were miles apart. Just a comparison.

[barryguerrero]

I like the Dohnanyi M9, but it is very much spoken from the third person perspective. If it weren't for the metallic 'ping' hammer-strokes, I feel that Dohnanyi's M6 is among the best out there - much better than the Szell, IMHO. The playing of Cleveland is just amazing on it. The M4 is OK, but Dawn Upshaw interprets too much and makes it sound too cutesy - exaggerating the 'folky' element (and Mahler did write, "without parody"). The M5 was just OK; a bit of a non-starter. There are similarities between Dohnanyi's and Boulez's Mahler. I like Dohnanyi better in the 9th. The Boulez M6 is among my favorites.

I wish Maazel had done his Mahler cycle earlier in his career and in Cleveland instead of Vienna, preferably on Decca (London).

[barryguerrero]

I think a really good M9 with great American playing and conducted in the 'objective', third person type style, is the Dudamel/L.A.P.O. one, believe it or not. The DG sound isn't as good as Decca's Cleveland sound was, but the L.A. string playing is competitive with Cleveland's. I think it's a real sleeper.

[shawn]

You're right about the Webern!

I also really like Dohnanyi's Cleveland recording of Lutoslawski's Concerto for Orchestra  Great visceral impact. Indeed, I have come to enjoy Luto's CFO more than Bartók's.

[sbugala]

When the recording first came out, I acquired it right away and disliked it. It seemed like it was a sound issue: too clinical, not enough impact. I traded it in. I gave it a chance a few years later. Similar feelings.

Then...last year, I happened to pick it up again...and I liked it. I didn't find it lacking in any way. The sound was fine in my car audio system. It's good. It might have been a poor match with the home audio system that I had; but it's just fine to me now.

[John Kim]

I quite like it. For one thing, no other orchestra played the symphony better. I also heard a live Dohnanyi/CLVO M9th which was faster and more intense than the one on CD.