B.G.'s favorable impressions of Gergiev/LSO M1

[barry guerrero]

OK, this was better than I had anticipated. I do feel that all of the loud banging from the kettle drums, not to mention the unabashed (no pun intended) exploitation of the big crash cymbals, works better in M6 than in M1, generally speaking. However, the bombastic rhetoric of Mahler's very first finale can certainly absorb such hell-raising salvos from the LSO percussion dept. I love their horns! - the LSO horns play just as well here as they did in the 6th. Unlike their counterparts in Chicago, they can easily keep up with the trumpets and trombones (nobody can keep up with the CSO's trumpets & trombones). Undoubtedly, acoustics and mike placement play a major part with the brass balances. What's a nice surprise this time, though, is that Gergiev and the LSO Live engineers bring out the woodwinds much more here, than they did in M6. I'm still not crazy about the oboes in the LSO, but the clarinets are great.

That point brings me to the slow movement, which is exceptional in one particular regard: they really, REALLY play up the sleezy, East European village band music in the slow movement. I can just imagine Leonard Bernstein running up and smooching Gergiev all over the cheeks (not to mention trying to plant a big, wet kiss) and saying, "you're such a good Jewish boy, bubi. You really must come to Tel Aviv with me". Seriously, they really ham it up. Yes, the slow movement starts with more than one double bass playing the "Bruder Martin" tune (in minor), but that's just not a big issue with me. I prefer that it be played by a single player, only because it provides more contrast to the bassoon and tuba who later pick up the tune. But it's just not that big of a difference in my book.

I also like it that the scherzo starts out a bit slower than usual. Yet, I felt that Gergiev could have captured even more of a rustic, Schubertian swing or lilt to the rhythms. Davide Zinman is a tad faster with his scherzo, yet he captures plenty of that Schubertian lilt and rusticity. A slight mystery to me is the "Lindenbaum" song, where the counter-melody in the bassoon is actually louder than the muted violins. Gergiev seems to be emphasizing the walking rhythms that accompany the tune as well. Oh well, it's different, and still slightly interesting. I'll have to listen to that again.

Gergiev strikes as being slightly impatient with the opening of the symphony, but the back half of the first movement really gets cookin'. All in all, this is not a bad performance by any means. I would have preferred that the kettle drums be toned a bit, here and there, and that Gergiev execute a bigger accellerando at the very end of the symphony. I also think that a "boomier" sounding bass drum would help to offset some of those hard-sounding salvos from the timpani. But hey, nobody could accuse Gergiev and the LSO of backing off from Mahler's elaborate percussion writing.

For a more well rounded, more "rustic" sounding M1 (but with no sloppy playing), I would still stick with the Zinman on RCA. I also enjoy Zinman's inclusion of a fast paced "Blumine" as an addendum.

Barry

[akiralx]

Yes, the slow movement starts with more than one double bass playing the "Bruder Martin" tune (in minor), but that's just not a big issue with me. I prefer that it be played by a single player, only because it provides more contrast to the bassoon and tuba who later pick up the tune. But it's just not that big of a difference in my book.

Barry

The International Record Review guy nearly had several aneurysms and a thrombosis over the multiple basses, implying Gergiev should be horsewhipped, but made more serious complaints about VG's riding roughshod over several of Mahler's instructions at unspecified spots in the Finale....  anyway this recording's not for me - I quite like his Sixth, which got better as it went on, but the acoustic is not the best. 

Just picked up the Zinman M1 in a sale so will listen to that SACD for a while.

[sperlsco]

I probably would not have purchased this one, but it was available recently as a download from eMusic (as was the Haitink M6).  I agree with your impressions.  The two things you mention that bother me are the overly loud timpani and the lack of heft from the bass drum.  I generally love to hear the timpani, but this is rather over-the-top.  Overall this is a pretty good M1, but I may skip purchasing the SACD until they release the boxed set of the cycle (which I assume that they'll do eventually, as they did with Haitink's LvB cycle).  I am quite happy at this point with my Mahler on SACD, with MTT, Kobayashi/CPO, Zinman, and Lennie. 

I've heard a radio rip of the M7 (or at least AN M7 with Gergiev/LSO), which I will probably also skip when it is released -- so the boxed set is looking better than each of the single releases at this point.