Norrington/SRSO/Hanssler Mahler Ninth due March 10th

[John Kim]

http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/product/detail/3779847

So, should we expect him to conduct the Adagio like a a slow movt. from Vivaldi's Four Seasons?

Just kidding  .

Actually I heard a radio broadcasting of Norrington conducting M9th.

It was pretty good.

John,

[barry guerrero]

I'll bet anything that one could do far worst. I'd rather listen to this that yet another super bloated, super slow performance. Hopefully, the very fine Eji Oue recording of M9 will put the whole "slower-is-better" school to bed now.

[Zoltan]

http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/product/detail/3779847

So, should we expect him to conduct the Adagio like a a slow movt. from Vivaldi's Four Seasons?

Just kidding  .

Actually I heard a radio broadcasting of Norrington conducting M9th.

It was pretty good.

John,

You probably have it from me! Since the file is still online, here it is for those who want to dip in: http://rapidshare.com/files/143054959/M9-Norrington.mp3

I must tell you that I only listened to the first minute of the Finale and it just blew me ... the wrong way. Haven't tried to listen to it yet ... It wasn't in a subscription concert (otherwise I would have been there) and there was only performance of it, so I'm curious if it's going to be a "totally live" recording without any patches.

[John Kim]

The st movt. was pretty good too. Fast, but never skipping on details, with a good forward momentum.

John,

[oscar]

And what is the opinion of this forum about his other Mahler recordings ?? (1, 2 , 4 and 5) 

regards,

[barry guerrero]

The "Resurrection" simply didn't have enough weight, power, or focus in the finale. But frankly, I rather liked his M1, M4, M5; just for something sort of different. I liked his point of taking the scherzo to M4 in cut-time (half-note gets the beat). I don't think they're so terrible at all.

Barry

[Zoltan]

And what is the opinion of this forum about his other Mahler recordings ?? (1, 2 , 4 and 5) 

I was in the concert hall for 2, 4 and 5 and since these performances were the first live experience in these symphonies, I found them on the whole quite overwhelming. Then again, I haven't heard so many performances as others here, so I cannot compare them (especially not now from memory).

I will always remember the first chair cellists in the opening of M5/II. They were great to watch!

(the (almost) vibratoless M5/IV made me cringe though).

[Leo K]

Barry's comments on the M2 is correct, yet I still enjoyed this M2 a lot.  I liked how the non-vibrato strings sounded.

I still have yet to hear the others Norrington did.  I'm surprised I haven't heard these yet as I'm a fan of Norrington's work, like his Beethoven cycle and Mozart Requiem recordings.

--Todd

[Leo K]

I liked his point of taking the scherzo to M4 in cut-time (half-note gets the beat). I don't think they're so terrible at all.

Barry

This sounds interesting!  I think I'll get this one first (after recovering from buying the new Monkee's Birds, Bees & Monkees deluxe set from Rhino) 


--Todd

[Michael]

I just listened to some of the Finale of that 2008 version on Rapidshare...and, well...I don't know what to think.  Norrington takes the whole thing (so far, anyway) way too fast for my tastes, and honestly I think taking this too fast robs the Finale of some of its emotional power.  I don't know if the reason he took it quickly because he was not having the strings use vibrato and thus did not want them holding out notes too long, but honestly...the fast opening and climax really rubbed me the wrong way.  Was his reasoning for using almost no vibrato purely that Mahler would not have heard it?  Because I would question that, as Bruno Walter's 1938 recording has plenty of Vibrato from the strings, and Walter learned the score from Mahler.

I think I'll let someone else try the new recording issued on Wednesday before I try to get my hands on a copy.  I just do not think his tempo is anything like the "Slow, even holding back" (I don't feel like looking up the German equivalent at the moment) that Mahler calls for.

[barry guerrero]

Thank you for pointing that the 1938 Walter M9 recording DOES have vibrato. It's harder to detect vibrato from the strings on historical, mono recordings. But if people would just listen for it, it's there!

I also agree with your point that the Ninth shouldn't go too fast. I've never liked the fast tempi on the '38 Walter, regardless of the fact that it was the world premiere recording of the work. I wonder if Walter really conducted it THAT swiftly in 1912?

[Michael]

I have no idea.  Tony Duggan suggested that perhaps the reason Walter sped things up a bit was because he could sense that the audience was getting restless.  Heck, for that matter, the entire city of Vienna was getting restless.  ;-)

I guess my biggest problem with Norrington's M9 from 2008 is his incredibly fast tempo for the Finale.  The vibrato...well, I'd have to hear the Finale at a normal tempo to determine how that sounds.