Levine's Mahler

[mathias broucek]

I see Levine's RCA Mahler recordings are being released in a box. However he never finished the cycle - oddly there's a complete 10th but no 2nd or 8th.

Does anyone know the story behind this? I'm sure the plan was to record them all.

[Mahlerei]

Yes, it's a pity he never finished it. Of those he did record I much admire the First and Third.

[barber olly]

I see Levine's RCA Mahler recordings are being released in a box. However he never finished the cycle - oddly there's a complete 10th but no 2nd or 8th.

Does anyone know the story behind this? I'm sure the plan was to record them all.

I guess the reason was probably a switch from RCA to DG, who probably had other priorities for the conductor and plenty of other Mahler conductors on the roster not least Abbado who seems to have a 'Forth Bridge' approach, Boulez and existing recordings by Sinopoli and Kubelik. Mahler 8 cannot be the most economical symphony to record! There is a Levine IPO recording on Helicon - who?

[Bryn]

Well his 10th is a strange creature. At first he only recorded the Adagio, then some years later decided to record the other four movements of a Cooke performing version. IIRC the Adagio was an analogue recording, and the others were early digital. Why he did not go on to record the 2nd or 8th I have no idea.

Just checked. The Adagio was recorded (analogue) on April 3 1978, and the rest was recorded (early digital) in January 1980.

[Alison]

He did put in a really rather good Mahler 8 with the Philharmonia some years back.
It's somewhere in the Alison archives.

[Bryn]

He did put in a really rather good Mahler 8 with the Philharmonia some years back.
It's somewhere in the Alison archives.

Seems to me you are duty bound to set it free.

[Petrushka]

He did put in a really rather good Mahler 8 with the Philharmonia some years back.
It's somewhere in the Alison archives.

Yes, I remember that one. It's in the Petrushka Archives as well somewhere. I also recall a terrific Mahler 2 with the VPO sometime in the 1970's, possibly at Salzburg in 1975/6 which was broadcast on R3.

[mathias broucek]

It's somewhere in the Alison archives.

With the supply of BBC Legends having dried-up perhaps "The Alison Archives" could become the new label for the live performance congnoscenti!

[barber olly]

With the supply of BBC Legends having dried-up perhaps "The Alison Archives" could become the new label for the live performance congnoscenti!

Perhaps we could have 'Alison Archives' label with associate labels 'Petrouchka Productions' and 'Bryn's Basement' and my own 2 for 1 offer 'Barber Olly Gold One for Free'!

[amateur51]

With the supply of BBC Legends having dried-up perhaps "The Alison Archives" could become the new label for the live performance congnoscenti!

Has BBC Legends really dried up? We've only just had the tremedous Deryck Cooke/Mahler 10 double album

[barber olly]

Has BBC Legends really dried up? We've only just had the tremedous Deryck Cooke/Mahler 10 double album

Is this not on Testament, not BBC Legends? But BBC Legends has for a long time disappointed with its narrow range of the BBC Archives reissued. I fear that many recordings from the 70s and 80s have been wiped.

[amateur51]

Is this not on Testament, not BBC Legends? But BBC Legends has for a long time disappointed with its narrow range of the BBC Archives reissued. I fear that many recordings from the 70s and 80s have been wiped.

You're right, of course barber!

[mathias broucek]

II fear that many recordings from the 70s and 80s have been wiped.

IIRC they were explicity asking for peoples' off-air recordings.

[Keraulophone]

Levine's Mahler 1 with the LSO and 4 with the Chicago SO are very fine recordings which RCA offered at half price (£1.49) on their first LP release, hence this impecunious student snapped them up at the time. What struck me in particular was the beauty of the Chicago strings in the slow movement of 4 - those grooves on my copy are very well worn. After this experience, I was drawn to hear the CSO at the Proms (Solti) and their string sound was indeed intoxicating compared to those of contemporary London orchestras.

[barber olly]

Levine's Mahler 1 with the LSO and 4 with the Chicago SO are very fine recordings which RCA offered at half price (£1.49) on their first LP release, hence this impecunious student snapped them up at the time. What struck me in particular was the beauty of the Chicago strings in the slow movement of 4 - those grooves on my copy are very well worn. After this experience, I was drawn to hear the CSO at the Proms (Solti) and their string sound was indeed intoxicating compared to those of contemporary London orchestras.

They were indeed fine recordings at a bargain price - this has encouraged me to go for the 1/3-7/9/10 which at today's price are super-bargains. Having only heard 1/3 and 4 I look forward to a real treat.