Musings on Mahler

Four is inviting.

One is quite angry enough to prevent me from wanting to listen to it again.

Two is fairly accessible.

Five has a lovely slow movement.

Nine is not easy but has much beauty.

You will probably find the journey through Mahler's Symphonic Music is a very absorbing one ..., which will take quite a long time.

Hope you enjoy the journey.

ATB from George

mahler is tough.

i like berstein and boulez most for mahler.

my preferences would be to go for 1,3,2,5,9 first, and in that order. but who can say how you will react?

if you like maazel, start with him.

Hi Naijeru,

Yes I would start with the early ones - No.2 is excellent but quite long - traditionally No.4 is the most popular and accessible. I really like it, especially the closing aria where sankt martha cooks bread in heaven as I recall.

I'm not sure about the last unfinished symphony, my favourite is No.8 performed by Solti or Tennstedt.

regards,

mat

I picked up an Abbado Viener Phil No 3 years ago on recommendation from two men across the aisle. There are many takes on Mahler but I like this one. Being from Vienna I figure they'd play the hell out of it. I put it on and get swept away.

No use putting anything on today as someone is doing construction across the road.

Newcomers to Mahler would do well to start with the early symphonies. I'd say 1 and 4 are the easiest entry points, with 2 and 5 after that. His greatest works are the later symphonies, especially the 6th and 9th, which is probably his best work.

With Mahler more than many composers, one must confront widely divergent conducting styles. Bernstein, for instance, can be considered very liberal with the scores, whereas someone like Boulez is much more straight-forward. Both have there place. I'm not familiar with Maazel's Mahler, but it may be a good place to start.


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Thanks for the feedback! I picked up #4 and like what I hear so far. It is quite dense with musical information!

In my opinion a good set of generally excellent performances, at a very reasonable price and very well recorded, is the EMI set conducted by Gary Bertini. While many of the symphonies may seem at first difficult, I think most of them are masterpieces and it is worth springing for the whole set and spending the time to learn them and to see how Mahler developed as a composer.

Personlly I find the music of Shostakovich and Mahler quite different. Mahler 1 reminds me a bit of Shostakovich 5 but the rest of the symphonies are quire different IMHO.

James H.

Well I should hope they do sound quite different! Otherwise Shostakovich would just be copying Mahler, though his critics accuse him of doing exactly that. I'm not interested in Mahler because I expect him to sound similar to Shostakovich, I want to hear music that inspired an artist I admire.

We had our Classic SIG yesterday here in Sydney and ended up focusing on Mahler, we played parts of the 2,4 and 5 as well as Lieder.

What moved me most was 2 by Otto Klemperer and 'Des Knaben Wunderhorn' with Fischer-Dieskau and Schwarzkopf at their peak.

I would say that the most signifiant Mahler will eventually be seen as being the leider, and Otto Klemperer was arguably the greatest Mahlerian [so far], able to draw the best from any soloists or orchestra in this most enigmatic music.

Not a surprise really when you consider Mahler's two favourite pupils - Bruno Walter and Oto KIemperer ...

Klemperer even knew how to bring the best out of non-Jewish German artists who did well under the Nazis, and even refered to one famous German Soprano of that ilke - mentioning no names of course - as "our Ilse Koch, well she can surely sing!" and at that said in her ear's shot at a rehearsal! His sense of of irony knew no bounds! Just like Mahler's!

ATB from George

Not to forget "Das Lied von der Erde" sometimes regarded as a 10th symphony (composed before the 9th, I believe Mahler was superstitious about going beyond No 9), a real tear-jerking piece. I have the wonderful version by Otto Klemperer with Christa Ludwig on vinyl.

regards,

mat

quote:

Originally posted by mjamrob:
Not to forget "Das Lied von der Erde" sometimes regarded as a 10th symphony (composed before the 9th, I believe Mahler was superstitious about going beyond No 9), a real tear-jerking piece. I have the wonderful version by Otto Klemperer with Christa Ludwig on vinyl.

regards,

mat

This is a great version indeed, I like as well the recordings with Fritz Wunderlich (my favorite tenor).

Wunderlich's recital albums make me bawl...beautiful....

Of course if you really want to get down there's always Songs of Dead Children. I put it one late one night a year ago and it was really incredible.

I just went into my modest classical collection and found Das Lied Von der Erde with Giulini conducting Berlin Phil and Brigitte Fassbaender and Francisco Araiza which I don't remember at all. and other end of the collection I have Wayfarer and Kindertotenlieder sung by Janet Baker, Barbeirolli conducting Halle' Orchestra

I got the remains of a friend's collection when he moved so I haven't heard all of them.

Dear Glenn,

You will find real treasure among Mahler's songs.

I love the Knaben Wunderhorn songs very much. My first Mahler and still my favourite!

ATB from George

quote:

Originally posted by mikeeschman:
i like berstein and boulez most for mahler.

Which of Bernstein's recordings would you recommend?

quote:

Originally posted by Naijeru:
Which of Bernstein's recordings would you recommend?

Probably all of them (both the CBS and DG cycles) on the grounds that Bernstein was a great conductor with a deep understanding of Mahler's music.

quote:

Originally posted by Jeremy Marchant:
Probably all of them (both the CBS and DG cycles)

It's worth mentioning that Bernstein recorded three cycles - one for CBS and two that now appear on DG. The second cycle was a video cycle and is currently out on DVD.

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quote:

Originally posted by Jeremy Marchant:

quote:

Originally posted by Naijeru:
Which of Bernstein's recordings would you recommend?

Probably all of them (both the CBS and DG cycles) on the grounds that Bernstein was a great conductor with a deep understanding of Mahler's music.

i'd second that. the NYPhil recordings are spectacular, as are those with the Concertgebouw.

Found the DG cycle on sale the other day so I grabbed that one. I'm only up to symphony #3 so far but what I've heard is absolutely stunning!

quote:

Originally posted by Naijeru:
Found the DG cycle on sale the other day so I grabbed that one. I'm only up to symphony #3 so far but what I've heard is absolutely stunning!

Don't know your interest in this sort of thing, but the Berstein/NYPhil Mahler 3rd has the most beautiful trumpet playing you will ever hear.

Mahler 6 is my personal favorite. You will find a stark contrast between movements and conductors interpretations.

Enjoy!

quote:

Originally posted by mikeeschman:
Don't know your interest in this sort of thing, but the Berstein/NYPhil Mahler 3rd has the most beautiful trumpet playing you will ever hear.

I'm not quite at the point where I can judge performances, I only know whether I like what I'm hearing or not. I'll definitely look out for it though.

@2unes:
I'm up to #4, with #3 being my favorite so far. I have heard really great things about #6 and #9. I really like how he uses silence and very quiet playing. It's also refreshing that Mahler doesn't seem to be afraid to use repetition or rhythm on occasion. I have always felt the lack of rhythm to be a failing of some of the classical music I've heard.

quote:

Originally posted by 2unes:
Mahler 6 is my personal favorite.

Me too. I usually avoid multiple peformances of the same work, preferring to have as many different pieces of music available as possible. However I have eight Mahler 6s.

quote:

You will find a stark contrast between movements and conductors interpretations.

A recent discovery was the live performance by WDR SO, Cologne/Dimitri Mitropoulos (mono but good enough sound, live 31.8.1959). Electrifying and exhausting.