Edward Seckerson puts the boot into Klemperer's EMI Mahler 2

[Barbirollians]

In Gramophone he said this last month in an article about the role of the critic

Even legends like Otto Klemperer (who conducted the offstage band under Mahler, for heaven’s sake) can be notoriously cavalier in their approach to the written score. (For the record, Klemperer pretty much ignores most of the aforementioned elements in the first movement of his famous recording of the Resurrection Symphony. Now, there’s a one-tempo view of that movement if ever I heard one. But at the time of its arrival, there wasn’t a whole lot to compare it with and the piece itself – in decent sound for the first time – swept all before it.)

It is far from my favourite recording of Mahler 2 but is this not rewriting history ? Is the sound so much better than Bruno Walter in the late 1950s I don't think so . For those who have access to the score are his criticisms fair ?

P.S Its the soloists I really don't like in this recording.

[Barbirollians]

In fact, having read Deryck Cooke's review in Gramophone in July 1963 whilst praising the performance as a whole he is far from uncritical - albeit it is Klemperer's finale rather than first movement he does not like much albeit he notes Klemperer's lack of romantic warmth compared to Walter. He also regards the recordings as comparable.

[Petrushka]

Klemperer and Walter were as chalk and cheese in Mahler (and much else) even though both knew the composer well but from a recording comparison perspective it's always been a fascinating exercise to hear both. There are several surviving recordings of Otto K in the 'Resurrection' and my preference among them, despite the over close miking of the soloists, is for the 1965 live Munich performance.

I don't have a score, nor have I yet seen ES's article in Gramophone, but of the two studio recordings I much prefer Bruno Walter now in good sound in the latest re-mastering.

Always glad to hear both, though!

[RichardB]

This may be a taboo thing to say but I've never heard a recording conducted by Klemperer that really got to me, and certainly not any of his Mahler, in which for me Walter is light years ahead. If I didn't know that both were associates of Mahler I would go so far as to say that Walter really understands this music whereas OK doesn't. What that really means is that Walter seems to understand it in the same general way that I do (although much more deeply, needless to say). Is there a younger conductor around who makes Walter the starting point of their own Mahler interpretation? There ought to be.

[richardfinegold]

I am listening to the OK EMI recording now. One tempo? What is ES talking about? (I am 3 months behind in Gramophone). Not my favorite Resurrection either but mainly due to the end of the work, as I think the first 3 movements are well done

[Nimrod]

I used to own this recording, many years ago on Vinyl, but never replaced it with a CD. I heard Klemperer conduct this in the RFH with the NPO and chorus. I thought it a boring performance only enhanced by the superb choral contribution of the NPO chorus. Just about everyone in the audience stood to applaud. I didn't, until the chorus was invited to take their applause. Solti, Abbado and Barbirolli know how to conduct this piece. Even Rattle, in his early days with the CBSO was more thrilling than OK. And I agree about the soloists!

[Lordgeous]

I think I've heard 'live' Levine (overwhelming) and Kaplan (don't remember much about it). If I was younger I'd travel anywhere to hear Mahler 2 - can be such a wonderful uplifting experience; by the time we get to the coda I'm an emotional wreck! On disc I only have the live RFH Tennstedt - impressive recording which captures the huge dynamic range - this work surely needs an audience, the huge ending without cheers and applause just doesn't sound right. Still, I guess that could be said of ANY large musical work. The end of Elgar 1, Boult, Prom sends shivers down my spine!

[Barbirollians]

I used to own this recording, many years ago on Vinyl, but never replaced it with a CD. I heard Klemperer conduct this in the RFH with the NPO and chorus. I thought it a boring performance only enhanced by the superb choral contribution of the NPO chorus. Just about everyone in the audience stood to applaud. I didn't, until the chorus was invited to take their applause. Solti, Abbado and Barbirolli know how to conduct this piece. Even Rattle, in his early days with the CBSO was more thrilling than OK. And I agree about the soloists!

Sounds like last week’s CBSO/Stenz performance.