mini-review of Ashkenazy/DSO Berlin M3

[barry guerrero]

It would be difficult for me to rate this against the very best, but this is an extremely fine performance of Mahler 3. The only real drawback is that the recording is awfully bass heavy (Berlin's Schauspielhaus). Anyone who is already familiar with Ashkenazy's D.S.O. Berlin "Rite Of Spring" will know what to expect here. At times, the recording sounds a tad distant, with the offstage snaredrum  solo (Mvt. I) and the offstage "posthorn" (Mvt. III) sounding a tad too distant. However, like Zinman, Ashkenazy does move the posthorn in closer when it joins the horns at the harmonic cadence points (the passage that brings the harmony back to the tonic). In particular, the last two movements are superb, with Ashkenazy lending more fuel to the argument that the last movement need not exceed 23 or 24 minutes to make its heavenly point. Anyway, the first movement of M3 is preceded by Schoenberg's 40 minute "Pelleas & Melisande". The "P&M" fairs (fares?) a bit better from the more focused acoustics of Berlin's Jesus Christus Kirche. If only that venue had been available for the Mahler 3 as well!

Anyone wanting to check out Ashkenazy in Mahler 3 might want to wait to hear his Sydney S.O. performance, which boasts the excellent Finnish mezzo-soprano Lilli Paasakivi. But for anyone wanting this particular coupling, you won't go wrong with this Decca Eloquence issue either. Just watch out for you subwoofer.

Barry

[sbugala]

Barry,
    Thanks for the mini-review. I was waiting for someone to finally post about this, since it had such a short shelf-life on its first release. 


Ashkenazy did a Rite of Spring?

Steve

[barry guerrero]

Yes, he did a number of Stravinsky recordings in Berlin. The "Rite" might not have been released in the U.S. I think he might have recorded one for Exton or Canyon as well - not too sure of that.

Barry

[barry guerrero]

.   .    .   on second listening, this really is a superb performance - superbly paced. Tons of tam-tam through the "southern storm" passage that climaxes the development section of Mvt. I.  Terrific "bim-bam" choral movement.

[barry guerrero]

I've listened through this several more times now, and I think it's my very favorite M3 coming from Europe. It has the right combination of rusticity (not sounding too slick), and tempi that simply keep the work going - no dead spots. It doesn't have the same level of power as the N.Y. Phil. going at full throttle, but it's not too far behind them either. The DSO Berlin sound less slick and less un-involved than the BPO often times do, but not as leaden as the VPO can sometimes sound either. I really like it.