Is anyone going to review Sieghart/APO/Exton M10 by Samale-Mazucca?

[John Kim]

I heard it and LOVEd it

Clearly, there are parts in this realization that sound far more convincing than any other versions and the other parts are just fine.

PL, someone like Barry or DH give your thoughts.

Thanks.

John,

[Leo K]

I will hear this soon...glad you like it John...I have my fingers crossed!!!

--Todd

[barry guerrero]

I've been holding off because I wanted more of you to hear it first. Leo should be getting his soon. I have to say, as a performance, I really enjoyed the pirate of the premiere performance in Perugia, Italy much more (Vienna Symphony). This one strikes me as a tad lax in comparison. Also, the vastly clearer sound has actually made me like the S/M version a bit less than I did before. I don't know if S/M have added lots of useless, busy-sounding fillegree since its premiere, but I notice a lot more small stuff that bothers me now. I still like some of the "bigger picture" issues that get addressed with S/M, and I'll go into that more later on. I've got to jump off now, so I'll pick this up later.

Barry

[John Kim]

Besides the version, I like the clean, forthright style of the conducting and playing on this disc. It allows me to hear the piece a la carte without a bias but with sincere musicality. Sieghart's approach is not much different than in his M6th and DLVDE but combined with the generally slow speed (over 26 min. for I.) and extremely fine sound quality, it provides a fascinating listening experience.

John,

[Freddy van Maurik]

I've been listening to this for some 3 weeks now, and I have to say it grows on me.

I attended one of the concerts in december last year, and I remember noticing the "useless, busy-sounding fillegree" Barry speaks of. It kind of bothered me back then. Compared to this performance - on which occasion the orchestra's playing was very well, mind you (I'm a lucky guy to be living near Arnhem, where this orchestra is based, and just some 80 miles from Amsterdam, where I can attend a wide range of fantastic concerts as well) - the performance of this recording is a bit 'easier', so I guess that's why the small stuff doesn't bother me this time.
And the sound quality is another reason why I hope Exton-issues will be more readily available in Europe and the US in the near future!

[John Kim]

I've listened to the recording again on full speakers. This time I LOved it even more

Like I said, what attract me to this recording are the classy conducting and playing in the exceptional sound quality. The dynamic range is huge, the sound stage big, and no little detail gets lost in this sumptuous recording.

A winner in all aspects. Along with Litton/DSO/Delos version this is probably my top favorite of M10 (of any version).

John,

[Leo K]

I'm going to be able to hear this more carefully this afternoon.  I did hear the first three movements and some of the fourth movement the other day, and was somewhat dissapointed at the lack of drive compared to the pirate recording, and more orchestration has been added, beefing up the texture...I like the state of the S/M completion on the pirate much better.

Still, this is well recorded and look forward to hearing it again this afternoon!

--Todd

[barry guerrero]

"I like the state of the S/M completion on the pirate much better".

Me too. I haven't done a comparison yet, have you? It just seems like I'm now hearing lots of smaller stuff that doesn't sound terribly idiomatic of Mahler, and is just clogging up the arteries. The percussion writing really bothers me now.

While I think it's very important to make the reprise of the harrowing, expressionistic climax louder and more terrifying in the fifth movement, I don't think it makes much sense to add percussion to the same climax back in the first movement. I know that D.H. would be very opposed to doing that. Also, S/M added a series of rapid cymbal crashes at the end of the first scherzo. I strongly doubt that Mahler would ever would have done that. I do like the snare drum on the last five notes of the first scherzo.

It just seems to me that the Perugia performance sounds leaner and less clogged up. Again, maybe it's just that we're hearing what S/M wrote more clearly now. But it's rather like comparing Ormandy (Cooke I) to Slatkin or Lopez-Cobos (Mazzetti I and II).

[Leo K]

Barry,

I have not done a comparison as yet, but my memory of the pirate recalls I leaner texture, as you just said, and it souded much more daring, or "edgy" dramatically (and sounded slightly more Mahlerian if I recall correctly).  On the Arheim version, I am reminded of the Barshai completion!

--Todd

[John Kim]

I've listened to the pirate recording by Sieghart/VSO but it didn't sound all that different than the Exton recording. But I noticed small differences here and there. It's possible that they revised yet again after the premiere concert. Anyhow, I treasure the Exton recording; I have played 6 times already and I am not tired of listening to it. I know when a M10th recording doesn't sound tiresome after 10th playing in less than a week this must be really a good one. So, four more listening ahead

John,

[Leo K]

Wow John!  6 times!

I'm on my 2nd listen (at the purgatorio now), and indeed I like the performance much better (the 1st scherzo sounds more exciting than my first impression)...Sieghart's performances usually grow on me after the first few listens. 

--Todd

[Leo K]

The 2nd scherzo and Finale are revelatory to me...better than any completion I've heard so far (I like that the woodwinds are used more instead of strings in some sections)...(still listening here)

I wonder if there were just a few adjustments to the S/M score...

--Todd

[John Kim]

Todd,

I hope Sieghart and his orchestra will record a M9th in exactly the same fashion and sound quality. That will be a Mahler Ninth for John.

John,

[Leo K]

The rest of the finale is quite good...I was hoping the final climax would be more full and powerful, but I have this problem with all M10 recordings.  The 1st movement climax always sounds more climatic than the climax in the finale!

The quiet aftermath (after the big climax) is effectively scored, and makes this finale very special.  I am quite happy overall now I have heard the complete performance.

--Todd

[Leo K]

John,

It sounds as if the Macal M9 almost became your favorite, and perhaps if the last three movements were played more like Sieghart's objective consideration or pace...as in this M10, you would have the M9 of your dreams!

I think I would like a Sieghart M9 as well.

--Todd