M10 on BBC R3 "Building a Library"

[Matthew]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zlgxv

(4 days left to listen online)

Stephen Johnson argues for the "minimal intervention" approach, letting the sketches speak for themselves without adding too much superficial glitter. As I only know the Cooke version, it was interesting to compare the famous flute solo in the last movement with the Carpenter version, for example (in Litton's recording). He also criticises conductors for not tackling Mahler 10 when the same conductors are happy to do the Mozart Requiem.
 
I'll definitely be looking to get this:
http://www.mdt.co.uk/MDTSite/product//SBT31457.htm

[waderice]

He also criticises conductors for not tackling Mahler 10 when the same conductors are happy to do the Mozart Requiem.

To each his own opinion, but the basic structure and orchestration in the Mozart Requiem is a lot simpler and doesn't raise as many questions as would a more advanced work like M10.  True, there were more movements in the Requiem that were not sketched out by Mozart before he died, but the problems for Sussmayr and others who completed the work were not as considerable as those who work today with M10, even with the four-stave layout completed by Mahler.

As a choral singer, I've performed the Mozart Requiem numerous times, and definitely find the work satisfying throughout, even those movements done by Sussmayr against those actually completed by Mozart.

Wade

[barry guerrero]

It's certainly an apples and oranges situation. Thus, the comparison doesn't make much sense to me either.

[Matthew]

I think the point he was trying to make is that there's a great deal of genuine Mahler in M10 that's worthy of our attention, despite the sometimes bare nature of the sketches, so it shouldn't just be written off as an unfinished, unperformable work, which was the position taken by some well-known conductors. I'm not a Mozart expert, but I think there's a lot of doubt about how much of the Requiem is genuine Mozart, although I admit that as a whole it hangs together well in the Sussmayr completion. Of course Mahler would have made substantial revisions, but thanks to Cooke et. al. we have a wonderful symphony, even in its incomplete state. Who can deny that?

Anyway, whatever your feelings, I think you'll enjoy hearing the exchange of views in the BBC programme (it's actually more of a discussion between Stephen Johnson and the host Andrew McGregor).

[Don]

Thanks I tried to listen to this but the BBC player would not let me for some reason.

[Roffe]

Don,

The problem might be that you are trying to access the BBC using an American IP address. I have the same problem trying to access ABC, NBC etc. in the US with an European IP address.

Roffe

[Don]

I am sure that is the case. I registered as a member on the BBC3 site and listen to the streaming broadcast from time to time, but often some of the archives are not available. Unfortunately this broadcast was live at 4AM and I was not up to hear it.

I could listen to the link just fine.

[Prospero]

I've been blocked from some BBC 3 programs in the past month, I imagine for copyright reasons on the UK end. But I was able to listen to the Mahler 10 discussion last night. Quite informative, I thought. Certainly keen advocacy for the Cooke and also the Webster versions, as well as the usual sampling of a range of recordings. The recorded excerpts and comments of both McGreggor and Johnson help provide a reasonable sampled survey of recording of the 10th.

And both commentators, but especially Johnson, make a strong plea for the validity of the performing editions of the 10th symphony as critical to a full encounter with MAHLER.

Thanks for the alert on the program. The !0th discussion starts about 33 minutes into the program and lasts an hour. A selector bar lets you scan through the program and select.

Tom in Vermont

[stillivor]

I thought Johnson makes a valid comparison with the Mozart.

In both cases, the works have been turned into performing versions by others filling out what's missing, one way or another. The amount that had to be done is certainly different and what had to be done ditto.

Nevertheless there's enough Mahler in the 10th for it to be valid to play in the performing versions.

I still have a couple of versions to play, and I am so grateful that we have the 10th, a wonderful work.

[barry guerrero]

Britten himself made an excellent recording of M4 with the LSO.