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Getting choked up on Mahler's No 2

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John C. - Aussie

(B)

Still playing around with the new Meridian 800 I put on a CD of Mahler's "Resurrection" yesterday afternoon. Wow, did it hit the musical G spot.
This particular version is an Aussie production from our Australian Broadcasting Commission with Stuart Challender cond. the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Superb musicality and audio.
My copy was purchased some years ago and is a Polygram Classics 434 778-2 but is no longer available in our ABC online shop so may have been deleted from catalogues.
John

Peace at AA

Follow Ups:

I have it on a DAD... - Dusty Chalk 19:28:35 06/02/02 (0)
...from a German company called Arts (http://www.artsmusic.de/ -- they don't have much there...yet). The recording is phenomenal (24/96), but, not being familiar with the work (I am otherwise a Mahler virgin -- bought the DAD because I am a fan of the label), I have nothing against which to compare it to...yet...it _does_ sound good to me though, so I guess that's all that counts. I wouldn't mind knowing how it rated amongst you Mahler vets.
Oleg Caetani/Robert-Schumann-Philharmonie (conductor/orchestra)
(There's other information, but I won't post unless requested.)
It's about 90 minutes on one DVD-V.
Re: Getting choked up on Mahler's No 2 - Paul_A 15:44:41 05/31/02 (2)
This link will give you an extended discussion of dozens of performances of Mahler's symphonies. More information than you're going to want, but it can help you pick some good performances.
http://www.musicweb.uk.net/Mahler/index.html
Bernstein: descriped as a great Mahlerian, but he just doesn't do it for me. Sounds more like a popularization to me.
My pics:
1st: Bruno Walter / Columbia Symphony (2 CDs includes 2nd)
2nd: Otto Klemperer / Phiolharmonia Orch.
3rd: Simon Rattle / City of Birmingham Symphony
4th: George Szell / Cleveland Orchestra
5th: John Barbirolli / New Philharmonia Orchestra
6th: George Szell / Cleveland Orchestra
7th: Yoel Levi / Atlanta Symphony
8th: George Solti / Chicago Symphony (not that great, but I haven't pursued the alternatives)
9th: Bernard Haitink / Royal Concertgebow (2 CDs includes DLVDE)
DLVDE: Otto Klemperer, Christa Ludwig / New Philharmonia Orch.
The most approachable of his symphonies are 1 and 4. After that, I think it depends upon the individual listening and the performance being listened to. I'd go for the 6th and 7th with Szell and Levi, but some people consider these symphonies too "difficult".
One other thing. The more you listen to these pieces, the more they make sense. I found that listening to different performances helped to penetrate the mystery, and that multiple listenings were indispensible.
- Re: Getting choked up on Mahler's No 2 - bobH 10:31:48 06/02/02 (1)
  I've been scooping up Zander's Mahler as they come out because of the extra 70 minute lectures he includes on Mahler's music. Without these passionate and loving descriptions of the music, I'm afraid I just wouldn't have gotten very interested in Mahler at all. I only hope he finishes the cycle before he crokes!
  Out of curiosity I just ordered Mehta's multichannel version of Symph. 2. Should be interesting at the least. I have been thinking that surround sound should be a natural for clarifying Mahler's textures.
  - Re: Getting choked up on Mahler's No 2 - msk58 11:33:29 06/02/02 (0)
    that would be interesting because the 2nd symphony is one of the ones where mahler uses an offstage band at certain points...the multichannel should clarify the contribution of that whereas in 2 channel sound it can be hard to give the impressioon that the band is coming from some place else (it often just sounds more distant rather than coming from someplace out of sight)...
    msk
Mahler piano rolls... - TOOL 23:17:16 05/30/02 (2)
I heard them once...too bad they didn't belong to me.
Pickwick CD GLRS 101 (sorry can't find a pic of the CDs)
does anyone have them?
- http://www.classicalnotes.net/reviews/mahler.html
- My friend Dave has this disc.... - D Harvey 10:38:48 05/31/02 (0)
  ...and I have a different recording from the early '60's that has one of the Mahler rolls on it with other Welte rolls by Ravel, Debussy, Saint-Saens, and a host of other great composers and pianists, all recorded between 1903 and 1915 or so. The reproduction is unbelievable. My recording is a 1960's book club 3 LP box set called "The Legendary Masters of the Piano". If you see it, get it. Amazing stuff.
  
  dh
- Re:Had them - Art J. 08:32:14 05/31/02 (0)
  I mean the original piano rolls. They
  went to my first wife in our divorce settlement.
  Also had originals from Gershwin, Pateruski, Joplin
  and others. They were very nice and the recording
  you mention would be worth getting. Their will be
  some mechanical noise similar to a pipe organ but
  dont let that bother you. The Welte format was good
  and also the Ampico and Duo-Art rolls were excellent
  A careful engineer could make excellent recordings.
The final 20 minutes are the most glorious thing in music - padreken 22:03:22 05/30/02 (4)
I've heard it performed live, no recording can do justice to the experience.
- Re: The final 20 minutes are the most glorious thing in music - suretyguy 11:05:17 06/11/02 (0)
  I can hardly imagine how moving it must be to hear it in performance, but, as a poor substitute for that experience, here's a vote for the Klemperer on EMI. I have the recent (very good) remastering on CD, but far better is the original LP version which I was fortunate enough to get some years ago.
- Re: The final 20 minutes are the most glorious thing in music - sgb 08:35:25 06/04/02 (0)
  You wrote:
  < >
  This is the unabashed truth. On LP, I prefer the Mehta/Vienna; On SACD, the new Ozawa isn't bad for sound, but they pale in comparison to the live performance.
- Re: The final 20 minutes are the most glorious thing in music - Smee 07:12:41 06/03/02 (0)
  Friends,
  Having sung both the 2nd and 8th several times, I agree that there is NOTHING like the live thing. If you have the means, I suggest joining a symphony choir and making noise about singing 2 (at the very least).
  I continue to be partial to the Abbado 2 and the Chailly 8.
  Smee
- Bingo! True of the Eighth as well. nt - clarkjohnsen 08:04:25 05/31/02 (0)
  v
Re: Getting choked up on Mahler's No 2 - Bagsgroove 19:36:15 05/30/02 (6)
Musical "G" spot. I like that.
I'm basically a jazz guy who's recently (about 5 years ago) discovered classical. Found a guy selling off about 30 Musical Heritage Society LPs for next to nothing. Didn't know anything about the music, but figured, what's to lose?
I'm still like a kid in a candy store with classical. 400 years worth of great stuff and I've barely begun to stick my toe in the water. (Was that a mixed metaphore, or what?)
Anyway, Mahler...there really isn't anybody like him, is there? I've heard people suggest that Bruckner is similar, but except for the really WIDE dynamic swings they both use, I'm not sure I see it.
I've heard (or read) that Bernstein is a great Mahler conductor, any others I ought to try? Did Mahler do anything OTHER than large symphonic works? Suggestions?
(You know the best thing about Music Lane? I drop in here and read a few posts and somebody mentions some music, and I know how I'm going to spend the rest of my evening...) Thanks John.
- Re: Getting choked up on Mahler's No 2 - Paul_A 16:50:23 05/31/02 (0)
  I replied to the wrong post!
  See my response to John C.-Aussie's original message which started this thread.
- Re: Getting choked up on Mahler's No 2 - newbee 08:43:51 05/31/02 (0)
  bernstein is excellent but, i think much of his popularity stems from his stumping for mahler in the 60's - he did a great job of getting it before the public. he really brings out the angst in the music. i'm very fond of his live 1979 9th on dg. no conductor has been great in all of the symphonies. i have enjoyed the series by inbal as a contrast to leonard b, and levine. tennsted is an excellent conductor but his studio recordings haven't been as great. i would watch releases by tilson thomas (not my cup of tea)and zander (my cup of tea). for specific recommendations, there are just too many gems to start listing them, but they have been discussed ad naseum in the archives. one thing about mahler, ALL of the symphonies are different and involving. different mood - different symphony. i'm very partial to his 3rd, 6th, 7th and 9th.
  while i enjoy bruckners 7th, 8th and 9th i just don't respond to his music as i do mahlers, and i haven't been able to connect at all with 00 thru 6.
  have you sampled sibelius yet?
- Mahler choral works - John C. - Aussie 21:58:38 05/30/02 (0)
  Yes, Mahler has some profoundly beautiful choral works to his name also. In this LP collection:
  "Das Lied Von Der Erde" - 2 versions, one with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau with Philharmonia cond. Kletzki & the other with Yvonne Milton & the Chicago Sym. Or cond. by Solti
  "Des Knaben Wunderhorn" - Janet Baker
  "Das Klagende Lied" - Heather Harper & Concertgebouw cond. Haitink
  "Kindertotenlieder" & "Five Ruckert Songs" - Janet Baker with the Halle Or. & Barberolli
  I also have a DVD documentary on Mahler "To Live, I Will Die" which is ok but not worth buying.
  Yes I agree there are similarities to Bruchner and many do find difficulty coming to terms with some of the compositions of both composers. I recently bought the complete set of Bruchner's symphonies but am not yet familiar with them all.
  The world of classical music offers an endless ocean of pleasure.
  John
  
  Peace at AA
- Re: Getting choked up on Mahler's No 2 - Neil E. 20:36:37 05/30/02 (0)
  I have not heard enough myself, but many feel that Lenny goes overboard in emotion department at times when it comes to conducting Mahler. Having said that, Lenny does a very good #3. Some like the Sony release, some like the live version (including me, but I'm a bit of a sucker for live recordings) on DG. As for getting choked up on Mahler, I love the finale of the Third, "What love tells me."
  BRUNO's(Walter) versions of the First are good, one is with the NYPO and the other with the Columbians (Columbia Symphony Orch.) I have the Walter/Columbia record, along with one by Horenstein and the LSO that I like as well.
  If you run across Mengelberg's No.4, from a live 1939 performance, snatch it up. I got lucky and found a NM copy on vinyl real cheap. It took me awhile, but it grows on me each time I spin it. It's not audiophile quality, but then again it is about the music after all.
  I have BRUNO's Mahler No.2. Like most other works it's the only one I've heard, so by default, it's the best I've ever heard. Same with Solti's No. 8, and there had got to be better ones than that. But wait, it gets worse! My sole Mahler #5 is with...Dare I say it?...Anton Nanut and his Jolly Ljublana Band! (Oh well, so much for my credibility.)
  Oh, if you like getting choked up, get Mahler's "Kindertotenleider". The one with Janet Baker is very popular, but one with DF-D on vocals is worth it too, IMO (just remember this is coming from someone who has/had more than one Nanut in his collection. :-))
  Neil
- Re: Getting choked up on Mahler's No 2 - Jeffo 20:20:35 05/30/02 (1)
  Bruckner is similar style to Mahler but as far as I see it, Bruckner is more simplistic and very repetitive. His 4th is OK but a lot is somewhat boring to me.
  Mahler also wrote some songs that I'm not very familiar with.
  I love Solti and the Chicago Symphony. You can find some good reviews on Amazon from some pretty sharp people.
  - Re: Getting choked up on Mahler's No 2 - Neil E. 20:52:45 05/30/02 (0)
    Both composers had a strong sense of spirituality, but came at it from different directions. Bruckner the devout Catholic with almost a childlike faith, and Mahler more of a mystic, though that may not be the best word to describe it, who explored more, and asked more questions in his music.
    I know when I first heard something by both guys, I realized there was a lot going on in the music, but it was *way* over my head at the time (and still is for the most part) but I've sort of come to develope my own personal "programmes" for their symphonies that seem to work for me(whether or not they are what the composer intended) and help me enjoy the music.
    Neil
Re: Getting choked up on Mahler's No 2 - Jeffo 18:58:16 05/30/02 (3)
This is my favorite piece of music. I think it's the best piece of music of any genre, any time period. My favorite recording is Solti conducting the Chicago Symphony. I did a review here:
Review
- Re: Getting choked up on Mahler's No 2 - Beethoven 20:43:18 05/30/02 (1)
  There are better interpretations of most Mahler than Solti out there, but having said that, the very first CD I ever bought was the Mahler 6th by Solti and Chicago on Decca. It still remains a sentimental favourite of mine. The opening movement is paced very well with Chicago Symphony strings sounding quite passionate. The recording is a bit dry, but the orchestra is placed very well on the soundstage, where you can pick out each section with great precision.
  Anybody seen the movie, Bride of the Wind? I must say, I did not like the depiction of Mahler in that movie. I wonder just how true that particular characterisation was of the true Mahler, especially in regards to how he treated Alma.
  - Solti's Sixth... - clarkjohnsen 08:03:08 05/31/02 (0)
    ...is easily the finest of his Mahler cycle.
    clark
- Yes I also have the Solti on LP .... - John C. - Aussie 19:37:25 05/30/02 (0)
  ... and recently purchased the remastered reissie of the complete Bernstein set on CD. I'll do a comparitive listen one of these days but not to the extent of destroying the musical experience.
  John
  
  Peace at AA

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