Pretre conducting Mahler

[barry guerrero]

Yes, Pretre conducted very well on the New Years concert. As a semi-pro musician, he was a joy to watch. But I disappointed to see the Vienna Phil. still has only two women amongst their ranks, one of them a harpist. Enough with this so-called tradition stuff. Even the Austrian government gave them a mandate to diversify more.

Barry

[akiralx]

I love Shostakovich's music, but the 12th is pretty bad. Pretre gives the work a nobility it doesn't really deserve.

Yes, Shostakovich wrote a few symphonies which were far less than excellent...12th, 6th, 3rd; 9th even.

Can't agree with you on the Sixth - one of his best in my view. But 1-3, 12 and maybe 9: yep.

[barry guerrero]

I also like S6. It's in an unusual slow-fast-faster, three movement form. I think that the first movement is among his best slow movements; right up there with the first movement of S8.

Barry

[sbugala]

My mom has a quote she always says, "'Everyone to their own tastes,' said the old maid as she kissed the cow."  I too love the Shostakovich 1st, 6th, and 9th.  Plus a host of his other works. 

[akiralx]

I also like S6. It's in an unusual slow-fast-faster, three movement form. I think that the first movement is among his best slow movements; right up there with the first movement of S8.

Barry

Yes, near the end of S6/i where the horn (I think) comes in after the triangle remolo, that is a heart-stopping moment for me, one of DS's most beautiful passages.  I have quite a few recordings and the work is done especially well by Sanderling, Kondrashin, and Jansons.  Also Jurowski's alarmingly slow but powerful SACD on Pentatone.

[Alexandros]

HMV Japan is releasing M5 and M6 from Pretre and the VSO this month.
Has anyone heard any Mahler performances with Pretre conducting ?

i uploaded a month or so ago his recent Mahler 1/Bizet 1 VPO concert. here are the links:

http://rapidshare.com/files/83682725/pretrevpo.zip.001
http://rapidshare.com/files/82401113/pretrevpo.zip.002
http://rapidshare.com/files/83679590/pretrevpo.zip.003

Wiener Philharmoniker, Dirigent: Georges Prêtre.
Georges Bizet: Symphonie Nr. 1, C-Dur
GUSTAV MAHLER: Symphonie Nr.1 D-Dur, "Der Titan"

Übertragung aus dem Großen Musikvereinssaal in Wien; 11.11.2007

Digital Satellite Broadcast, OE1
320 kbps mp3s
Hj-Split

Best

Alex Rigas