Mahler 2

[Barbirollians]

Sometimes performances become too familiar and it is great to give the record some space so to speak .

Decided to listen to an old favourite the Columbia SO /Walter Mahler 1 tonight - on the sony double it comes with his early 1958 Resurrection with the NYPO - a performance I had not listened to for a good while - my more recent go to recordings being Lucerne/Abbado and LPOJurowski .

I did not intend to listen to it tonight but the first movement is on the first CD of the double and I found that I had to listen to all of it - very happy to be reminded just how lovely a performance it is with a lovely Urlicht from Maureen Forrester and a " rightness " about it that makes you fall for the piece like a new love all over again .

What Mahler 2 makes you feel like that - if any ?

[richardfinegold]

That was my first Mahler 2 and it was years before I heard another. It still ranks very high on my favorites, but Abbado/CSO is my preferred recording

[Conchis]

Klemperer/PHilharmonia.

[Barbirollians]

Conchis that is ruled out of court for me by the alto soloist .

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Which one won?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Which one won?

It's NEXT week!

[Barbirollians]

Klemperer/PHilharmonia.

There are a number of other Klemperer Mahler 2 records of course - the live Holland Festival performance with Ferrier and the VSO record on Testament . EMI also released a radio performance with Heather Harper and Janet Baker which I preferred to the studio account .

[umslopogaas]

My favourite,as is so often the case, is the first I heard: Solti and the LSO, with Heather Harper and Helen Watts, on two full price Decca LPs, released in 1966. It was the first proper classical recording I bought, it had pride of place in the window of the local record store. I cant imagine why I bought it, because I'm sure I didnt know the work, nor do I know where I found the money. I soon wrecked it, my parents Dansette gramophone was completely unable to track the loud bits. I later found another copy, which I still have. The sound, with a decent modern cartridge, is still astonishingly good.

[Conchis]

There are a number of other Klemperer Mahler 2 records of course - the live Holland Festival performance with Ferrier and the VSO record on Testament . EMI also released a radio performance with Heather Harper and Janet Baker which I preferred to the studio account .

I've still not heard that one. The official EMI release seemed to go out of print very quickly. I suppose it must be on youtube or spotify.

[Conchis]

My favourite,as is so often the case, is the first I heard: Solti and the LSO, with Heather Harper and Helen Watts, on two full price Decca LPs, released in 1966. It was the first proper classical recording I bought, it had pride of place in the window of the local record store. I cant imagine why I bought it, because I'm sure I didnt know the work, nor do I know where I found the money. I soon wrecked it, my parents Dansette gramophone was completely unable to track the loud bits. I later found another copy, which I still have. The sound, with a decent modern cartridge, is still astonishingly good.

Solti '66 is another favourite of mine and one of the best recorded versions, I'd say. Getting o/t but his 60s LSO versions of 3 and 9 (not to mention his Amsterdam 4 - one of the rare occasions Solti worked with the Concertgebouw) have been out of print for a long time. Can anyone recommend them?

[umslopogaas]

I've got the Solti Mahler 4 on the original Decca LP. Its ages since I played it, but I am a fan of Solti and I'm sure its fine. However, I dont know if it has been transferred to CD and the LP is likely to be expensive, if you can find one. The soloist is Sylvia Stahlman.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

There are a number of other Klemperer Mahler 2 records of course - the live Holland Festival performance with Ferrier and the VSO record on Testament . EMI also released a radio performance with Heather Harper and Janet Baker which I preferred to the studio account .

- absolutely (but did you mean "VSO", Barbi? I have the Klemperer/Ferrier/Vincent Live recording with the Concertgebouw from the 1951 Holland Festival - where they also recorded the Kindertotenlieder which was originally coupled with the first release of the recording).

The EMI Klemperer/Baker/Harper Resurrection was another Live event, this time with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. There is also a TESTAMENT disc (which I don't know) of the work with the same conductor and soloists biut this time with the Philaharmonia:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0006IY5K2

I think that the Ferrier is my favourite, in spite of the restricted sound. But so many excellent recordings ... sadly not (IMO) Simon Rattle, who conducted the first, mind-blowing Live concert in which I first heard the work. The studio version sounds all-too concerned with getting it "right" - too careful. I was however very fond of Solti's second recording with the CSO - which I haven't heard in at least thirty-two years (when I "downsized" to my immediate regret) - I'd love to hear that again; I was very taken with the mezzo, Mira Zakai, of whom I've heard nothing since. (The second Movement always struck me as too slow - something I often experience in performances of this work.)

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I've got the Solti Mahler 4 on the original Decca LP. Its ages since I played it, but I am a fan of Solti and I'm sure its fine. However, I dont know if it has been transferred to CD and the LP is likely to be expensive, if you can find one. The soloist is Sylvia Stahlman.

Still available-ish on DECCA "JUBILEE":

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00000E3C9

... it was also available coupled with the Fifth Symphony on a "Double Decca" twofe*r. And (and this is not a recommendation) at this price, the MP3 might be worth considering:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00SXT2OM2

EDIT: * - the Twofer is even more ishily available, but not cheaply, and I was never fond or impressed by Solti's recording of the Fifth:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B019GRNJJ6

[Barbirollians]

Here is the VSO version - Richard Osborne liked it in Gramophone but I never got round to buying it - one can have too many records !

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mahler-Symphony-Resurrection-Ilona-Steingruber/dp/B003KNRKMU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1456335912&sr=8-3&keywords=mahler+vienna+klemperer

[Barbirollians]

The Solti LSO Mahler 1 and 2 are available for only £5.99 on a double decca from Amazon and I bought them after the Mahler 1 thread - hope to get to listen to them this weekend .

I have never heard Mahler 2 in concert - I must remedy that .