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Stanley Stewart
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« Reply #270 on: 13:47:02, 05-08-2007 » |
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Last night, after viewing the exhilarating and moving performance of Shostakovich's Leningrad Symphony, given an extra frisson by the talents of the NYO of GB, conducted by Mark Elder, I gave myself an extra treat by watching my newly acquired DVD of The Little Drummer Boy, An Essay on Gustav Mahler, by and with (and how!) Leonard Bernstein.
I'd only recently revisited Symphones 1, 2, Zinman/Tonhalle; and Sym 9, Barenboim/SK, Berlin; aided by a most illuminating set of notes written by one of our erudite posters which helped me to bridge the connection between Das Lied von der Erde and No9. Bernstein's masterclass, recorded in 1984, informs and stimulates on the deeply affecting Kindertotenlieder (1901-5), from the complex but spare Ruckert poems and their reflection in the symphonies.
Various venues and performers; Israel PO, LPO and VPO - Janet Baker, Christa Ludwig, Edith Mathis, Lucia Popp, Walton Groenroos feature; but it is the spellbinder LB who illuminates and delights throughout. So perceptive and richly experienced, after seeing the young, developing and determined concentration of the NYO players, earlier in the evening.
"And I said to myself, what a wonderful world."
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Stanley Stewart
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« Reply #272 on: 19:17:27, 05-08-2007 » |
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Many thanks for the lead, IGI. An order has been placed from the same source + Ken Russell's 1974 "Mahler" which also includes me in a free postage deal. A canny Scot to the end!
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oliver sudden
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« Reply #273 on: 19:30:36, 05-08-2007 » |
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Was there a discussion at some stage about the merits of "I have lost touch with the world" as a translation? I don't find it up to much, myself...
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oliver sudden
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« Reply #274 on: 21:04:58, 05-08-2007 » |
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Anyway, a Mahler trivia question. What's the connection between Mahler's Fourth  and Köln?  Yes, the coat of arms contains a clue. |
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Il Grande Inquisitor
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« Reply #275 on: 21:09:57, 05-08-2007 » |
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Is the link St Ursula, who is buried in Köln and is mentioned in the song Das himmlische Leben which ends the symphony?
Apparently, the eleven flames on the coat of arms are a reminder of her legendary 11,000 virgin companions who were supposedly martyred by Attila the Hun at Cologne for their Christian faith in 383.
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« Last Edit: 21:18:07, 05-08-2007 by Il Grande Inquisitor »
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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 #276 on: 21:21:14, 05-08-2007 » |
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That's the one!
There's a point of view that the 11,000 is a misinterpretation of an abbreviation 11 M in which the M stood for martyrs not 1,000. Seems plausible. Don't know where you'd find 11,000 virgins in Köln.
The mention of St Ursula in the song is of course rather cuter...
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Ron Dough
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« Reply #277 on: 12:58:54, 06-08-2007 » |
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Yet another Ron TTN heads-up: tonight, or rather, tomorrow morning:
2.41am
Mahler, Gustav (1860-1911): Symphony No 6 in A minor
Orchestre National de France
Bernard Haitink (conductor)
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oliver sudden
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« Reply #278 on: 13:01:31, 06-08-2007 » |
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French bassoons  |
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Ron Dough
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« Reply #279 on: 13:47:07, 06-08-2007 » |
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Reason enough for space in the archive then. |
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Il Grande Inquisitor
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« Reply #280 on: 00:10:07, 08-08-2007 » |
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Missed the Haitink 6th last night (was recording the BBC4 Prom repeat - will do a 'Listen Again' at some point) but I have recently ordered the 6th from Philadelphia with Christoph Eschenbach. It seems to have rather divided opinion and I wonder if anyone here has heard it? Eschenbach seems to be leaving Philadelphia under a bit of a cloud after early rave reviews. One comment I read went something along the lines of 'Eschenbach was a great conductor until he discovered he was a great conductor'.
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« Last Edit: 00:13:10, 08-08-2007 by Il Grande Inquisitor »
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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 #281 on: 00:15:27, 08-08-2007 » |
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I did see Eschenbach conduct a fantastic concert in Paris - OdP in Debussy and Ravel, one of the best concerts I've seen for years. But the chap to ask would be Ian!
Anyone here know anything about these Haitink Mahlers? I see that at least the 5 and 6 are out there on CD.
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Ron Dough
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« Reply #282 on: 19:43:13, 09-08-2007 » |
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Another Ron TTN heads-up, but a wee bit more warning:
Thursday 16th August
01:36am
Mahler, Gustav (1860-1911): Symphony No 8 in E flat (Symphony of a Thousand)
Christine Goerke, Christine Brewer, Julie Kaufmann (sopranos)
Michelle DeYoung, Stephanie Blythe (mezzo-sopranos)
Jon Villars (tenor)
Russell Braun (baritone)
Raymond Aceto (bass)
San Francisco Symphony Chorus
San Francisco Girls' and Boys' Choruses
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Michael Tilson Thomas (conductor)
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Bryn
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« Reply #283 on: 19:53:52, 09-08-2007 » |
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Thanks fo the pointer, Ron. I will set my scheduler in the morning (it only handles up to a week ahead for one-offs).
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trained-pianist
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« Reply #284 on: 22:12:29, 09-08-2007 » |
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I listened to Volkov conducting Mahler's 9th symphony two times. I thought it was good, but I am not a specialist in Mahler. I liked the symphony very much.
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