So what's everyone doing this Sunday? (100 years of the M8)

[Toblacher]

12 September 1910, world premier of the Mahler 8 in Munich.

Play a recording at the exact same time?  In the Eastern time
zone of the US that would 2:00pm if the Munich premier started
at 8:00pm.  Who's with me?

[waderice]

Sounds like a good idea.  It indeed was an historic occasion.  I think I'll select and play a recording of that same work that was an historic occasion in itself:  The Horenstein M8 of 1959 that was performed in Albert Hall, London.

Wade

[Martin Bernhard]

I'll be listening again to the wonderfully amazing Stockholm performance (Sakari Oramo) from earlier this year from  a radio recording. Not that it were really audiophile but it is very musical. and it works very well sonically in the car, where I am awfully often, and on mp3 as well, which ich while gardening....

[James Meckley]

...if the Munich premier started at 8:00pm.

From La Grange's Gustav Mahler, volume 4, page 966 (concerning the Munich première of M8):

"The same critic went on to describe the audience in the hall, just before Mahler appeared on stage at 7:45 sharp."

The critic goes on to indicate that Mahler climbed onto the rostrum, acknowledged the ovation, asked the three choruses to stand, and gave the downbeat without significant delay.

I'll likely cue up the Bernstein/LSO version, my introduction to the work and to Mahler himself.

James

[chalkpie]

Nice - I was gonna post this tonight - I just read this in the Gielen boxset notes.

100 years! Wow!

I'm gonna try to hit it twice if I can on Sunday

[waderice]

I'll likely cue up the Bernstein/LSO version, my introduction to the work and to Mahler himself.

A good choice, James, and like you, this was also my first introduction to M8.  The Horenstein performance I plan to listen to was likely the first-ever stereo recording of the work, commercial or non-commercial.  Stokowski's 1950 recording of the complete work is likely the first.  Stoki introduced the work to America in 1916 when he performed it at the Academy of Music in Philly.

Wade

[chalkpie]

"The same critic went on to describe the audience in the hall, just before Mahler appeared on stage at 7:45 sharp."

So the actual downbeat was around 7:50 -> not 8:00 if I'm interpreting this correctly?

[James Meckley]

So the actual downbeat was around 7:50 -> not 8:00 if I'm interpreting this correctly?

Chalkpie,

Yes, that's correct, based on my reading of the entire passage. The Neues Wiener Tagblatt reported that Mahler was applauded for several minutes and had to bow a number of times before starting to conduct. Also, critic Julius Korngold reported the following two details:

1) The overall performance lasted 85 minutes.

2) There was a break of "some five minutes" between the two movements during which time "Mahler remained leaning on his desk."

According to Der Vaterland, the performance of Part I lasted from 7:50 until 8:15. There was a five-minute interval, after which Part II began, and the performance ended at 9:15.

If we're going to do this, by God, we've got to do it right!

James

[chalkpie]

Thanks for the info James!

[Zoltan]

I don't think I can wait until 7:45 for a first performance! I need my M8 fix earlier, maybe in the afternoon, when people had their after-dinner sleep so they won't feel so bothered by wall of sound.

Zinman's M8 will be one of recordings I'll play because of the incredible organ presence. The second will be Solti's, who's M8 I heard the first time almost 20 years ago as a 10 year old on my father's LPs.

[sperlsco]

Good idea...except that I'll do this earlier in the day when my family is at church.  I'll have my own version of church, which will be the Inbal/Tokyo MSO M8 -- which has become my unequivocal favorite M8.  Mahler always gets me much closer to God than any standard religious practice. 

[John Kim]

I will play Ozawa/BSO/Philips recording.

John,

[Leo K]

I will be celebrating my 40th birthday on Sept.12!

I'm not sure what recordings I will listen to, perhaps the MTT and the Witt!

--Todd

[Russell]

Not sure which version I'll play, either, but 7:50 pm Munich time would be 10:45 am Pacific time, which is just a little too early for me on a Sunday morning (especially for something like the M8!), so it'll be a bit later in the day.....

And happy birthday, Todd!

Russell

[John Kim]

I will play Ozawa/BSO/Philips recording.

John,

This one is near the top of all M8ths.

Ozawa's Part II. may be the best of the lot; it has the femininity, mysticism, fantasy, and the ecstatic and glorious ending, all of which Mahler intended in his score.

Listening to the recording in a long time today confirmed this impression that had on me the first time I heard it.

John,