Mahler alert!!

[Ferretfancy]

The BBC Music Magazine has just dropped on the doormat, and this month's cover disc is Mahler 8 from last year's Edinburgh Festival with the Royal Scottish NO and Donald Runnicles. Soloists are Nicole Cabell, Katarina Karneus, Catherine Wyn-Rogers,Simon O'Neill, Anthony Michaels Moore and John Relyea.

I've listened to a few bars, not bad sound but very distant soloists.

I'm no Mahler enthusiast, but felt it to be my bounden duty to mention it!

He does go on, doesn't he?

[Mahlerei]

Bless you, my son, but how can you doubt the Word of God?

[Curalach]

It is, of course, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra with Runnicles.

[Roehre]

Wow, this recording approaches my ideal Mahler 8.

The recording itself is very detailed (listen e.g. to tr.3; and there are 18 well chosen tracks!), has a wide, but not too wide, dynamic range.
I think that the upper ranges of the choirs (especially sopranos) are slightly accentuated, especially in the closing paragraphs, but it doesn't disturb.

The performance is very convincing (though personally I'd prefer the opening of the 2nd mvt taken a whiff slower, and a slightly faster tempo for the closing music, starting with the "Alles vergangliche" sung by the ladies' choir (tr.18) . But I must stress that this is a personal remark - the musical architecture is really convincing). Only two or three times one of the sopranos sings a little bit too strained. Given the fact this is a live recording: this is excellent.

One very little point of criticism.
I know this is a live-recording. But it did break the spell after the 1st mvt to hear the public. THAT easily could have been cut out.

If you are not a BBC-MM subscriber: rush to the newsagent.

[Ferretfancy]

curalach,

It says The Royal Scottish NO on the box, so that's how I put it, no doubt they are the same band.
Bws.
Ferret

[Threni]

Listening to mine now. Seems fairly distant sound wise so fairly quiet :(

[Curalach]

It says The Royal Scottish NO on the box, so that's how I put it, no doubt they are the same band.

Well, I was at the concert and the orchestra is the BBCSSO of which Runnicles is the MD. The RSNO is a completely different orchestra and no personnel are members of both.
If the publishers have got the details wrong there will be much embarassment.
The youth choir involved was the RSNO Junior Chorus which has, in Christopher Bell, the same chorusmaster as the EIF Chorus.
Bws.
Iain

[Bryn]

He does go on, doesn't he?

Indeed, from strength to strength.

[salymap]

Actually it says the BBCSSO withthe Royal Scottish National Orchestra CHORUS

[Chris Newman]

Just listening to it now. At last, Runnicles appears to be a rival for the keen excitement of my beloved Horenstein performance.... with more modern sound on this new BBCSSO version although the engineers are too keen to turn the volume down at peaks. The male soloists are Mahler 8 veterans and excellent with it: Simon O'Neill (tenor) brings memories of Alberto Remedios's bright tone, Anthony Michaels-Moore (Baritone; more supple that when I heard him with Owain Arwel-Hughes about 20 years ago in Salisbury. In "Ewiger Wonnebrand" there is a beat in the upper voice these days but no worse than say John Shirley-Quirk who we all loved) and John Relyea (bass) whose black sound makes a fine contrast. In Part One Nicole Cabell makes a near match for the fabulous Heather Harper (Solti) and Christine Brewer (Rattle). The organ sounds great too (the spliced clunks and unnatural accoustic spoilt the Solti recording for me). The other women (Erin Wall, Hillevi Martinpelto, Katerina Karneus, Catherine Wyn-Rogers) are lovely. The Edinburgh Festival Chorus and rhe RSNO Junior Chorus are immaculate.

Ferretfancy found the soloists recessed. I found this disappeared when the volume is turned up though as I said earlier the engineer (Graeme Taylor) turns things down at some peaks: a lot of the Proms suffered from over-anxious fingers last season.

I have not heard the much praised new SACD pressing of Haitink's recording, which disappointed when originally issued in 1971 and which critics now says sounds like a superlative live performance. I must amend that. In the meantime I have to say the new Runnicles like Horenstein is a Mahler Eighth that I want to live with.

[Petrushka]

Thanks to Roehre and Chris Newman for their detailed comments. Yet another recording where you have to turn the volume up! My volume control use to be permanently set at the 9 o'clock position but these days 10 or even 11 o'clock is becoming very common. My copy arrived this morning but I won't be able to play it for several days.

[Ferretfancy]

My eyesight must be failing, you are all correct about the orchestra, I hope you all enjoy the disc, but Mahler is still not really for me.

Regards,
Ferret

[Curalach]

In the meantime I have to say the new Runnicles like Horenstein is a Mahler Eighth that I want to live with.

Chris, as I said, I was at the concert in the Usher Hall and thought then that this performance was the finest thing I have heard Runnicles do live. It was a great concert hall experience and I am hoping that the disc will re-kindle that.
I have heard him conduct it before, also at the EIF in 1994. On that occasion the orchestra was the RSNO, with whom he failed to connect in the way that he has with the BBCSSO, and the Chorus was not a patch on its current form.
Iain

[Uncle Monty]

Thanks for the info.

I must say the Mahler recordings by Horenstein on Unicorn Kanchana still sound fabulous even after all this time. Even in terms of sound quality, let alone the actual performances, some of them have still not been bettered imho. The 3rd in particular I go back to time and again. But I really enjoyed Runnicles doing it at the proms last year with the BBCSSO, and the Abbado Lucerne performance is wonderful. Also I'm warming to the recent Rattle/BPO one. And there's the Zander on Teldec. . . and. . . and. . .

I hope Runnicles will actually get into the studio soon to give us some Mahlers, show just what he can do.

[salymap]

I'm keeping my Runnicles Mahler 8 until I've sorted out my tinnitus which has plagued me for some time. This is the sort of work up with which I cannot put at the moment. {Sorry, Churchill} Glad the recording meets with general approval though.