Vanska/M.O. M8 streaming broadcast now available - link posted.

[barryguerrero]

They'll leave it on here for a few weeks, I believe.

https://www.yourclassical.org/story/2021/09/24/minnesota-orchestra-2021-22-season

[barryguerrero]

I don't know if any of you caught it tonight - it should be up for a while. Anyway, I thought it was very, very good. Carolyn Sampson covered two soprano parts, as one of the sopranos was indisposed. Predictably, the ending of the "Chorus Mysticus" had to be compressed a wee bit. But I think it's going to make a really good recording. Apparently Minnesota Public Radio is going to have a video of it as well. Check it out if you have a chance.

[erikwilson7]

I've only had a chance to sample bits from this, but Barry I do agree that this sounds quite good. I'll listen more another time, and I'm definitely looking forward to the future M9 and M8 releases. Now, only the Third!

I've realized that this cycle has been most strange. It's polarized on every corner of Mahler discussion, but I think most can agree that it's gotten better as it has gone along.

I revisited the M5 last week and to my surprise I enjoyed it more than I ever had before. I'm not implying it's a "Great Fifth" or anything, but I do think that when this cycle is done the sum will be much greater than its parts. Very similar to Boulez, in my opinion.

[John Kim]

I felt the beginning of Part I lacking somewhat the grandeur. Also, the ending (the pure orchestral part) of Part II was a bit too fast for my taste. The choir sounded rather too small to my ears.

This was my first impression but of course I will wait until the official BIS recording comes out.

John

[erikwilson7]

John, these are good observations you're making and certainly they are to be considered, but I don't think choir size and grandeur should be compared to what the recording might sound like. Only since this is just a radio broadcast, and surely many things will be doctored up in the commercial recording. In other words, BIS will have the ability to make it sound however they want in the studio as opposed to this one-off compressed live radio broadcast.

I do think you make a great point about paying attention to tempos, and the quality of the soloists.

[barryguerrero]

I thought it sounded quite good. I also prefer that the end of Part II had been a bit slower as well, but Vanska is hardly alone on this point. I'm sorry to say that Dudamel's recent L.A. weird, spatial recording thingee of Mahler 8 is a genuine run-through, from start to finish (I like his Part I, but hate Dudamel's Part II [terrible singers!]). I'll gladly collect Vanska's M8 when it finally comes out.

Dudamel made far better recordings of M8 from his earlier efforts: Caracas, Venezuela and Salzburg.

[John Kim]

If you are looking for a 'naturally flowing' M8th, look no further than Jansons/BRSO which is included in Jansons the Edition set. It's surely one of the best Mahler he did and it's better than his RCO recording.

John

[barryguerrero]

If and when BR Klassik issues that Jansons M8 separately, I'll collect it. I'm not getting that big box with tons of middle of the road, safe, vanilla performances of standard orchestral repertoire, just to get at that M8.

[erikwilson7]

As an aside I would love for the current BRSO and BPO percussionists to re-learn how to hit a tam-tam so we could hear it.

[barryguerrero]

That's a valid point. There are tricks to making a Wuhan project better. It's better to keep the gong hung closer to the floor. Many orchestras hang them a bit high, so everyone can see it. The same thing is true in regards to how you face the gong (Wuhan). While it's more difficult to see, a Wuhan will sound better if you have the flange end facing towards the audience, and the not the front of the gong. The Vienna Phil. seems to understand this point. Also, many players use mallets that are simply too small for effective fortissimo smashes. To my ears, the Concertgebouw seems to have that problem. It comes out sounding more like a hard bass drum 'thud'. Percussions spend hundreds of hours perfecting four-mallet playing on their various keyboard instruments (two mallets in each hand), yet spend little time listening to, and tweaking, their craft when it comes to 'utility' stuff like gongs and such.