Horenstein in Mahler

[johnb]

In addition to those symphonies listed in the opening post, he did record no. 3. Its on a 2 LP set on the Unicorn label, RHS 302/3, dated 1970. It features the LSO, Ambrosian Singers, Wandsworth School Boys Choir and Norma Proctor (contralto). Presumably not available on CD - possibly never issued? That would be a shame, since the LP cover notes it won the Grand Prix du Disque (no details of what that is).

It is available on CD: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mahler-Symp...ler+horenstein

and, less expensively, as a download: https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/UK%202006

[seabright]

In addition to those symphonies listed in the opening post, he did record no. 3. Its on a 2 LP set on the Unicorn label, RHS 302/3, dated 1970. It features the LSO, Ambrosian Singers, Wandsworth School Boys Choir and Norma Proctor (contralto). Presumably not available on CD - possibly never issued? That would be a shame, since the LP cover notes it won the Grand Prix du Disque (no details of what that is).

It was issued on CD, as it's advertised on Amazon ...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mahler-Symphony-No-3-Gustav/dp/B000027HC0/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1506445845&sr=1-1&keywords=mahler+3+horenstein

For audition purposes, Mischa Horenstein has uploaded it in three parts on You Tube ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoJHmLPZO9k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH4TK6SN44Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvhPR3sBxj4

[Bax-of-Delights]

In addition to those symphonies listed in the opening post, he did record no. 3. Its on a 2 LP set on the Unicorn label, RHS 302/3, dated 1970. It features the LSO, Ambrosian Singers, Wandsworth School Boys Choir and Norma Proctor (contralto). Presumably not available on CD - possibly never issued? That would be a shame, since the LP cover notes it won the Grand Prix du Disque (no details of what that is).

I have this on CD - Unicorn UKCD 2006/7. It was one of some 3000 CDs I purchased at auction a couple of years ago - from the estate of a late EMI recording engineer. Unfortunately Unicorn-Kanchana had quality problems with a number of their CDs in that they suffered "bronzing " to the playing surface which degrades the sound over time. This particular Horenstein issue was one of those that suffered and, presumably, leads to the high prices being asked. If anyone is tempted to purchase any of those showing on Amazon you would be wise to ask the seller before purchasing of the quality of the discs and if they are showing any bronzing.

In the collection there was also a Horenstein Mahler 9 coupled with Kindertotenlieder with Marian Anderson as contralto. No.9 recorded in 1966 with the LSO and Kinder in 1956 with the National Radio Orchestra. It's on the Music and Arts Cd (CD 235). And just checking the shelves here I see I have the VoxBox 2cd set (CDX2 5509) with no.9 with the VSO and Kinder with the Bamberg and Norman Foster as soloist.

[Bryn]

In addition to those symphonies listed in the opening post, he did record no. 3. Its on a 2 LP set on the Unicorn label, RHS 302/3, dated 1970. It features the LSO, Ambrosian Singers, Wandsworth School Boys Choir and Norma Proctor (contralto). Presumably not available on CD - possibly never issued? That would be a shame, since the LP cover notes it won the Grand Prix du Disque (no details of what that is).

Not only has it appeared on the Unicorn label on CD. It was also included in a Brilliant Classics boxed set of the symphonies.

[Barbirollians]

In addition to those symphonies listed in the opening post, he did record no. 3. Its on a 2 LP set on the Unicorn label, RHS 302/3, dated 1970. It features the LSO, Ambrosian Singers, Wandsworth School Boys Choir and Norma Proctor (contralto). Presumably not available on CD - possibly never issued? That would be a shame, since the LP cover notes it won the Grand Prix du Disque (no details of what that is).

That is the famed Mahler 3 to which I referred.

[seabright]

There's more Mahler from 'Pristine Classical' ... No. 5 with the BPO (1961); No. 8 with the LSO (1959); and No. 9 with the Vienna SO (1960) ... Plus 3 screens of Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Bruch, Bruckner, Berg, Schoenberg, Rathaus, Korngold, Schreker, Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Liszt, Wagner, Richard Strauss and Stravinsky. All available as CDs or downloads ...

https://www.pristineclassical.com/collections/artist-jascha-horenstein?page=1

Click for pages 2 and 3 at the bottom of that link.

[Petrushka]

That is the famed Mahler 3 to which I referred.

It first appeared on CD in 1988 on the Unicorn label and that's the original issue I bought. I now have it in the Art of Jascha Horenstein box referred to above.

Incidentally, I notice that Strauss' Tod und Verklärung was recorded on July 29 1970, the day Barbirolli died. Can Tony confirm if this was due for recording that day or if it was set down in tribute in some spare session time?

[mathias broucek]

Unfortunately Unicorn-Kanchana had quality problems with a number of their CDs in that they suffered "bronzing " to the playing surface which degrades the sound over time. This particular Horenstein issue was one of those that suffered and, presumably, leads to the high prices being asked. If anyone is tempted to purchase any of those showing on Amazon you would be wise to ask the seller before purchasing of the quality of the discs and if they are showing any bronzing.

I bought the CD second hand on Amazon and one of the discs was indeed faulty. I've since got the download from Chandos (recommended)

[Bryn]

A (minor?) niggle with both the Unicorn and Brilliant Classics CDs of the Horenstein Third is the distribution of movements over the two discs. With both labels you get the first two movements on CD 1, and the rest on CD 2, whereas it is makes more musical sense to have Part 1 (the first movement) on CD 1, and Part 2 (movements 2 to 6) on CD 2. There is plenty of room for the last 5 movements on the second CD. Oh, and no bronzing problems with Brilliant Classics CDs. It is not clear from the markings exactly who pressed them, but it was not PDO. I now note that there are at least two listing for the Brilliant Classics boxed set at amazon.co.uk. One claims no copies available, another has two, one used the other new. The new one is the cheaper. Beware, the customer reviews do not relate to the Brilliant Classics set, and all too frequent Amazon failing.

[umslopogaas]

Thanks for all your replies, it seems to be readily available on CD, but since I also have LP versions by Kondrashin, Mehta, Kubelik and Haitink, plus Solti on CD, I think I'll save my pennies for something else.

I think if I could have only one Mahler cycle it would be the Solti one on Decca. I've seen some people say they find Solti too abrasive, or similar term, but I like his style.

[HighlandDougie]

Yes - the Legends remastering made the sound worse than the version I have (currently only available at silly prices):

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mahler-Symphony-No-Jascha-Horenstein/dp/B000F62CJQ

... the sound "difficult" here, but still "listenable"; and the performance is one of the very best that the symphony has ever received (my favourite recording before the BPO/Gielen Live was released on TESTAMENT).

I've just dug out my copy (of the Descant issue) from the Jascha Horenstein stash of CDs in the attic - and am reminding myself after about fifteen years of not listening to it that, as with Bruckner's 5th (also on Descant/ Music & Arts but then on BBC Legends, rather more successfully than this Mahler), Horenstein just sounds, well, right. It is certainly "listenable" but makes for a frustrating experience when so much detail is lost in the wash of the RAH acoustic. At times, it's a bit like sitting in the side stalls at the Barbican. But, one shouldn't carp - it's the only Horenstein Mahler 7 available. I've also retrieved a Mahler 9 with the Orchestre Nationale de France (6 June 1967), coupled with Strauss's Don Quixote (with Janos Starker) on Disques Montaigne, which I remember as being better played than the LSO version on M&A.

[PJPJ]

There's more Mahler from 'Pristine Classical' ... No. 5 with the BPO (1961); No. 8 with the LSO (1959); and No. 9 with the Vienna SO (1960) ... Plus 3 screens of Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Bruch, Bruckner, Berg, Schoenberg, Rathaus, Korngold, Schreker, Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Liszt, Wagner, Richard Strauss and Stravinsky. All available as CDs or downloads ...

https://www.pristineclassical.com/collections/artist-jascha-horenstein?page=1

Click for pages 2 and 3 at the bottom of that link.

Incidentally, I have heard the original raw recording of the Edinburgh Mahler 5 with the Berlin Philharmonic, and what has been achieved since over that with remastering is a substantial improvement in sound quality.

However, if anyone has a better source of that broadcast (the BBC doesn't), please let Misha Horenstein know. (Or send me a PM) We'd be most grateful. To have that extraordinarily fine performance in even better sound would be most welcome.

Similarly, that elusive Mahler 2...... it must be somewhere.

[mikealdren]

A (minor?) niggle with both the Unicorn and Brilliant Classics CDs of the Horenstein Third is the distribution of movements over the two discs.

This is one of the really big advantages of having my CDs on the computer, issues of side breaks vanish completely and I can play complete operas without getting up to change CD.

[Bryn]

This is one of the really big advantages of having my CDs on the computer, issues of side breaks vanish completely and I can play complete operas without getting up to change CD.

My solution was to rip both discs and back up the whole symphony to a nominally 99 minute overburn CD-R. When it comes to operas and the like, I use Audio DVD Creator to burn up to 4GB+ of audio files to a single DVD-R. The software up-samples the CD rips to 48kHz so up to around 6 hours fits on the DVD-R. There again, I also often write to USB sticks to play via either a Blu-ray player USB input or the USB input on one of the amps I have.