Salonen/M3, Haenchen/M5

[Wunderhorn]

Just bought Salonen's M3/Los Angeles and Haenchen's M5/Netherlands and was curious what anyone thinks of these recordings? 

[barry guerrero]

I don't know the Haenchen M5, but the Salonen/L.A.P.O.  M3 is very good - discover that for yourself. I'll be very surprised if you don't think it's one of the better ones.

[sperlsco]

Oh yes, the Salonen M3 is certainly one of my favorites.  The LAPO plays splendidly.  The lower end of the orchestra (brass, strings, and bass drum) is captured quite well.  Salonen's timings are on the brisk side, and IIRC he rushes the close of the first and third movements a little too much for my taste.  He has one of the best endings to the sixth movement; he doubles the last several timpani strokes with the bass drum -- a wonderful effect. 

[Wunderhorn]

Yes, I just got the two recordings in the mail. Salonen's M3 is very good. Chailly might have better sound, but it is Salonen who dictates precision from his orchestra, I can surely tell this was quite rehearsed over before recording it. Anna Larsson is phenomenal here.

The Haenchen M5 is a good recording but I have the feeling it interests me simply because I am in love with exploring the Fifth more then most people. It was recorded live in the Concertgebouw in 2001 and it definitely deserves the wild applause it gets from the audience. The conductor keeps it at an awfully quick tempi throughout the work, but this simply serves to make it interesting in my view. The playing doesn't try to exaggerate any hidden emotions in the instrumental voices like Bernstein DG recording, but instead keep in a steady step. This is a light M5, for what it is worth, even in regards to the nature of the sound. The only other SACD's I own are Abbado M6, and Reiner's M4. I was hoping for more from this Direct Stream Digital, though I can tell some difference, usually it isn't much.

By the way, if anyone has recordings they think are necessary for any Mahler collector, let me hear your recommendations. Thank You!  

[Leo K]

Wunderhorn, have you heard the Karajan BPO M5?  Most highly recommended. 

I also recommend the Barbirolli M5 on EMI.  Very heavy but incredible M5.

[Wunderhorn]

Yes, I'm planning on both of those recordings in time (I've heard much praide for them!), as well as Rattle's and Abbado's with Berlin. I'll Maybe get Mehta's with New York and Solti's with Chicago as well. Thanks! 

[barry guerrero]

I'm of the opinion that you could give the Abbado/BPO one the slip. It's really one of his more dull Mahler performances. That said, his Chicago one would give you greater contrast to both the Rattle and Karajan M5's. If I were going to collect all those, I'd get Abbado's CSO one.

With Solti, you'll have to decide if you want the his earlier one, or his 80's remake. The earlier one was very fast and exciting, but a bit short on musical niceties. However, it's debateable if his 80's one - which is a bit slower, overall - is truly an improvement or not. Let me phrase all this another way:

With the BPO, I'd rank them Karajan; Rattle; Abbado. With the CSO, I'd rank them Barenboim; Abbado; Solti II; Solti I

Barry

[mr. woodford]

Yes, I'm planning on both of those recordings in time (I've heard much praide for them!), as well as Rattle's and Abbado's with Berlin. I'll Maybe get Mehta's with New York and Solti's with Chicago as well. Thanks! 

i was disappointed w/ the abbado m5, low voltage all around, sound and performace (his m6 is much better on all acounts).  i picked up the nott/bamberg sacd of m5, and so far am quite impressed.  the adagio lacks a little tension, but the rest of the performance is quite good.  excelent sound, if a smidgen dry, which probably reflects the hall more than anything.   i've just ordered the zander sacd, will post a review when it arrives- i loved his m1.

and yes, on rbcd, karajan is not to be missed.

[sperlsco]

i picked up the nott/bamberg sacd of m5, and so far am quite impressed.  the adagio lacks a little tension, but the rest of the performance is quite good.  excelent sound, if a smidgen dry, which probably reflects the hall more than anything. 

The Nott M5 is pretty good throughout, but it is an utter disaster at the end.  The Timpani is out of sync with the rest of the orchestra for the entire coda.  To me, this is no small matter, and really just ruins the entire performance. 

I just purchased a re-release of the M5 Abbado/CSO to replace a CD-R of a former version of it.  I can't say that I was ever real thrilled with either of the Abbado M5's, but found the Berlin one to be a real snoozer.  I'm hoping that the remastering of the CSO one wiill improve my opinion of it. 

I have always been a big fan of the analog M5 Solti/CSO.  It was actually the first M5 that I really liked, and even though it has not worn as well over the years, there is quite a bit of visceral energy in the performance (and from this standpoint the live digital remake pales).   

[Leo K]

It is interesting to hear views of the Solti CSO M5, which I picked up used along with his M6 some time ago.  What do you all think of Solti's M6?

[barry guerrero]

The timings on Solti's M6 are nearly identical to those on Bernstein's first one. I think that Bernstein's is more interesting, but Solti's is a bit better recorded. However, there's a couple of spots in the finale where Solti's two timpanists are tad out-of-sync with each other.

Barry

[mr. woodford]

The Nott M5 is pretty good throughout, but it is an utter disaster at the end.  The Timpani is out of sync with the rest of the orchestra for the entire coda.  To me, this is no small matter, and really just ruins the entire performance. 

interesting- for me i thought the performance really took off in the finale, and i didn't notice the tympani problem. in fact, i thought this was the best part of the performance!

[barry guerrero]

I'm being picky. I think it was only in one spot, but enough that I did notice it.

Barry

[nickmolland]

Glad someone else echoed my views (see the Haitink/M3 thread)! What a relief....

Nick

[barry guerrero]

I doubt if a commercial recording will get made. You might want to try to capture it from some kind of broadcast - maybe the BBC (?). I don't believe that Salonen is still under contract with Sony. He does make a few recordings for DG from time to time. However, they're using him mostly for modern music. The Philharmonia recorded M3 with Ben. Zander on Telarc, which isn't bad at all (other than a curious lack of bass; and a way too distant sounding posthorn). To the best of my knowledge, the Philharmonia isn't producing its own downloads, but you might want to check their website just in case. As good as this live performance may have been, I sure can't see any down-sides to Salonen's L.A. recording. It has Anna Larsson, who I feel is consistantly better than De Young.

The Philharmonia also recorded it with Sinopoli. His conducting of M3 was decent, but Hanna Schwartz sounded just horrible. It also had that plainly audible, wrong note on the chimes at the start of the choral "bim-bam" movement. It wasn't terrible well played or well recorded. Between the two, I would try the Zander.