"Resurrection" symphony for Easter?

[barry guerrero]

Just curious if anybody is actually going to put on the "Resurrection" symphony tomorrow. I've been listening to Zinman's Mahler 3, which I really like.

Barry

[Russ Smiley]

I got a jump start and listened last night to a Honeck/Pittsburgh SO broadcast recording of M2.  (It is fantastic and very characterful like their M1 on Exton.  I sincerely hope they make a commercial recording of it.)  Tonight I'll listen to Ozawa's SKO version.

[James Meckley]

Russ,

Agreed on the Honeck M2—high drama and a completely fresh approach (even though the radio broadcast was marred by some really obnoxious dynamic compression; it seemed to have a dynamic range of about six dB!). Based on this and his commercial release of M1, I'd love to hear a complete Mahler cycle from Pittsburgh.

James

[john haueisen]

Barry, the suggestion of M2 for Easter is simply ideally appropriate.
Many contemporary critics of Mahler complained about his sentimentality.  But I believe they were confusing sentimentality with the courage to go ahead and address topics where many fear to tread.

In the March, 2010 issue (Mahler sesquicentennial) of Grammophone, Mariss Jansons has an essay on M2, where he defends Mahler's courage about putting "for himself and for listeners the big questions.  What is life?   Why are we living?  What will be next?  Is there an afterlife?"   

For many of us here at the Mahlerboard, this is exactly why we are attracted to Mahler.  Yes, the music is beautiful, but there are beautiful ideas to contemplate also.
I applaud your willingness to bring up the Resurrection Symphony at Easter, just as Mahler would not flinch even amid charges that he was being naive, simplistic, or sentimental.  It is the courage to confront and think about our mortality, God, and afterlife that sets apart many Mahlerians from the rest of the musical world.

Happy Easter to all,

--John Haueisen

[waderice]

Barry has stated in his past posts that he would have liked to have heard more Mahler by Antal Dorati.

In spring of 1973, when music director of the Washington, DC National Symphony Orchestra, Dorati presented Kryzstof Penderecki's St. Luke Passion during Passion Week, and the following week after Easter, he presented the Mahler Resurrection, in which I was a member of the chorus.  At the end of all three performances of M2, we had a 10-minute standing ovation.  Quite a memorable Easter that was for me, indeed!  The weather, both inside the Kennedy Center Concert Hall and outside, was spectacular, as I remember.

Wade

[Michael]

Ten minutes?  Wow--congrats!

A happy Easter to everyone, although it is a little late.  LOL.

I am not really that into M2 yet (I've just listened all the way through to M5 last night, more on that in another topic) but on Good Friday I listened to the Finale from Zander's Boston Philharmonic Mahler 6--three of the best hammer blows available really seemed like the thing to listen to that night.

But then again, one could make the argument that I think an M6 with great hammer blows is a good listen any day!  ;-)

[akiralx]

I listened to the LPO/Tennstedt live Resurrection that has been released recently - v good.

[Russell]

Listened to the Chailly/Concertgebouw M2 last night.  (Just picked it at random--I always play the 'Resurrection' at Easter!)  Hadn't heard it in a while, but I thought it was a mostly uninspired performance.  The entire final movement pretty much fell flat, and so it didn't quite pack the wallop I was hoping for....

Russell

[Damfino]

That would have been a great occasion for M2. However, the wife and I had a lot of people over for Easter, including kids who would have found M2 heavy going.

[Leo K]

Listened to the Chailly/Concertgebouw M2 last night.  (Just picked it at random--I always play the 'Resurrection' at Easter!)  Hadn't heard it in a while, but I thought it was a mostly uninspired performance.  The entire final movement pretty much fell flat, and so it didn't quite pack the wallop I was hoping for....

Russell

The Chailly M2 is one of the greatest M2 recordings I've ever heard.  For me it's very "Horenstein" like.  If only this was on SACD as sounded as good as his M9...if only!

--Todd

[Russ Smiley]

Listened to the Chailly/Concertgebouw M2 last night.  (Just picked it at random--I always play the 'Resurrection' at Easter!)  Hadn't heard it in a while, but I thought it was a mostly uninspired performance.  The entire final movement pretty much fell flat, and so it didn't quite pack the wallop I was hoping for....

Russell

This Russ agrees: when I had the set, and I no longer do, I had the same impression.  Missed opportunity, I thought.  I don't bring this up to gang up on others who liked it, but do so only to marvel at how different are our sensibilities.

[waderice]

That would have been a great occasion for M2. However, the wife and I had a lot of people over for Easter, including kids who would have found M2 heavy going.

Listening to a work of the scope of M2 as a group effort on Easter (or any other time of the year) would entail an extraordinary commitment for most adults (not to mention kids), particularly if they are not into the seriousness of the subject.  They likely would have to have some previous knowledge of Mahler, or be affected by a recent life/death event if they were to participate in such an undertaking.

Wade

[etucker82]

I heard Chailly and the Concertgebouw do it live in 2002 when they came to DC.  It was a distressingly dull performance. 

[Leo K]

Listened to the Chailly/Concertgebouw M2 last night.  (Just picked it at random--I always play the 'Resurrection' at Easter!)  Hadn't heard it in a while, but I thought it was a mostly uninspired performance.  The entire final movement pretty much fell flat, and so it didn't quite pack the wallop I was hoping for....

Russell

This Russ agrees: when I had the set, and I no longer do, I had the same impression.  Missed opportunity, I thought.  I don't bring this up to gang up on others who liked it, but do so only to marvel at how different are our sensibilities.

Amen to that!   

--Todd

[wagnerlover]

I usually remember to put on Bach's Matthew Passion during holy week, but the M2 (despite it's name) never seemed to me to be Easter music.  Maybe I should rethink that?

db