I think I like the Payare/Montreal M5 more than Bychkov/CPO (both Pentatone!)

[Russ Smiley]

I will add another vote in favor of the Payare/OSM M5 (I have no opinion of the Bychkov as I do not own it). After listening to the short excerpts and liking what I heard, I decided to get a copy of the CD. I recently listened to it on a long drive in my car and was delighted with the counterpoint, audible inner voices, integrated coherence of the ensemble, and the overall performance start to finish. While I admire virtuoso instrumentalists (I appreciate other M5s on disk for that), this one really shows that Mahler had ensemble in mind not just tuneful highlights strung together. I heard the English horn like never before. The string playing was not just an aural smear in the vigorous sections. The Adagietto was faster than many but neither trivial nor insensitive. The timings are similar to Bertini, Saraste, and Abbado, all performance I also favor.

[barryguerrero]

Thanks for that great input, Russ.

[Michael2]

Hello,
After a long hiatus I had the pleasure to listen and watch to a Mahler concert.
Rafel Payare and the Staatskapelle Berlin performed Mahler 5 at the Philharmonie last Friday. I had not listened to the CD before, but your positive impressions were justified. I liked it very much, tempi very fitting for me, transparency, dynamics and energy, it was a great performance. Payare has a quite eccentric style to conduct, but it worked out. The other work was a cello concerto by Unsuk Chin with Alisa Weilerstein as soloist, and in some sense it related well to the Mahler symphony.

Michael

P.S.: I have watched the forum all the years, but started to really practice piano some 8 years ago. I found a great teacher, former conductor, even with the BPO, has conducted Mahler, too, and we share the Mahler passion, even if he is, of course, far beyond my understanding. This keeps me occupied and thus I listen to orchestral music, even Mahler, much less than before.
But thanks to you all for the many comments and discussions.

[barryguerrero]

Hey Michael, that's great to hear!

[erikwilson7]

Hey Michael, I’m envious you got to see Payare conduct the M5. If he keeps this up, he could become a great Mahlerian.

Having a M5 this good is very rare for an unknown conductor in this repertoire. This one really came out of left field.

It makes you wonder what else is floating out there in the ethos as we get endless amounts of, say, Jansons Mahler recordings.

[Michael2]

Hello Erik,

"It makes you wonder what else is floating out there in the ethos..."

I think it's often about getting the opportunity. You can be as brilliant as it gets in your field, at some time you need somebody that opens a door and has confidence.

I checked the bio: Rafael Pavare could learn from conductors like Abbado, Barenboim, Rattle.
The cellist of the Friday concerto and the upcoming concerts in the US, Alisa Weilerstein, actually is his wife and they live in - Berlin.
 
Weilerstein has already performed with Barenboim and - pure speculation - this may also help (which is good).
He seems to approach M1 and M2 now, so let's looking forward to what he will do next.

Besides, amid October Zubin Mehta will conduct M5 with the BPO. This is a real contrast in terms of age and experience. I am not living in Berlin, but may have a chance to go there.

Best
Michael

[barryguerrero]

Michael, I don't need to tell you that Weilerstein is a fantastic cellist. Thank you for your great report.