New historic Mahler release

[barry guerrero]

That's good to hear. I feel that the '36 "DLvdE" is vastly superior to either the '38 M9 - which Walter never approved of - or the '50s studio recording of "DLvdE" with Ferrier and Patzak. I don't know the 'live' recording of "DLvdE" with Ferrier & Patzak, so I can't comment on that.

[David Boxwell]

Among the many fascinating curios in this set heard for the first time, my new favorite is "Um Mitternacht" performed as if it were a sacred hymn by Aalte Noordeweier-Reddingus (she's a high mezzo, I'd say) and Anthon van der Horst on what sounds like the Mighty Wurlitzer (1928, Central Hall, Westminster, London) made for Columbia UK.

There's also a better remastering of the first ever recording of Mahler 4 than Denon's.  Viscount Hidemaro Konoye's band (Tokyo New Symphony Orchestra) is small in number, and play. every. note. separately. with. almost. no. portamento. or. rubato.   Mahler never sounded more like the soundtrack for some 1930s Ozu film that was never made.

Ward Marston's remarkable restoration of Ormandy's 1935 Mahler 2 makes the crazy-loud bells at the climax sound clear and yes, even crazy-louder.  They really do drown everything else out.  Other than that quirk, on its own terms, it's a remarkably "contemporary"-sounding performance (unlike the Viscount's 4th), but by today's standards, quick at 78 minutes.

I won't play everything in this set very often, but it is a treasurable thing for any Mahlerian to have.  And it really is essential for Obert-Thorn's sterling work on all the Bruno Walter performances.  Last thing to audition: Marston's stab at the Fried 2nd.

[David Boxwell]

With all the will and skill in the world, Marston can't make a silk purse out of the sow's ear that is the Fried Mahler 2 (from the standpoint of recorded sound).  It still sounds like the Fox Movietone score for the Murnau film of The Book of Revelations that he never got around to making.  The dominant tuba oompahs and oompahs menacingly, and the schmaltzy cafe-concert strings weep for what could never be . . .

[barry guerrero]

Thanks for the detailed assessments, but I think I'll pass on this. The '36 Thorborg/Walter "DLvdE" would be the most interesting item for me. I've never cared for Walter's '38 M9 - I really don't think it's very good - and Walter himself never approved the release of it. I'm sorry if this sounds snarky too, but I think 'historical' releases are somewhat helpful when it comes to Beethoven, Brahms and Bruckner, but much less so for Mahler. Others may disagree, and that in itself is a good thing.

[waderice]

With all the will and skill in the world, Marston can't make a silk purse out of the sow's ear that is the Fried Mahler 2 (from the standpoint of recorded sound).  It still sounds like the Fox Movietone score for the Murnau film of The Book of Revelations that he never got around to making.  The dominant tuba oompahs and oompahs menacingly, and the schmaltzy cafe-concert strings weep for what could never be . . .

Well, for what is a historic recording, at least it is now listenable compared to earlier incarnations, even if it was a calculated risk trying to get it onto disk and didn't succeed.  Listen to it for how a conductor other than Walter and Klemperer received guidance from Mahler himself as to how the work should go.

The set is also valuable for the booklet itself.  What a treasure trove of prewar Mahler performance information that hasn't been been seen or known before, at least by me!

I just finished listening to the entire set, and the SURPRISE for me in the entire set was Mitropoulos' M1.  What a finale!  The Minneapolis Symphony certainly wasn't the Vienna or Berlin Philharmonic at that time, but they play their hearts out for Dimitri in this outing of the work!

Wade

[barry guerrero]

It's probably long gone, but there was an excellent 'live' Mitropolous/NYPO M1 at one time, and Walter's 'live' M1 is really good too.

[David Boxwell]

The 1940 Mitropoulos First is fast: 48 minutes.  And DM occasionally had a tendency then to wind up the climaxes of each movement, in terms of tempo, to 11.  But it's the first commercial recording (DM is as crucial to the evangelization of Mahler as Bernstein was), Charles Martin's remastering at least equals the 1996 Sony reissue, and is now more readily obtainable.  Yet one more good reason to acquire the Urlicht set!

And: another thumbs up for the booklet, which tells us that there were at least 3,000 documented public performances of Mahler's works before the soi-disant "Mahler Boom" of the 1960s.  Some major revisionist history is in order  . . .

[barry guerrero]

"Some major revisionist history is in order  . . .  "

yeah, sure, that's somewhat obvious. But I also wonder about the quality of many of those performances. Mahler's symphonies are still really challenging to play, and those excerpts weren't not ones that players needed to know or take seriously to get their gigs with orchestras in those days. In short, there was a lot less familiarity with the notes, except in obvious places like Amsterdam and New York. I feel that Mahler's music is very much 'sonic' music, and that it requires really good recorded sound - not just for its huge dynamic range, but for issues of color, textures and balances. Also, 'interpretations' (conductor's tempi) tended to be just all over the map, from extremely fast to extremely slow. Then again, today, we have Lorin Maazel ( )   .    .     .