Your updated favorite M9 list

[Leo K]

I'm just curious what everyone's current best M9's are...

Here's mine:

Top choices:

Bernstein/RCO/DG
Bernstein/BSO/Memories

Ozawa/SKO/Sony (I also love the BSO/2002 live broadcast, but is somewhat marred by noisy audience member)

Wakasugi/TMSO/Fontec

Horenstein/LSO/Music and Arts

Bertini/TMSO/Fontec

Haitink/ECYO/Phillips


Honorable list:

Newmann/CPO/Exton

Kobayashi/NJP/Exton

Barenboim/BSK/Warner (slightly trumped by the live broadcast from April 07)

Gullini/CSO/DG


M9's I'm still considering:

Chailly/RCO/Decca

de Waart/SFSO/Live broadcast from the 80's (can't remember exact year here at work)


--Leo

[John Kim]

I'm just curious what everyone's current best M9's are...

Here's mine:

Top choices:

Bernstein/RCO/DG
Bernstein/BSO/Memories

Ozawa/SKO/Sony (I also love the BSO/2002 live broadcast, but is somewhat marred by noisy audience member)

Wakasugi/TMSO/Fontec

Horenstein/LSO/Music and Arts

Bertini/TMSO/Fontec

Haitink/ECYO/Phillips


Honorable list:

Newmann/CPO/Exton

Kobayashi/NJP/Exton

Barenboim/BSK/Warner (slightly trumped by the live broadcast from April 07)

Gullini/CSO/DG


M9's I'm still considering:

Chailly/RCO/Decca

de Waart/SFSO/Live broadcast from the 80's (can't remember exact year here at work)


--Leo

Leo,

Your list pretty much coincides with mine, but I might add:

Ozawa/BSO/Philips (live)
Inoue/NJP/Exton (live, no other version matches with the fire and unbuttoned energy in this recording)
Abbado/BPO 1995 Mahlerfest (live)
Svetlanov/het Residentie (live)


John,

[John Kim]

BTW, I am not all that crazy about the Guilini/CSO recording. To my ears the playing of CSO was all wrong for this piece; unnecessarily loud brass, thin strings, some odd balances, close-up sound with little ambiance and warmth, and above all the extremely slow tempo that Guilini set in, all add to an unsatisfactory M9th. I am still partial to Lenny's way with this great music and his RCO version is the crown to treasure here.

John,

[bluesbreaker]

All Bernstein's official stuff including the DVD,
Giulini CSO
Tabakov / Sofia PO (the outer movements here are amazing!)
Tennstedt LPO (an average sonics, otherwise excellent)

[barry guerrero]

Don't care - hate 'em all - lousy piece.   

[sperlsco]

For anyone interested, here is a similar thread from back in May: 

http://gustavmahlerboard.com/forum/index.php?topic=203.msg1554#msg1554

Here was my list from that thread updated to include the MTT, which I inadvertently forgot: 

Abbado/BPO/95' Mahlerfest
Ancerl/CPO/Supraphon
Bernstein/BSO/Memories (live, Tanglewood)
Bernstein/RCO/DGG
Chailly/RCO/Decca
Dohnanyi/Cleveland
Eschenbach/NDRSO (I "think" this was an NDR subscriber release, I only have a CD-R)
Inbal/Frankfurt
Inoue/NJP/Exton
Karajan/BPO (Live)
Lopez-Cobos/Cinncy (IIRC, but its been a long time)
Levine/Philly
Maazel/BRSO/BRSO (DVD)
Ozawa/SKO
Segerstam/Danish NRSO
MTT/SFSO
de Waart/Netherlands PO

I believe that I have more first tier favorites of M9 and DLvdE than any of the other symphonies, but I have yet to find the perfect M9.   

[John Kim]

I believe that I have more first tier favorites of M9 and DLvdE than any of the other symphonies, but I have yet to find the perfect M9.   

That's right. Contrary to what most people might think, a perfect M9th - in interpretation, playing, and sound - has not yet come along, IMO. I think Bernstein/RCO/DG got pretty close but its sound is not that good. Inoue in Berlin or Vienna might have made a great M9th, but he's never been given the opportunity. Ozawa, when he gets in the right mood, might conduct a great M9 but we must be content with what he has already left behind. If only Rattle can shake my belief with his upcoming new release...

John,

[barry guerrero]

All right, all right. I think the best overall M9 is Karajan/BPO for the first two movements, and Bernstein/Cocertgebouw for the last two movements. However, the sound of the two orchestras don't match all that well. Here's more:

single disc:  Barenboim

sound quality: Chailly

performance:  Bernstein/BSO (Tanglewood)

best first movement climax: Giulini/CSO (Karajan is quite good at this jucture too)

best Rondo Burlesque:  Bernstein/RCO

most intelligent layout:  Abbado/VPO (DG), which puts his M10/I BEFORE the first movement of the 9th. That makes for an interesting comparison of first movements. I don't think that the performance is all THAT great, however.

Barry

[sperlsco]

Here's more:

single disc:  Barenboim

I'll take the Maazel/BRSO.  It fits on a single DVD disc.   

Heck ,I cannot remember which of the ones on my list are single disc versions.  I have over-burned most of these onto single discs for use in my car player.  IIRC, the only legitimate single disc version from my list is the Ancerl. 

BTW, I agree with the choice of Chailly for best sound.  MTT is right up there.   

[John Kim]

I love the Maazel/BRSO DVD for the playing and sound of the orchestra!

There was once a Previn/NDR pirate recording which had the woodwinds so prominent that it gave a whole new life to the score....I also heard a live Dohnanyi/CVLO that was fast, exciting and had gorgeous playing. In terms of the quality of playing, this one along with the Philips Ozawa take the crown. By comparison, the Ozawa/SKO/Sony, for all of its strengths, sounds underrehearsed, lacks the previson and lung power (except for the tuba!) of the other two orchestras. When I heard it live in SF they played better than they did in this recording.

John,

[Leo K]

Wow, I would love to hear that Previn M9 someday.

I'm looking forward to receiving the Ozawa/BSO/Phillips M9 I just ordered, I hear so many great comments about the playing.  Because Ozawa's SKO M9 sounds underrehearsed, it sounds rather raw, but it sure is exciting to listen to!  Another memorable underrehearsed M9 is the Horenstein/ONF/Disques Montainge M9, which has it's moments too, though it can't really compare with his LSO recordings...still on some days I really like it.

I was thinking that Kobayashi's conception for the M9 would be better played by the BSO or VPO, and CPO...same with Inoue (though his recordng is indeed well played through and through).

As for Karajan, I still really like his M9 and should have included it on my list.  I have a live broadcast of a Karajan M9 that I haven't listened to yet, but I hear it is much better than his officially released recordings?

I wonder if that Maazel DVD is hard to find, sounds like a good M9 as well.

--Leo

[Casaubon]

One that hasn't been mentioned yet is Pesek with the CPO, on Virgin Classics, I think.  That one is right up there with my favorites.  Overall, the one I find myself reaching for most is Chailly.

[barry guerrero]

What I really like about the Pesek, is one particular passage in the Rondo Burlesque:  the way he delays and "halts time", just before you come back to the allegro (fast) section. In other words, the tail end of the slow passage in the Rondo Burlesque. I haven't heard anybody else do that nearly so much.

By the way, one thing that I truly dislike about the Rattle M9, is his big slow-down at the very end of the Rondo Burlesque. That just sounds wrong to me.

Barry

[sperlsco]

By the way, one thing that I truly dislike about the Rattle M9, is his big slow-down at the very end of the Rondo Burlesque. That just sounds wrong to me.

Barry

Agreed.  What on earth was he thinking?  Just as the music is really spinning out of control, he does a big ritard.  Ugh!

[sperlsco]

...the Ozawa/SKO/Sony, for all of its strengths, ...lacks the ... lung power ...

John,

Yes, this is the one minor turn-off for me.  I really love Ozawa's way with M9, in terms of tempo choices. His R-B has one of the crazier finishes this side of Lennie/RCOA.  Its actually the rawness of the SKO playing that I prefer over the Abbado/BPO/Mahlerfest one, which is a little smoother sounding than I might prefer.  I'll need to listen to Ozawa's Boston (studio) one again.  IIRC, the R-B does not have the intensity of the SKO one.