How did'ya discover Mahler?

[barry guerrero]

Thanks for writing in. I'd be curious to know how the Malte Fischer biography changed your Mahler experience. While it's the best single book biography out there, I'm also a little skeptical of its constant negative tone regarding Mahler's legendary moodiness and social awkwardness. I think it's a tad exaggerated, especially after rereading Norman Lebrecht's "Mahler Remembered".

Some of Benjamin Zander's Mahler is pretty darn good. Some of it is a bit micro-managed (M4). I particularly like his M3, M5 and M9. Zander realized that he had created a patched-up 'train wreck' out of the first movement of M3, so he went back and recorded it again in one take. I'm glad he did because it's really very good.

My only complaints about Zander's M3 is that the offstage posthorn solo is a tad too distant, and Lili Paasikivi isn't ideal for the fourth movement (a tad too light sounding). Beyond that, I really like it.

Zander's M9 doesn't have the greatest sound by any means, but it's an 'honest' live recording. I'm hoping that at some point, Linn Records and the Philharmonia will agree to record M7 and M8 with him. There was a 'pirate' going around of a live Zander/Boston Phil. M8 that, as I recall, was really very good. Maybe he could someday get that released to Youtube, or some such place.

[AZContrabassoon]

... symphony is represented at least 60 times in my collection, though that's a silly point...

Not silly at all. I don't have nearly 60, closer to 30. There is no composer for whom listening to alternative versions is so enlightening and interesting. And I don't give a hoot about streaming. I know it's the way of the future, but I want the physical product. Storage of CDs is quite a problem and I built a wall that is 20 x 10 Ft will closely spaced shelves - and I'm nearly full up. And there are devices that can store 6000 CDs on it. But I don't want that, I don't want to do streaming. So it's not silly. Of course, when I croak my heirs are going to have a heck of a time unloading the disks - seems libraries don't want them. They're hard to sell on eBay. Add to that the diminishing number of people who listen to classical and the landfills are going to be quite full of compact disks.

[baxtintagel]

Hi there.

Malte Fischer's bio helped me to understand a lot more about the circumstances surrounding the creation of each symphony. This is in much more depth than any cd liner note can give, yet it filters out enough detail to make it possible to read! I would suggest that my Mahler listening was tad more superficial (though not totally so) because I understood less of what he was trying to achieve.

The many comments on Mahler's mood and temperament didn't really influence my feelings in the music as much as you might think because I hear rather more optimism and positivity than is often suggested by Mahler's more pessimistic followers.

To be honest Zander's lectures have taught me a lot more about how to actually listen to Mahler. His comments on 'emotional counterpoint', for example really tie nicely with other great sources of information. Here I think of the magnificent, impromptu illustrations that Leonard Bernstein gave on his Das Lied von der Erde DVD. Most significantly he described the 'duality' aspects of the work most vividly, and Zander's description of the thing he called 'emotional counterpoint' is pretty consistrnt with LB's views.

Now you mention Zander's Third. Alas I am yet to respond to it. I find it underpowered, but will listen again on your suggestion. I had the same issue with his 6th.

Have you heard the Zander lecture on the Second? During the discussion he revealed that he had recorded the entire Resurrection for Telarc and then cancelled the recoring on the grounds that he had not satisfied his own needs for genuine rubato (amongst other things). I listened to his Linn Resurrection before I heard the companion lecture and felt that the sound lacked openness, and I was irritated by what I thought of as a very mannered and over elasticised second movement. To then hear Zander tell us a out the magnificent sound and wonderful rubato in the second movement shocked me a little! To make matters worse he plays some snippets from the defunct Telarc recording and they sounded utterly magnificent! He lost me there, alas.

But I do love the recordings of 1,4,5,9. Yes the recorded sound on the 9th is a little hardh, but the ear adjusts and it's a very well argued approach.

I bet he'lldo a grest 7th and 8th.

N

[barry guerrero]

If you like a 'powerful' M3, I can recommend Alan Gilbert/N.Y. Phil. and Manfred Honeck/Pittsburgh S.O. on Exton. Those two may be very favorites. I also like the dvd with Paavo Jarvi/Frankfurt Radio S.O. (yes, more than the Abbado).

[AZContrabassoon]

I really like the Honeck on Exton. Great sound, passionate playing. Haven't heard the Gilbert/NY. But another M3 that I thoroughly enjoy is the Semyon Bychkov with the Koln orchestra on Avie. One of the great, unsung conductors who should have a bigger profile.

[baxtintagel]

Hi

Yes the Honeck is one of my very favourites, but the Gilbert would be new to me. Will seek it out in a short while!

If pressed for a favourite Third i'd actually include Chailly, Nott, Honeck and (any) Abbado in my shortlist, though it's such a 'personal' thing that I can imagine wild disagreements here! My wildcard would be Mehta in LA, which is a riot! Probably not idiomatic, not subtle, not authentic just a riot. I found it far more riveting than his other two versions!

N

[barry guerrero]

Yes, Maureen Forrester is really good on that Mehta/L.A. M3. She's also good on Haitink's first one with the Concertgebouw. The Mehta/L.A. recordings of Richard Strauss are really competitive - one of the best "Alpen Sinfonie" going. I also very much like the other Los Angeles M3: Salonen/Sony Classical. Unfortunately, that one got recorded in the Chandler Pavillion, as opposed to Royce Hall (UCLA). But I like how the Salonen has a million different tracks. Anna Larsson is real good on the Salonen.

[baxtintagel]

I've only listened to that particular Haitink version once. I'll have to dust it off and listen again. I am more familiar with Haitink's Berlin and Kerstmatinee versions, both of which I enjoy hugely, but despite owning a copy of Haitink's Berlin DVD for some years now I have't got to it yet! With Haitink I tend to find that he 'does' some of the symphonies rather better than others. I am not a fan of any one of his Fifths, for example!