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Il Grande Inquisitor
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« Reply #255 on: 18:47:51, 29-07-2007 » |
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I got hold of Abbado's Berlin recording of Mahler 6 recently (a long overdue purchase) - magnificently played and recorded. And yet it left me completely unmoved. Anyone else experienced this? Whereas I find both Mackerras and Boulez absolutely thrilling performances. I don't know the Mackerras, but I agree regarding the Vienna/ Boulez 6th against the Abbado. My Stuttgart/ Norrington disc of the 2nd arrived yesterday, so I may give it a spin this evening after tonight's Prom on BBC4! |
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Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency
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Bryn
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« Reply #256 on: 19:42:47, 29-07-2007 » |
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Look out for the Mackerras Sixth on ebay
Or "Message" me. I am pretty sure the local market (Fridays and Saturdays) still has quite a few copies of the Magazine, replete with CD, at £1 a go. Depending on how much you wanted to pay for postage, I would be happy to act as intermediary for either just the CD, or both. Same applies to most recent(ish) BBC Music Magazines, including the Thierry Fischer Turangalila. |
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Il Grande Inquisitor
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« Reply #257 on: 19:45:12, 29-07-2007 » |
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The Dudamel 5th is on its way from the US and should arrive any day now. I think wilf said something about October for the Boulez 8 which I look forward to.
I've got the Norrington 1 and 4 and they're refreshing accounts. I heard him conduct a rehearsal and performance of the 1st with the OAE some years ago, which was a fascinating experience and I was so pleased that his Stuttgart 1st appeared on CD. The 4th is one of my favourite Mahler symphonies and I feel it can take a number of approaches; one of the most enjoyable in my collection is Kubelik's and Norrington's has a similar feel/pace about it, unsurprisingly. The soloist, Anu Komsi, does a good job and is much better than Renee Fleming, who spoils (in my view) Abbado's otherwise excellent account.
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Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency
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oliver sudden
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« Reply #258 on: 19:46:45, 29-07-2007 » |
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How's the new Haitink 4? Anyone know?
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Il Grande Inquisitor
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« Reply #259 on: 19:48:09, 29-07-2007 » |
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How's the new Haitink 4? Anyone know?
Not issued here in the UK until the 6th August, Ollie. |
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Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency
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Daniel
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« Reply #260 on: 21:06:30, 29-07-2007 » |
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I have a treasured, if not strange, method of listening to his 4th symphony. I set myself up in the comfy chair, listen to one or two movements before I doze off, then re-emerge at the start of the 4th movement. There is lucidity in 'that' Sunday afternoon doze by the window that brings out so much in many pieces of music. A pianist friend was horrified to hear that part of my appreciation of music involves semi-consciousness! I emphasise the semi.
Very interesting that graham. I think I know what you mean. I think it has something to do with those moments when for a few seconds when you first come round, you almost have no identity and are able to listen without, what somebody here (George Garnett) once brilliantly called the 'muddying mediator' getting in the way. To me it can be very enlightening to listen like that, an injection directly into the bloodstream as it were, before you have a chance to see what the label on the syringe says. Then again, that's maybe not what you mean at all! [edit; to correctly quote George!] |
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« Last Edit: 21:32:27, 29-07-2007 by Daniel »
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Il Grande Inquisitor
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« Reply #261 on: 00:16:17, 04-08-2007 » |
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 I picked it up for that price too, opilec - mine arrived this morning and I listened to No.5 going up on the train; an incredibly taut performance, very exciting and they've done wonders with the sound. I also picked up a copy of September's (!) Gramophone and there are three topical Mahler reviews: Haitink's CSO No.3 gets panned 'a major disappointment' saying he's recorded it too many times and it's dull. Dudamel's No.5 gets a decent review praising the first two movements, but then things start to go wrong. Then Edward Seckerson gets out his carving knife and fillets Zinman's No.2: "If you want a fleet, airy, ascent heavenward, then this is for you. But don't tell me it's Mahler because it isn't." I know Seckerson is a big Bernstein fan (and I love Lenny's Mahler too - it's how I came to know the symphonies) but this seemed a bit much. I spotted him at South Ken tube station after tonight's Prom and felt like saying something...but restrained myself!  |
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Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency
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Tony Watson
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« Reply #262 on: 00:29:55, 04-08-2007 » |
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I have that Walter 5th on CD and LP too. A very influential recording on my younger years and it remains for me the 5th for all other recordings to be judged by. I particularly like the fourth and fifth movements.
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Il Grande Inquisitor
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« Reply #263 on: 00:44:47, 04-08-2007 » |
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The movement which really took me by surprise in Dudamel's account was the fifth one which is very swift indeed. He clocks in at 14 mins exactly which is only a fraction slower than Walter. I really enjoyed it - here's a conductor who's clearly one to watch out for and also here's a marvellous youth orchestra.
I don't know Haitink's Mahler at all, but I have seen him conduct Bruckner before.
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Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency
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Bryn
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« Reply #264 on: 01:06:28, 04-08-2007 » |
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The movement which really took me by surprise in Dudamel's account was the fifth one which is very swift indeed. He clocks in at 14 mins exactly which is only a fraction slower than Walter. I really enjoyed it - here's a conductor who's clearly one to watch out for and also here's a marvellous youth orchestra.
I don't know Haitink's Mahler at all, but I have seen him conduct Bruckner before.
Hmm, Norrington drags it out to 15'23", but Boulez, in 1968, romped home at 13'21". |
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Bryn
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« Reply #265 on: 01:13:56, 04-08-2007 » |
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Many a true word ...
I - 11'33"
II - 14'26"
III - 17'19"
IV - 8'54"
V - 15'23"
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Chafing Dish
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« Reply #266 on: 17:37:22, 04-08-2007 » |
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For me the 5th of Sinopoli is the one to judge all others by, but I haven't heard Walter yet. I wouldn't be surprised if it took over though.
In addition to his Brahms Symphonies, I love his rendition of the German Requiem with George London and Irmgard Seefried.
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Lord Byron
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« Reply #267 on: 17:50:15, 04-08-2007 » |
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I like mahler - anton bruckner
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Tony Watson
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« Reply #268 on: 17:55:48, 04-08-2007 » |
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Mahler's timings for the Fifth, as noted down by Hermann Behn at a rehearsal in Hamburg on 5 March 1905, were:
I - 12'
II - 15'
III - 17'
IV - 9'
V - 15'
They probably need to be treated with a certain degree of caution because (a) they've obviously been rounded up or down and (b) it was a rehearsal.
My book says it was the 12th of March, but that's not important. Yes, the figures should be treated with some caution but Behn obviously thought they were significant, otherwise would he have bothered to record them? What is also perhaps interesting is the lengths of the pauses Mahler put in between the movements: 2 minutes between the first and second movements, and 3 minutes each between the second and third and third and fourth movements (presumably nothing between the fourth and fifth). Perhaps that was just rehearsal practice but why bother writing them down then? |
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« Last Edit: 18:04:25, 04-08-2007 by Tony Watson »
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