Mahler alert!!

[umslopogaas]

I've got Horenstein conducting Mahler 3 and 6 on Unicorn LPs. Uncle Monty (post 14) refers to "Mahler recordings by Horenstein" and Chris Newman refers to his 8th; does anyone know if Horenstein recorded them all? The LP sleevenote says he died suddenly aged 73 in 1973, so perhaps it was intended, but he didnt manage to complete the cycle?

With respect to the 3rd, The Rough Guide to Classical Music praises his 1960s recording with the LSO as the best (in fact, the LP is dated July 1970) and the 6th "... originates from live performances given in the Stockholm Concert Hall on April 15th and 17th, 1966." The LP of the 3rd won a Grand Prix du Disque, but The 2010 Penguin Guide doesnt mention him at all.

[barber olly]

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

Did that - not arrived in Camborne yet!

[amateur51]

Did that - not arrived in Camborne yet!

I think it's due at the newsagents on 17 March

[vinteuil]

I think it's due at the newsagents on 17 March

... thanks for that - the BBCMM website said 'issuing 15 March' - but it certainly hasn't reached Shepherd's Bush yet...

[Nachtigall]

I've now listened to my copy – and what a fabulous performance! Up there with the very best, I'd say. It pushes all the right buttons and certainly passes the goosebumps test in the glorious peroration to Part I. Pater Ecstaticus lays on the vibrato somewhat heavily – auf and ab schwebend is Goethe's stage direction and Anthony Michaels-Moore applies this rather literally to the voice – but both chorus and orchestra are superb throughout.

[Mahlerei]

Look forward to hearing that. I do wish they would release Runniicles' Gurre-lieder from the Proms a few years back. Will be interesting to compare this M8 with the new De Billy recording, due out on Monday.

[BBMmk2]

All these comments excite me so much!! I havnt had the time to hear it yet! Tomorrow shall be my dancing day for that!

[vinteuil]

I think it's due at the newsagents on 17 March

am51 - thanks once again - copies arrived here in W12 this morning...

[amateur51]

I hoofed up the Kilburn High Road to WHS this afternoon vinteuil and managed to score the last copy!

Can there really be that many Mahler devotees in NW6?

[Chris Newman]

I've got Horenstein conducting Mahler 3 and 6 on Unicorn LPs. Uncle Monty (post 14) refers to "Mahler recordings by Horenstein" and Chris Newman refers to his 8th; does anyone know if Horenstein recorded them all? The LP sleevenote says he died suddenly aged 73 in 1973, so perhaps it was intended, but he didnt manage to complete the cycle?

With respect to the 3rd, The Rough Guide to Classical Music praises his 1960s recording with the LSO as the best (in fact, the LP is dated July 1970) and the 6th "... originates from live performances given in the Stockholm Concert Hall on April 15th and 17th, 1966." The LP of the 3rd won a Grand Prix du Disque, but The 2010 Penguin Guide doesnt mention him at all.

Horenstein's Discography is rather complex. He made a number of Mahler recordings on the Vox label with the Vienna Pro Musica (the VSO moonlighting) and some for Unicorn-Kanchana with the LSO, Philharmonia and New Philharmonia. There were some wonderful recordings released on BBC Legends. Sadly, Medici who ran the BBC Legends label have gone under. Fortunately, you can get their recordings as MP3 downloads from the Naxos website. The Vox recordings come and go. Unicorn-Kanchana have disappeared being involved in terrible legal muddles with artists rights, copyrights and it is safest to try and get Horenstein's works recorded by them as downloads: on Amazon the LPs of Mahler's 3rd Symphony are over £300!!! It is tragic as they recorded Nielsen's "Saul and David" with Horenstein, Hans Hotter and Alexander Young. Along with lots of great music making it is effectively lost.

The best Discography of Horenstein's work is on Donald Clarke's Blog: http://www.donaldclarkemusicbox.com/...tein/index.php. It is worth reading to see how he rescued Margaret Price's Horenstein Mahler 3 from badly recorded oblivion.

[Uncle Monty]

Thanks for that, Chris. As you say, rather complex! I was about to start picking my way through the recordings (I rely heavily on the wonderful discography put together at http://gustavmahler.net.free.fr/ ), but you've saved me a job!

Do you know if it's possible to get hold of the briefly-issued HDTT recordings? Please say Yes ;-)

For what it's worth, I have his 1, 3 and 6 on Unicorn-Kanchana, 1 and 9 and Kindertotenlieder and Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen on Vox, 4 on French EMI with Leontyne Price, 7, 8 and 9 and Kindertotlenlieder with Janet Baker on BBC Legends, and 9 on Montaigne.

I didn't know what had happened to BBC Legends, etc. Pity.

[Mahlerei]

Uncle Monty

The HDTT Mahler 3 had to be withdrawn because of copyright issues.

[Chris Newman]

The best Discography of Horenstein's work is on Donald Clarke's Blog: http://www.donaldclarkemusicbox.com/...tein/index.php. It is worth reading to see how he rescued Margaret Price's Horenstein Mahler 3 from badly recorded oblivion.

Of course, that should be Mahler's 4th. The CfP one that was faint and hissy when it first came out.

[Uncle Monty]

Uncle Monty

The HDTT Mahler 3 had to be withdrawn because of copyright issues.

Yes, I know, that's why I was asking

[umslopogaas]

Post 25 Chris Newman

Many thanks for those comments on Horenstein. A small correction: I have the LPs of Horenstein's Unicorn recording of Nielsen's 'Saul and David' and the lead singer in the role of King Saul is Boris Christoff, not Hans Hotter. It is sung in English, which it seems Christoff learned specially for the recording. The rest of the cast includes Alexander Young, Elizabeth Soderstrom, Willy Hartmann, Kim Borg and Michael Langdon. Quite a line up! And with Christoff, Borg and Langdon all together in one performance, it is vocally very dark. It dates from 1972.