BaL 19.06.21 - Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde

[Lordgeous]

Thank you Jayne for taking the trouble to make such a detailed response, most helpful.

Having read the blurb on Ambient Stereo via the link you provide, I think I shall go right ahead with the AS version.

Do I take it that the Pristine issues (as with other similar companies) are taken from Vinyl copies rather than the original taPES?

[Bert]

Do I take it that the Pristine issues (as with other similar companies) are taken from Vinyl copies rather than the original taPES?

Yes, in the main. They are rather good, though.

[Barbirollians]

It depends on how you feel about Pristine Classical’s “Ambient Stereo”. If you think it really does an approximation of true stereo than I would go for it. I think 24 bit mono is a bit arch; there is only so much juice that one can squeeze from recordings of that era and upsampling the daylights out of them won’t change it that much.
Pristine does offer a streaming surface with a free trial period. I haven’t used it but it would be interesting to see if you could use it and sample both versions.
I just read jlw post, so mine is redundant, but she apparently appreciates their 24 bit offerings a bit more than I do.
I wonder if that recording is in the big Walter box released by Sony, a which I have but is stored in a rather difficult to reach place just now, and if other streaming services have therefore made it available.

Doubtful as it is a Decca recording .

[silvestrione]

I wonder if that recording is in the big Walter box released by Sony, a which I have but is stored in a rather difficult to reach place just now, and if other streaming services have
therefore made it available.

I know these big companies garner all sorts of info about us, but to know about your access problems, that's really something!

[Bryn]

Doubtful as it is a Decca recording .

But out of copyright since 2002. I think there are several alternative transfers commercially available.

[Petrushka]

But out of copyright since 2002. I think there are several alternative transfers commercially available.

It isn't in the big Sony box, though, because, as Barbirollians points out, the VPO/Ferrier/Patzak recording was made by Decca.

It's a great pity that Mildred Miller for the Walter Sony recording is some way from the Ferrier/Baker/Forrester class but it's not totally inadequate. Disappointing all the same.

[Wolfram]

Those are the sorts of things that usually bother me, but on this occasion they don't, mainly I think because both singers so perfectly embody their "roles" in the various musical/dramatic situations the work involves. And, as you imply, the orchestra plays a leading role here too.

I've just dug out the Tennstedt recording and I agree with Richard. König sings sensitively and tries to convey the meaning of the text; he certainly does more than just shout as many Heldentenors do. Baltsa's German pronounciation may not be perfect, but she is better than Domingo, for example, and is very moving in the final song. Tennstedt was a great Mahlerian. Of the 21 recordings of Das Lied that I own, I could perhaps be persuded to lose half a dozen of them, no more. The indispensables would be:
Walter with Ferrier and Patzak
Walter with Miller and Haefliger
Klemperer with Ludwig and Wunderlich
Tennstedt with Baltsa and König
Karajan with Ludwig and Kollo
Kubelik with Baker and Kmentt
Rattle with Kozena and Skelton
Nezet-Seguin with Connolly and Toby Spence
And here is the, unexpected, surprise; listening through the versions that I have the one that most surprised me, that I had written off and not listened to for ages, was the first Solti with (the marvellous) Yvonne Minton.
I think this BaL is almost impossible. The only sensible advice with regard to the recordings of Das Lied that could be given would be to buy as many well regarded recordings as you can possibly afford and enjoy them all.

[vinteuil]

I think this BaL is almost impossible. The only sensible advice with regard to the recordings of Das Lied that could be given would be to buy as many well regarded recordings as you can possibly afford and enjoy them all.

... yes, that is the best possible recommendation. Love it!


.

[Bryn]

It isn't in the big Sony box, though, because, as Barbirollians points out, the VPO/Ferrier/Patzak recording was made by Decca.

It's a great pity that Mildred Miller for the Walter Sony recording is some way from the Ferrier/Baker/Forrester class but it's not totally inadequate. Disappointing all the same.

Decca/Univeral, Warner, and Sony, etc. often release recordings made by each other by (presumably financially facilitated) arrangement/agreement. With recordings that are out of copyright, no such arrangement is required. When they release such out of copyright recordings, they quite often make no mention of the original source. The big Sony Walter box is entitled "The Complete Columbia Album Collection" so it is hardly surprising that the Decca would not be found in it.

[Barbirollians]

... yes, that is the best possible recommendation. Love it!


.

I think I already have though last night I added cheap secondhand copies of the DG Giulini ( I have the VPO Orfeo) and the Ormandy.

[Lordgeous]

I've ordered the Tennstedt. Loved his live Mahler 2 - terrific recording too.

[Nimrod]

On another note - there were two Giulini recordings out with the same singers - the DG and a live one on Orfeo.

Alfreda Hodgson is the alto soloist with Gibson. John Mitchinson is the tenor .I bought a secondhand CFP copy a couple of years back - I really liked it.

Interesting that these two singers were with Horenstein and the BBC Northern, too, on a sadly unavailable BBC Legends CD. I love this performance!

[Bryn]

Interesting that these two singers were with Horenstein and the BBC Northern, too, on a sadly unavailable BBC Legends CD. I love this performance!

Ouch! I had better back up my copy. There are a couple available, used, on amazon.co.uk, but very much 'at a price'.

[richardfinegold]

Ouch! I had better back up my copy. There are a couple available, used, on amazon.co.uk, but very much 'at a price'.

Mine is on the Music and Arts label, but I think it's the same live performance

[LHC]

I've just dug out the Tennstedt recording and I agree with Richard. König sings sensitively and tries to convey the meaning of the text; he certainly does more than just shout as many Heldentenors do. Baltsa's German pronounciation may not be perfect, but she is better than Domingo, for example, and is very moving in the final song. Tennstedt was a great Mahlerian. Of the 21 recordings of Das Lied that I own, I could perhaps be persuded to lose half a dozen of them, no more. The indispensables would be:
Walter with Ferrier and Patzak
Walter with Miller and Haefliger
Klemperer with Ludwig and Wunderlich
Tennstedt with Baltsa and König
Karajan with Ludwig and Kollo
Kubelik with Baker and Kmentt
Rattle with Kozena and Skelton
Nezet-Seguin with Connolly and Toby Spence
And here is the, unexpected, surprise; listening through the versions that I have the one that most surprised me, that I had written off and not listened to for ages, was the first Solti with (the marvellous) Yvonne Minton.
I think this BaL is almost impossible. The only sensible advice with regard to the recordings of Das Lied that could be given would be to buy as many well regarded recordings as you can possibly afford and enjoy them all.

I too have just listened to the Tennstedt recording again after a gap of several years. It is really is very fine, and the playing of the LPO is quite wonderful. I was also much taken with Baltsa’s Abscheid; beautifully sung and with real attention to the words. It doesn’t quite surplant Klemperer with Wunderlich and Ludwig as my favourite, but it’s certainly up there with the very best.