"The Mahler Album" on Channel Classics

[Russell]

Channel has just released "The Mahler Album" with the Amsterdam Sinfonietta conducted by Candida Thompson, featuring the M5 Adagietto, M10 Adagio, and the Mahler-orchestrated Beethoven 14th String Quartet:

http://www.channelclassics.com/sinfonietta-31511.html

Looks interesting, though the timings for the Adagietto & M10 Adagio look to be on the slow side.

Russell

[barry guerrero]

27 minutes for the Adagio in a chamber version !?! - what's wrong with these people?

[Roffe]

27 minutes for the Adagio in a chamber version !?! - what's wrong with these people?

They were probably trying to beat Karl-Anton Rickenbacher's (together with the Bamberger Symphoniker) world record from 1988 (32:04), but did not quite reach their goal. Anybody heard a slower M10 adagio (chamber version or full orchestra version)?

Roffe

[John Kim]

How about Sinopoli? Didn't he take close to or more than 30 min. in his DG recording?

Ozawa also took over 29 min. in his Philips recording but it was every bit as good as any other versions.

John,

[Roffe]

You're right John, Sinopoli makes it in 32:42, even slower than Rickenbacher. Ozawa is faster, only 29:16.

Roffe

[barry guerrero]

Gee, I guess 27 minutes isn't such a crawl after-all. Then again, this is a 'chamber' version (whatever that means).

[Russell]

I downloaded this album a couple of days ago and listened to the M5 Adagietto & M10 Adagio.  The Adagio is an arrangement for strings (and "chamber"-sized, at that) by Hans Stadlmair.  Good performance, and very interesting arrangement.  Although no trumpeter is credited in the booklet, I could swear that I heard one at the climax.  (How could there not be a trumpet there?)  Doesn't sound 'slow' at all, despite the timing.  The Adagietto was fine as well.  I want to listen at least a couple more times before making a definitive opinion, but my initial impressions are very favorable.

Russell

[Channel]

I downloaded this album a couple of days ago and listened to the M5 Adagietto & M10 Adagio.  The Adagio is an arrangement for strings (and "chamber"-sized, at that) by Hans Stadlmair.  Good performance, and very interesting arrangement.  Although no trumpeter is credited in the booklet, I could swear that I heard one at the climax.  (How could there not be a trumpet there?)  Doesn't sound 'slow' at all, despite the timing.  The Adagietto was fine as well.  I want to listen at least a couple more times before making a definitive opinion, but my initial impressions are very favorable.

Russell

Thanks Russel for listening to our Mahler album.  Even though indeed on first glance the timings look slower than other renditions I am glad you let the quality of the playing from Channel artists  (and the quality of recording from Channel) be a deciding factor to give it a chance.
There is no trumpet.   Only strings!
Jared Sacks

[barry guerrero]

hey Jared,

A Mahler 7 with Fischer/BFO would be real nice!!!