BaL 22.04.17 - Mahler: Symphony no. 2

**Pulcinella** · 14-04-17, 06:59

Sterling work, as ever, Alpie, and it seems churlish to comment, but are the entries for Klemperer (Philharmonia) and Kubelik (Bavarian Rundfunk) inadvertently duplicated? Also, the Bavarian DVD higher up the list is missing its conductor (Jansons?).
I'm hoping that the Barbirolli Berlin performance gets an airing: is it sung in French?

**Alison** · 14-04-17, 07:07

Pleased it's not Ed Seckerson for this one though not sure William Mival has been the most trustworthy library builder either!

I could imagine one of the Abbado's winning and Ivan Fischer never seems far from the medal positions.

Very much a case of different versions for different moods surely.

I think the unlisted? LPO performance under Jurowski would make an excellent library choice.

**DracoM** · 14-04-17, 07:53

Crikey! I wonder when he started on that list? 2000?
Thx EA.

**BBMmk2** · 14-04-17, 08:12

Oh yes! One of my favourite of Mahler's works. Mind you, it certainly is rather a difficult task to find one! Looking forward to this, immensely!

**Barbirollians** · 14-04-17, 08:39

Herculean stuff from EA bravo.

I wouldn't be without

1 Klemperer in 1951 simply for Ferrier an Urlicht of extraordinary beauty

2 Abbado in Lucerne - pellucid intensity

3 Barbirolli in Stuttgart live - loads of errors in ensemble but a performance of massive emotional impact

4 Jurowski - a belting modern recording - Alison you might have been happy with Secketson for this I recall he raved about it in Gramophone .

5 Klemperer live with Bavarian RSO and Harper and Baker much prefer the soloists to his studio account for EMI .

6 Mehta - because the VPO play so well and Christa Ludwig is superb .

7 Nott - a really clear sighted account that unfurls the score but a wobbly alto .

8 Walter - the late NYPO recording is just endlessly beautiful and perhaps the most spiritual of all I know

**Barbirollians** · 14-04-17, 08:43

PS Pulcinella there is a live Testament Philharmonia Klemperer from 1964 with Harper and Baker . I don't know it .

**Petrushka** · 14-04-17, 08:47

As many Forumites will know, I have a strong passion for this work and very large portion of those recordings listed above (as well as some not listed. No Jurowski? Surely some mistake?) My very first recording, and very nearly my first Mahler recording was Concertgebouw/Haitink on LP purchased in 1973 and while it is, like many, somewhat sonically compromised at the end, it remains a very good performance.

The live 1989 LPO/Tennstedt is in a class of its own as totally overwhelming on CD as it was in the Royal Festival Hall that February night, the organ at the end underpinning a tremendous climax so massive that we were pinned to our seats. I have rarely had tears running down my cheeks after listening to a CD but I did with this. For all that, though, it could never be a library choice as it's too individual a reading, a recording to be brought out for very special moments, not one to hear every day of the week.

My other favourite and the one that ticks all the right boxes is BPO/Haitink. Very fine sound, terrific performance from a master and one to live with. Much the same can be said about the Lucerne FO/Abbado.

My bet is that the Lucerne FO/Abbado will win with BPO/Haitink as a solid each way choice. That Tennstedt, though... Whichever one takes the palm, make sure you buy that live Tennstedt. A performance in a million and one I'd choose above all others.

**BBMmk2** · 14-04-17, 10:04

Let's see I have Lucerne FO, Abbado(CD & DVD), Haitink - BPO, Rattle - CBSO, Solti - CSO.

**seabright** · 14-04-17, 10:48

There are two Stokowski / LSO CDs: the first and best is the 'live' recording of the work's Proms premiere in 1963 with a superb Janet Baker (BBC Legends). However, his RCA studio recording, made 11 years later, wasn't so good, as at 92 old age was finally catching up with him. I wonder if anyone is still around who heard that awesome Proms performance all those years ago? ...

Mahler Symphony No. 2 'Resurrection' (Finale) - Stokowski conducts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gv1HMlTU0R0

Stokowski gave the Henry Wood Proms Premiere of Mahler's "Resurrection" Symphony on 30 July 1963 in London's Royal Albert Hall, to a capacity audience of aro...

**Pulcinella** · 14-04-17, 10:56

Originally posted by Barbirollians View Post

PS Pulcinella there is a live Testament Philharmonia Klemperer from 1964 with Harper and Baker . I don't know it .

Ah, I did wonder if there might be more than one Klemperer recording.
I have the 1963 Klemperer and 1987 Rattle recordings.

**Richard Barrett** · 14-04-17, 10:58

I've thought on a number of occasions, when Alpensymphonie does his valuable work and puts up the list, that there are so many fine recordings of this work it seems unfair on all the energy and artistry of all those thousands (!) of people on the list to single out one recording to recommend. How many of them would be "not worth listening to"? I have a few recordings of no.2 (Abbado (twice), Bernstein, Bertini, Boulez, Fischer, Gielen, Kondrashin, Kubelik, Levine, Solti) and I try to choose a different one every time I listen to it.

**Petrushka** · 14-04-17, 11:01

Can anyone shed any light on the entry in Alpies list of the DVD/Blu-ray Vienna State Opera Orchestra/Abbado please? I can't find any such recording but would like to have it if it exists!

**Petrushka** · 14-04-17, 11:07

I bought the 1924 Oscar Fried recording on Naxos a good few years ago for the sake of completeness but have never dared play it fearing that it will be killed stone dead by utterly dreadful sound. Anyone taken the plunge and tried it?

**Parry1912** · 14-04-17, 11:48

I seem to have 17 of these recordings, rather more than I expected

.

Rattle for me. I'm also very partial to VPO/Mehta and LSO/Kaplan (which can be had very cheaply on the Amazon MP).

BaL 22.04.17 - Mahler: Symphony no. 2

BaL 22.04.17 - Mahler: Symphony no. 2

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