Mahler 8 - Runnicles, Ao3 11/06

[RobertLeDiable]

And I doubt very much whether an Albert Hall recording with two microphones would pass muster with record collectors today.

[Chris Newman]

And I doubt very much whether an Albert Hall recording with two microphones would pass muster with record collectors today.

I don't know. Listen, if you can, to Jascha Horenstein's live 1959 Prom Mahler 8 which until recently was on BBC Legends (BBCL 4001-7) and which gives many "modern" recordings and certainly performances a good run for their money. I bet that in those days there was not a huge raft of microphones.

[BBMmk2]

I hope you're not referring to the Tennstedt there, BBM!

Oh no Petrushka. I wasnt referring to that one. It was the Runnicles!!(The BBCMM cover cd!!)

[RobertLeDiable]

I don't know. Listen, if you can, to Jascha Horenstein's live 1959 Prom Mahler 8 which until recently was on BBC Legends (BBCL 4001-7) and which gives many "modern" recordings and certainly performances a good run for their money. I bet that in those days there was not a huge raft of microphones.

Presumably it's in mono, so there wouldn't have been a lot of microphones. I remain to be convinced! The number of microphones is pretty irrelevant, though.

Listening again to the Runnicles, it sounds as if there's a thin veil covering the sound, and I wonder if that's a fault in the transfer. The performance is good, though - far better than the dull affair served up by Belohlavek and the BBC SO at the Proms.

[Ventilhorn]

Presumably it's in mono, so there wouldn't have been a lot of microphones. I remain to be convinced! The number of microphones is pretty irrelevant, though.

Definitely in Stereo. I have this recording and I would set it as the benchmark by which to judge all others.
Horenstein , my favourite conductor for Bruckner and Mahler. (I also have Bruckner's 8th with the LSO and some superb Wagner Tuba playing)

VH

[Petrushka]

Definitely in Stereo. I have this recording and I would set it as the benchmark by which to judge all others.
Horenstein , my favourite conductor for Bruckner and Mahler. (I also have Bruckner's 8th with the LSO and some superb Wagner Tuba playing)

VH

I have both recordings as well and can mostly agree with this. The Mahler 8 comfortably sees off most if the much more recent competition and has better sound than the Runnicles.