(Good news) Recordings in the BPO Mahler cycle will be available individually.

[John Kim]

BPO replied to my inquiry about the possibility of releasing the recordings in their Mahler cycle individually:

"The works contained in the boxed set will be made available gradually over the next few months. Best wishes, Daniel"

John

[erikwilson7]

That’s fantastic news! I just don’t want to wait... ha

[John Kim]

I asked them to release,

Harding M10th (Cooke)
Viotti M3rd
Rattle M9th (2011)
Rattle Bruckner 8th

too.

[erikwilson7]

I love that Viotti M3. Such a random hit for me. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more Viotti after the pandemic.

[barryguerrero]

Erik, did you find a 'pirate' of the Viotti/BPO M3?

[erikwilson7]

I may or may not have...

[erikwilson7]

The finale of the Rattle M7 is now on Spotify. I think this sounds really good.

[John Kim]

I heard Rattle/BPO M7th before. It was fine but I like his EMI recording with CBSO much better. In fact, that one along with his BPO M6 & M10 IMO is one of the best Mahler outings Rattle gave.

John

[erikwilson7]

John, I think that M7 is really good too. That finale is more exciting than this new one.

[erikwilson7]

The new Rattle BPO M7 is available for purchase on Presto, and will assumingly be available at midnight  Eastern US for streaming platforms.

[barryguerrero]

Actually, the entire 7th symphony is at Spotify now! I'd like to hear his Berlin M8 as well. My problem with Rattle's Birmingham M7 is that the mandolin is very hard to hear. Also, Paiste tam-tams just do not work in that finale. It needs to be a Wuhan, or a Wuhan clone.

Later on  .    .    .

I listened to just the finale of Rattle's BPO M7. Not bad. It has almost the identical timing to Janson's Concertgebouw finale (I think), but the Rattle has more 'oomph' to it. The timpani playing is great - the best I've heard since Vic Firth in Boston (Ozawa). I have only two minor complaints:  the first big tam-tam smash should be much bigger. Second, the ending peroration could have been stretched out more (where the deep bells and cowbells go nuts near the end). But really, it was quite good. The sound quality was plenty good as well.

I really want to hear the Dudamel M3. I think he's a much better Mahler conductor than many people think.

[erikwilson7]

I can hear the mandolin pretty clearly on this one! The tams aren’t very prominent in the finale, but they seem weightier and darker than his CBSO account. As a whole, and at “first glance,” this is quite a fine Seventh. The BPO is a bit on autopilot, but hey, what major orchestra isn’t these days?

Sometimes I feel like major orchestras are becoming too good, which is an interesting conundrum. It just becomes less thrilling when even Mahler’s Seventh can sound run-of-the-mill.

Also Barry, from what I recall after seeing the video performance online, the Rattle M8 is better than his commercial account as well. Less weird tempo changes and better instrumental balances. I can’t really comment on the singing; I don’t have a good ear for that.

[barryguerrero]

Rattle's Berlin M8 has a good line up of soloists, including the outstanding Johan Botha (tenor). I remember hearing some excerpt on Youtube as well, and thinking it was really very good.

However, THIS is the Mahler 8 I'm hoping they'll issue on DVD/BluRay someday!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsgDxiSpckM

[erikwilson7]

I’ve been sampling in snippets. Haven’t got the full picture yet, but I’ve sampled key moments.

The first full movement I got through besides the finale (heard it last week) is the scherzo. Just finished, and I REALLY like what Rattle does here. He takes it at a much more moderate pace than Vänskä and Stenz, and that allows for all the spooky elements to come out, like in Bernstein and Zinman. And that snap pizz is deadly! Only place I’ve heard it better is Chailly’s Decca recording.

[erikwilson7]

I also like when the final peroration is dragged out, but the moment in question is actually marked a tempo in the score after the rit crescendo, and after that big moment it’s drängend (urgently) through to the end, which Rattle actually does exactly. I also like how Rattle observes the cowbells at fortissimo, but the bells slightly recessed at forte, which is what the score calls for. Admittedly I never considered Rattle much of a literalist until now.

Though yes, I personally prefer what Stenz and Tilson Thomas (LSO) do with the very end. It’s more revelatory.