Favorite M9?

[Michael]

Hi guys,

Well, I know this has just been done for M6, but never the less...what is everyone's top few favorite Mahler 9 recordings?
As for me...the 2007 Simon Rattle/Berlin Philharmonic M9 is my favorite so far.  I also like the MTT/SFSO version a lot, especially in the Finale, although the recording quality leaves something to be desired.  I have also listened to the Nott/BSO recording that came out recently, and I tend to think that it too is a goodie.

In Mahler 9, much as in the rest of the Mahler works I've heard, I tend to like the emotional side of the music.  I have heard both extremes in Mahler 6--the emotionless Sanderling to the overraught Lenny.  What are the extreme interpretations of this work--both the extremely emotional and the detached?

Thanks, and sorry to bother everyone. 

[John Kim]

Easy.

Emotionally extreme - Lenny/BPO/DG Extreme, to the point of breaking the structure and balance of the music apart, unfortunately  .
                              Judd/GMSO(?) Again, the conductor nearly destroys the music by going for the extremes, especially in I .

Emotionally detached - Boulez/CSO/DG The first. movt. is very good, albeit some odd balances. But the rest is a dud .
                                MTT/SFSO I think much of II and IV sounds detached, although I. is very fine .
                                Solti/CSO The harder Solti tries, the more detached it sounds .

My favorites?

Lenny/RCO/DG, Ozawa/BSO/Philips, Levine/PO/RCA, Nott/BSO/Tudor, Chailly/RCO/Decca, Kubelik/BRSO/DG

[barry guerrero]

There are tons of great ones, obviously. For me, none tops the live Karajan one, regardless of what minor faults it may or may not possess. It just has outrageous intensity from start to finish. For a single disc version, I really like the new Alan Gilbert one on BIS, regardless of whatever issues that it supposedly has as well. For a longer, two-disc version, I prefer the Chailly/Concertgebouw M9 (Decca) to the MTT/SFSO one. But again, there are lots of good ones. I do not, however, enjoy hearing the absurdly fast tempi; bad sound, and atrocious playing on the 1938 Bruno Walter M9 concert from Vienna. I can't even listen to it.

Next day: I thought of a couple more. I really like the Sinopoli/Dresden one (Profil), just for the gorgeous playing of the Staatskapelle, combined with Sinopoli's almost decadent sounding "interpretation" (hate that word). And for something that's truly completely different, the Eiji One (Exton) is certainly worth a listen.

Barry

[John Kim]

Next day: I thought of a couple more. I really like the Sinopoli/Dresden one (Profil), just for the gorgeous playing of the Staatskapelle, combined with Sinopoli's almost decadent sounding "interpretation" (hate that word). And for something that's truly completely different, the Eiji One (Exton) is certainly worth a listen.

Barry

I'd second the Oue but have not warmed up to the Sinopoli. It really is a strange performance .

John,

[Jeff Wozniak]

[Leo K]

My top M9...

IS STILL the Rattle/BPO/EMI (Japanese HQ pressing).


The new Oue M9 is immediately high on my list for it's strangeness and the sound.

The Karajan Gold and Bernstein DG are still epic titans of performance...hard to climb these hieghts. 

MTT SFSO is on my list too for the pristine sound and playing of the orchestra. 

Can't forget Nott's new M9 for the construction and planning.

There are so many other greats too...the latest Olson/Colorado Fest and the Horensteins. 

ADMISSION: The Gilbert is growing on me.

--Todd

[Russ Smiley]

....ADMISSION: The Gilbert is growing on me.

--Todd

Regarding Gilbert, I've quibbled about the balances, but the tempi throughout are the well chosen and the Adagio is very moving.

[Michael]

Finally, someone who agrees with me about the Rattle!  ;-) The beautiful sonics and rave reviews on iTunes led me to explore this one in June, and wow...what a moving performance, especially of the great Adagio.

MTT/SFSO...another great Adagio there, especially the beginning.  Also, the C sharp minor viola and then later violin solos (5:14-6:33) are very moving.  Here Tilson-Thomas holds back the forward movement, and I like that.  In MTT's hands that passage is a cry--a longing for what is to be lost, where as for Rattle it is simply a statement with minimal emotion placed upon it.

Has anyone heard the Maazel/NYPO M9 released in July?  This, along with the rest of the Maazel/NYPO Mahler recordings, is only available as an MP3 download, so if you're wondering why you haven't seen it in stores...that's why.  LOL.  I bought both Maazel's M6 and M9, and I'd say his first and last movements are the strongpoints of the performance.  The Andante comodo is slower than any I've heard, but that just shows a different perspective of the work.
I am not as pleased with the second movement--there is no roughness in the opening Landler.  The third movement does not stand out to me one way or the other, but it is missing the brash crunch in the solo violin passage a couple of minutes in, but that is pretty much common of everything I've heard after hearing Rattle/BPO.

[Leo K]

Finally, someone who agrees with me about the Rattle!  ;-) The beautiful sonics and rave reviews on iTunes led me to explore this one in June, and wow...what a moving performance, especially of the great Adagio.

MTT/SFSO...another great Adagio there, especially the beginning.  Also, the C sharp minor viola and then later violin solos (5:14-6:33) are very moving.  Here Tilson-Thomas holds back the forward movement, and I like that.  In MTT's hands that passage is a cry--a longing for what is to be lost, where as for Rattle it is simply a statement with minimal emotion placed upon it.

Has anyone heard the Maazel/NYPO M9 released in July?  This, along with the rest of the Maazel/NYPO Mahler recordings, is only available as an MP3 download, so if you're wondering why you haven't seen it in stores...that's why.  LOL.  I bought both Maazel's M6 and M9, and I'd say his first and last movements are the strongpoints of the performance.  The Andante comodo is slower than any I've heard, but that just shows a different perspective of the work.
I am not as pleased with the second movement--there is no roughness in the opening Landler.  The third movement does not stand out to me one way or the other, but it is missing the brash crunch in the solo violin passage a couple of minutes in, but that is pretty much common of everything I've heard after hearing Rattle/BPO.

Michael,

I'm glad you agree on the Rattle...Mahlerian Tony Duggan also rates this performance to be be very high. 

I'm thinking of downloading the NYPO Maazel M9 and M6 from iTunes one of these days, if anything it is aways great to hear the NYPO perform Mahler...but I do enjoy Maazel's Mahler.

Here a couple more recordings I should mention that deserve attention:


Gary Bertini, Tokyo Metropoliton Symphony Orch, Fontec

Seji Ozawa, Saito Kanien Orch, Sony

Benard Haitink, European Concert Youth Orch, Phillips


John Kim also mentioned the Kublik on DG...I really like that one too...I have it on LP and it sounds great.


--Todd

[John Kim]

More M9ths that are worth hearing:

Gielen/SWF/Intercord
Ludwig/LSO/Everest
Gatti/(and Italian Orch. whose name I forgot)
Solti/LSO/Decca
Haenchen/NRPO
Dohnanyi/CVLO/Decca
Abbado/VPO/DG

.....

John,

[James Meckley]

For me, none tops the live Karajan one, regardless of what minor faults it may or may not possess. It just has outrageous intensity from start to finish.

Barry (or anyone else who might know):

I have the live HvK M9 in what I believe is its original CD release: 410 726-2 (P) 1984. I've heard rumors of a later "Karajan Gold" remastered version, but never actually seen it. Can you confirm whether a "Gold" remastering exists and, if so, whether it offers enough of an improvement to warrant purchase? Thanks.

EDIT: I just found that there is a "Gold" version of this. Now I just need to know how much better it is that the original issue.

James

[Michael]

Well, if I ever get my hands on all of the iTunes gift cards that I received for Christmas, I will look into buying this and will let you know.  It must have come out rather recently, though, so chances are it's pretty good.

[John Kim]

For me, none tops the live Karajan one, regardless of what minor faults it may or may not possess. It just has outrageous intensity from start to finish.

Barry (or anyone else who might know):

I have the live HvK M9 in what I believe is its original CD release: 410 726-2 (P) 1984. I've heard rumors of a later "Karajan Gold" remastered version, but never actually seen it. Can you confirm whether a "Gold" remastering exists and, if so, whether it offers enough of an improvement to warrant purchase? Thanks.

EDIT: I just found that there is a "Gold" version of this. Now I just need to know how much better it is that the original issue.

James

The Karajan Gold version is MUCH better in sound. More open, sharper, more ambiance, more details, etc. Tam tam and timpani are stronger and have more presence too. On the negative side, it reduces the 'harshness' a bit that made the original recording sound so powerful as a result of these improvements.

...only if Karajan's M9th(s) were my favorites .

John,

[James Meckley]

The Karajan Gold version is MUCH better in sound. More open, sharper, more ambiance, more details, etc. Tam tam and timpani are stronger and have more presence too.

I just acquired the "Gold" version of the HvK 1982 live M9 and WOW! John's exactly right—I don't think I've ever heard a more dramatic difference in a remastering job. Of course, this isn't just a remastering, but a remix as well, which makes for an even bigger difference. The harshness is gone and the added transparency and clarity are amazing. For anyone who treasures this particular performance and still has the older 1984 "pre-Gold" release, I would say replace it with the "Gold" version immediately, even if you have to pay full price—it's that much better!

James

[brunumb]

Uncanny resemblance between these two conductors and CD covers, with both performing M9 live with the same orchestra