Zinman/Aspen Festival Orch. Mahler Ninth (1997)

[John Kim]

I recently revisited Zinman's M9th with the Aspen Festival Orch. It confirmed my impression I had upon the first hearing. As a matter of fact, I'd happily include it in the group of forerunners now. Zinman's ability to put all things in balance is so uncanny that the music seems to be playing by itself. And yet, all the emotions come out very naturally with a full power. He also has a keen sense of overall architecture; the final climax in I. is unhurried but he doesn't take the Pesante mark too seriously which is placed right before the collapse. That is, he slows down the tempo only slightly so as not to disrupt the momentum and tempo that he has carried up to that point.  Also, in the beginning of the passage leading to the first climax, he doesn't rush as much as Abbado, Rattle, Barenboim, etc., do. The score doesn't call for such a treatment and Zinman faithfully observes it. These are the kind of insights that I have not caught else where but in Zinman's recording. Collectively too, the way Zinman piles up the drama from the first bar to the last of the music is seamless, utterly convincing and consistent in tempo, tempo relationships, dynamics, balance, phrasing. In particular, he lets the strings play with much freedom in their phrasing and this adds much warmth to the performance.

A brilliant Mahler Ninth that should not be dismissed and deserves much attention and respect.

If only Zinman can reproduce what he did here in better sound and playing for his upcoming RCA release...

Timings are like,

29'15"
16'30"
13'40"
24'50"

This has quickly become my # 1 favorite M9th.

John,

[sbugala]

Is this available through them? I'm tempted to get it, since I'm enjoying his RCA Mahler. 

Zinman is a conductor I like, my only problem is every time he's been guest conducting in St. Louis, he does a work I don't really want to hear.  Next season, he's doing Berlioz's Damnation of Faust.  (I probably should go, but I just can't get into that work yet.)

[barry guerrero]

"Damnation OF Faust" is among Berlioz's best large-scale works. It was a Mahler specialty, and I believe that you can hear some influence of it upon Mahler's larger scale works. The conductor just has to make certain that the tam-tam REALLY gets clobbered during Faust's decent into hades. Otherwise, they've missed the whole point. By all means, go see it. Berlioz was a huge gong-head; he just didn't employ it all that often.

In fact, "DOF" is so good that opera buffs like to claim it as one of their own, which it ain't. It's far closer to being a symphony than an opera.

[sbugala]

"Damnation OF Faust" is among Berlioz's best large-scale works. It was a Mahler specialty, and I believe that you can hear some influence of it upon Mahler's larger scale works. The conductor just has to make certain that the tam-tam REALLY gets clobbered during Faust's decent into hades. Otherwise, they've missed the whole point. By all means, go see it. Berlioz was a huge gong-head; he just didn't employ it all that often.

In fact, "DOF" is so good that opera buffs like to claim it as one of their own, which it ain't. It's far closer to being a symphony than an opera.

I think I'll have to. A patron who comes into my library is a huge Berlioz fan. He's been trying to sell me on going. So is a trusted music friend. For him, it will be the event of the season.  For me it will be David Robertson leading the Mahler 9th (with Bartok's Viola Concerto kinda strangely leading off.) Plus, Skrowaczewski will be doing the Bruckner 8th in Oct.  Good stuff.

[barry guerrero]

Collectively too, the way Zinman piles up the drama from the first bar to the last of the music is seamless, utterly convincing and consistent in tempo, tempo relationships, dynamics, balance, phrasing.

That description would very much coincide with how I would describe Zinman's  performance of M6 in S.F. that I witnessed. I believe that you can hear those same qualities on his Baltimore recording, even though it does have the enhanced hammerstrokes, AND it lacks an exposition repeat (the sound quality isn't all that wonderful either). In comparison, MTT was far too fussy with the first movement's second subject - the so-called "Alma theme" - as well as being simply too slow with the two inner movements. As a result, MTT's scherzo lacked any menacing quality, and was far from being scary. The andante moderato movement was turned into a Brucknerian adagio (it's not!). MTT's finale was mostly pretty good, but as a percussionist, I was pretty ticked-off that MTT overruled Mahler's explicit instruction for the second to the last snare drum roll - the one that's located right where the third hammerstroke sometimes get reinstated - be played muted (gedampf). Most drummers get the muted effect by simply switching the snares off (there's a tension bar at the bottom of the drum). I think that not doing so, ruins the whole winding down quality of the last several minutes. MTT plays it almost fortissimo, with the snares left on.

My guess is that Zinman's RCA recording will include an expo. repeat.

[Polarius T]

...the event of the season.  For me it will be David Robertson leading the Mahler 9th.

Oh my. Now that's something I'd like to hear. Please report back if we're all still around by then.

Btw, the Bartok Viola Cto isn't too bad a piece, either. There is a recording of it coming up very soon by no less of an expert team than Boulez & the superviolist Yuri Bashmet and it's one of the things I'm really looking forward to in the current year (with the first violin cto played by Kremer [no less of a top-notch fiddler] and the concerto version of the sonata for 2 pianos & percussion with e.g. Aimard as "fillers," if you can call them that, which you will understand we almost can once you've heard Bashmet).



PT

[barry guerrero]

I will have to own that Bartok disc, period!

BTW, I'm hoping that DG will package ALL of their Bartok involving Boulez into a nice box set.

Barry

[Polarius T]

Me, too; it'll be something special. I think the release date is set for August, in Europe & Japan at least. The first time I'm wishing the summer was already over!

PT

[Leo K]

This Zinman M9 is simply stunning. 

I'm currently in the middle of the second movement and I'm taken by the orchestra's dedication (so animated with timbre color), as well as the phrasing and detail! 

The first movement account is one of those performances that make this music sound new and different...love the restrained tempos into the major climaxes, kinda like Kobayashi, but much better played.  The timpani in the first climax is hair raising to say the least!  Love the aftermath of this first climax as well...very moving.

--Todd

[gabyb]

I'm curious about this recording, where can I get a copy of it?