Abbado's new Mahler 9

Posted by: Earwicker on 11 February 2005

Just had a preliminary listen to Abbado's latest "live" recording of Mahler's 9th - excellent!

We've discussed this a little on other threads, and I have to say that this is probably the recording I shall reach for in future. Rattle's recording makes a strong case for itself, live with the VPO, and I still respect Karajan, but this one has the extra intensity. Orchestral sound and playing is the best I've heard on CD, although the rather close recording can sound a little "full-on" at climactic moments.

Any opinions on Boulez's new recording of the 9th? I learnt a thing or two about this great score, but generally can't get on with his account; a classic example of how it's possible to miss the wood for the trees.

Rattle and Abbado are at the top for me; being critical, Rattle is a bit crude, and Abbado a bit... ach, what's the word I'm searching for? Perhaps a TAD "straight-forward"?

Bear in mind I haven't heard Barbirolli's classic reading yet...

Earwicker
Posted on: 11 February 2005 by Todd A
When you say Abbado’s latest recording, are you referring to the one made in 1999? If so, that is one of my favorites. Straightforward is not at all how I’d describe it; Abbado extracts some emotional playing from the Berliners, and his rendition of the great Adagio is simply a marvel.

Boulez is too cold to pull this one off. It just seems to be run-through with no effort to display the emotional core of the music. It’s one of the weaker efforts in his current on-going cycle. Karajan’s live account is quite good, but it, too, lacks the emotional element I demand. In terms of execution and orchestral sound, it is hard to fault.

Two other great recordings of this work include Walter’s CBS recording, which is moving and powerful, and Klemperer’s more austere, granitic reading.

I’ve heard neither Rattle nor Barbirolli, nor do I intend to, as neither conductor is really my cup of tea.
Posted on: 11 February 2005 by Earwicker
Todd,

The live 1999 recording is the one I was referring to. I've just played it again and share your enthusiasm! (It's one of those works which I adore, but of which I've never found a recording that entirely satifies me - rather like Beethoven's C sharp minor quartet, Op. 131.)

Give Rattle's recording a chance - I'm not a fan, to be honest, but this isn't typical Rattle.

I look forward to hearing Walter and Klemperer, although from what I've heard of Walter (mainly his recordings with Ferrier) the technical standard is not great.

EW
Posted on: 11 February 2005 by graham55
Haven't heard it, but how does it compare to Bruno Walter/Wiener Philharmoniker playing in Vienna a few days before the lights went out in Europe?

Must fail by comparison, I think.

G
Posted on: 11 February 2005 by Todd A
quote:
Originally posted by graham55:
Haven't heard it, but how does it compare to Bruno Walter/Wiener Philharmoniker playing in Vienna a few days before the lights went out in Europe?




I think Walter's earlier recording is overrated. Walter apparently thought so, too. Abbado's quite easily outmatches it.
Posted on: 11 February 2005 by Peter Litwack
Re: Walter's Mahler 9th

I like the CBS Stereo recording very much too! It was the first Mahler 9th I really got to know, and is still my favorite.

Todd - Re: Op. 131, ever heard the 1951 Budapest recording? Quite satisfactory, IMHO
Posted on: 11 February 2005 by Basil
quote:
I think Walter's earlier recording is overrated. Walter apparently thought so, too. Abbado's quite easily outmatches it.



Interesting, but I couldn't disagree more. Do you have a source for Walters' statement regarding his 1938 recording?
Posted on: 11 February 2005 by Todd A
quote:
Originally posted by Basil:
Do you have a source for Walters' statement regarding his 1938 recording?



His disappointment with the initial recording was included in one of his letters to Katja Mann.
Posted on: 12 February 2005 by Basil
Todd,


quote:
This is among the most compelling performances of this oft-recorded work that I have heard on disc or in the concert-hall: it may become one of the CDs of the year, or of any year. That makes it all the more incomprehensible that it has languished unissued for some nine years in EMI's vaults, apparently because Tennstedt would not approve its release. If he was dissatisfied with the superlative playing and often inspired singing here, he must have been imagining some ideal rendering in heaven.


It would seem Bruno Walter was not alone in having reservations about his recordings.

Click here for the complete review.
Posted on: 14 February 2005 by Tam
Abbado's most recent 9 is a good recording (and with the added bonus of being all on one disc). I like Walter's CBS one too. Haven't heard Rattle's recordings and while I'm certainly not a massive fan of his (I hated his recent beethoven cycle) his Mahler recordings tend to be very good (I think, if anything, he's more at home the more contemporary the music).

It's also worth having a look at Bernstein's various 9th, particularly his 1979 one which was his sole concert with the BPO.

However, while I'm a bit of a fan of Abbado's recent live mahler (his 2 in Lucerne and his Berlin 7 in particular), I don't like the way he goes in for sticking the applause on the end (though I suppose you can programme that off on the cd player).

Out of interest, has anyone seen the new dvd of Mahler 9 featuring Abbado with the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra?

regards,

Tam
Posted on: 15 February 2005 by David Sutton
Interesting post...

I have the Abbado and Klemperer recordings but my favourite is always the Rudolph Barshai on BIS. Its sublime!

David