BaL 22.04.17 - Mahler: Symphony no. 2

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

For me, listening to the Fried recording from 1924 is like eavesdropping on a performance by Mahler himself. Of course, the sound is fairly primitive - the last year of non-electric recording, the orchestra huddled around one or maybe two horns.

Most astonishing is the Andante second movement, positively dripping with portamento - shortly to become forbidden, deemed vulgar.

21 mins into here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3igyP4a7G0

[Bryn]

... It would have taken a Mackerras to try Fried's saturated portamento with a modern orchestra.

Have you listened to:

or

[verismissimo]

Have you listened to:

or

No. Others heard these?

[Bryn]

No. Others heard these?

Both observe Mahler's portamenti to a greater degree than most, but mainly due to the vocal contributions in the RN and general lack of thrust in the MS I would not give strong recommendation to either.

[Petrushka]

I've just spent some of my Easter Monday holiday having a stock check on the number of recorded versions I have of the Resurrection and it comes to a grand total of 51 including DVDs but not including various off-air recordings. There might be others lurking around somewhere that I've missed.

As so often with a BaL it wouldn't surprise me if the recommended version was one I don't have!

If I was forced to take just one recording to my desert island it would have to be the 1989 live LPO/Tennstedt, most obviously because I was there, but also for the tremendous experience it offers and ultimately that is what any recording/performance of the Resurrection should do. This one does it in spades and then some.

[cloughie]

I've just spent some of my Easter Monday holiday having a stock check on the number of recorded versions I have of the Resurrection and it comes to a grand total of 51 including DVDs but not including various off-air recordings. There might be others lurking around somewhere that I've missed.

As so often with a BaL it wouldn't surprise me if the recommended version was one I don't have!

If I was forced to take just one recording to my desert island it would have to be the 1989 live LPO/Tennstedt, most obviously because I was there, but also for the tremendous experience it offers and ultimately that is what any recording/performance of the Resurrection should do. This one does it in spades and then some.

If I include Bruno Walter's piano transcription played by Athavale and Nakazawa on Naxos I can match your 51! Probably my favourite is CBSO Rattle but this was not love at first sight as there as it appeared to have idiosyncracies compared to what I'd heard before - the CSO Abbado was my choice until then, LSO Solti, PO Klemperer and NYPO Walter being other strong candidates but now the LFO Abbado is high on the list.

[Petrushka]

If I include Bruno Walter's piano transcription played by Athavale and Nakazawa on Naxos I can match your 51! Probably my favourite is CBSO Rattle but this was not love at first sight as there as it appeared to have idiosyncracies compared to what I'd heard before - the CSO Abbado was my choice until then, LSO Solti, PO Klemperer and NYPO Walter being other strong candidates but now the LFO Abbado is high on the list.

On DVD I'd definitely go for Abbado and the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, on CD it would be LPO/Tennstedt. I bought the CBSO/Rattle when it first came out but I've never quite got on with it. Mind, there are many of my 51 versions that I've not played for many years and certainly not since having new equipment so they need to be re-assessed. Rattle's CBSO is one such as is the Boulez recording of which I can't remember anything at all.

Mention of Abbado reminds me that I have his 1965 Salzburg debut performance with the Vienna Philharmonic which comes up better than I would have expected if still falling short in sonic terms of the best on offer. Those final pages are absolutely vital in terms of finding the ideal recording that gives the necessary overwhelming impact and many fall at this final hurdle. The live LPO/Tennstedt with blazing organ at maximum volume does not fail and clinches the matter for me.

[seabright]

I wonder if someone out there is following this thread, or if it's just a coincidence, but the 1948 Bruno Walter / Vienna Philharmonic performance has just popped up on You Tube. It's clearly a 'live' broadcast, due to the audience noises, though I haven't checked which CD label it's been issued on ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH01lR_U8Nk

[Beef Oven!]

Bump!

Looking forward to this, but I doubt that I’ll be adding another recording to my collection.

I have a few recordings of M2, not sure I have an out and out favourite. Like RB says, I tend to pick a different one each time. Lately I’ve enjoyed Boulez , VPO. Rattle’s been a favourite of mine ever since it was first released.

Ivan Fischer, Budapest Festival Orchestra (a fine performance)
Rattle CBSO
Boulez VPO
Kaplan LSO
Klemperer X2 (might have an ancient recording too)
Sinopoli Philharmonia
Bernstein NYP (Sony)
Gergiev LSO

No Kubelik, Tennstedt, Kaplan VPO, Haitink or Maazel.

[DracoM]

So to analyse and present a review of recordings - like just a few! - of one of the biggest, most complex symphonic structures, we have:
[a] NOT in a BBC studio but live with a live audience
[b] AMcG's non-stop interrupting and adlibbing
[c] Mr Myval sounding as if throat on last legs, and singularly either under-scripted or a bit fazed by the location etc [see above].

i.e. as far as possible from the best conditions to review Mahler 2 - of all the works they could have scheduled for this 'Record Shop' Day - as you could get.


You couldn't make it up.

[Beef Oven!]

My glass is half-full, not half empty.

Back on topic, I can’t help feeling that Karajan would have delivered something special in this work.

[DracoM]

Yes, truly delighted the piece is getting a work out, don't get me wrong, but, honestly......in these conditions...?? Maybe that sharpens the frustrations?

[LeMartinPecheur]

Is it BBC cutbacks that are preventing Mr Mival being given a much-needed glass of water?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

My glass is half-full, not half empty.

Is it BBC cutbacks that are preventing Mr Mival being given a much-needed glass of water?

[Beef Oven!]

...... don't get me wrong, but, honestly......in these conditions...?? Maybe that sharpens the frustrations?