Live in Concert 16.03.14 San Francisco SO/M Tilson Thomas - Mahler

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Live from the Royal Festival Hall
3.00 p.m.

Michael Tilson Thomas conducts the San Francisco Symphony in Mahler's Symphony No 3.

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No.3

Sasha Cooke, mezzo-soprano
Choristers of St. Paul's Cathedral
Ladies of the London Symphony Chorus
San Francisco Symphony
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor

Mahler's Third Symphony is a contemplation of the wonder and glory of nature, from primeval life stirring after the depths of winter to a grand finale with its vision of divine love in which, as Mahler explained, 'Nature in its totality may ring and resound'.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I just hope SM-P isn't going to pick out the "best bits" of Mahler 3.

[Alison]

It's good to think that R3 is now flexible enough to take in a live Sunday afternon concert.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

[amateur51]

It's good to think that R3 is now flexible enough to take in a live Sunday afternon concert.

Hear, hear Alison!

And how wonderful to have one of America's top flight orchestras and its Maestro over on this side of the pond after such a long absence.

[richardfinegold]

Hear, hear Alison!

And how wonderful to have one of America's top flight orchestras and its Maestro over on this side of the pond after such a long absence.

Their recording of the Symphony is sensational, in both performance and sonics.

[Petrushka]

It's good to think that R3 is now flexible enough to take in a live Sunday afternon concert.

It is indeed and a Sunday afternoon concert used to be a regular part of the R3 schedule. Sadly, I won't be able to listen live now as I used to in the old days but I will record it for later listening.

[Alison]

I only dipped into this. 'Nothing special' was the first impression.

[Petrushka]

I only dipped into this. 'Nothing special' was the first impression.

I'm not an MTT fan by any stretch of the imagination but thought this was pretty good and well worth staying with. I listened this evening to my own recording and the first thing to note was the excellent sound quality obtained by the engineers, really outstanding. Orchestral contributions were fine, the posthorn solo in particular came across very well even though I know that distance is rather hard to obtain in the RFH. St Paul's Choristers cheerfully contributed their 'bimm-bamms' in the penultimate movement. The finale lacked only the very last ounce of release at that great climax but all in all I was satisfied.

A brave decision to bring such a huge work on tour and I found plenty to enjoy.

[richardfinegold]

I'm not an MTT fan by any stretch of the imagination but thought this was pretty good and well worth staying with. I listened this evening to my own recording and the first thing to note was the excellent sound quality obtained by the engineers, really outstanding. Orchestral contributions were fine, the posthorn solo in particular came across very well even though I know that distance is rather hard to obtain in the RFH. St Paul's Choristers cheerfully contributed their 'bimm-bamms' in the penultimate movement. The finale lacked only the very last ounce of release at that great climax but all in all I was satisfied.

A brave decision to bring such a huge work on tour and I found plenty to enjoy.

The SACD recordings of the SFSO Mahler Cycle are really state of the art.
MTT guests here in Chicago and I usually try to include his concerts in our schedule. I've seen him on a few off nights--a routine Shostakovich 5 sticks in my memory--but he recently led the CSO in Mahler 9 that was followed by about 2 minutes of audience silence before any one dared disturb the mood with applause.

[Bryn]

... I listened this evening to my own recording and the first thing to note was the excellent sound quality obtained by the engineers, really outstanding. ...

Oh. Listening to the opening bars, the first thought that came to mind was how poor the miking of the kitchen department sounded. Muddy skins and over-prominent cymbals. I went off to do other things. Perhaps I should give it another chance.

[Petrushka]

Oh. Listening to the opening bars, the first thought that came to mind was how poor the miking of the kitchen department sounded. Muddy skins and over-prominent cymbals. I went off to do other things. Perhaps I should give it another chance.

I don't mind over prominent cymbals in this of all works. Perhaps I'm over enthusiastic as this was the first radio broadcast I heard via my new Cambridge Audio C651A amplifier and it sounded terrific through the Wharfedales.

[Alison]

Muddy skins.

As sports pundits like saying: 'very much so'.

[Sir Velo]

A coinversation between MTT and James Jolly , in advance of the SFSO tour, is available for download here.

Worth a listen.

[Maclintick]

I only dipped into this. 'Nothing special' was the first impression.

Special in parts, I think. A live performance of this sprawling, magical behemoth is a temptation I can't usually resist, especially with the rare UK appearance of the San Francisco Symphony under MTT as an added inducement. From my RFH stalls seat I marvelled at the technical fluency & control of the playing, the unanimity of the strings, the predictably rich & sonorous brass, but found the conductor's approach soporific, too often under-tempo, & the wonderfully secure playing undercharacterised.

In the first movement, "All Nature roars" according to the composer, but here MTT & his players brought out the vedic candles & massage oil before nipping into the Califonian woods for a spot of Ho'oponopono chanting. In place of raucous revels with the god Pan, we were rounded up & sent on a ecologically-sound nature-ramble. The famous tenor trombone solo, which should rasp like some primeval creature bellowing in the mittel-europaische wald, was positively soothing.

In the third movement Mahler's playful altercations were again smoothed out somewhat, but the flugel soloist redeemed the situation with playing of beautiful poignancy. Things perked up further with the arrival of alto Sasha Cooke & the heavenly chorus, but the finale, IMHO Mahler's greatest single movement - if one ignores his shameless ripping-off of "The Entry of the Gods into Valhalla" at the peroration - dragged, & in the end, blandness ruled.