BaL 19.06.21 - Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde

[ostuni]

I don’t think anyone’s yet mentioned the Pentatone recording of Marc Albrecht, Netherlands Phil, with Burkhard Fritz and Alice Coote. Excellently recorded orchestral sound (and playing), and both singers are very good - some reviews found Coote a bit ‘detached': I don’t hear her that way at all.

[Barbirollians]

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 regard Miller as very dispensable but not the live Forrester/Lewis/Walter.

My indispensables would be the Decca 1952 Walter, the Ludwig/Klemperer, Baker with Leppard, Ferrier and Barbirolli , both Bernstein recordings despite the IPO not being brilliant the Kletzki , Reiner (both studio and live),VPO/Giulini and the recent Sarah Connolly recording with Jurowski.

[Ein Heldenleben]

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 hereis 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.

That’s pretty much the conclusion I’ve come to after listening to wonderful voice after wonderful voice this morning. The reviewer seems v keen on the Coote recording ...

[Barbirollians]

This is a very odd BAL . The Albrecht sounds as boring as can be . The slagging off of Patzak is unevidenced. Bernstein, Karajan etc ignored.

Ludwig and Coote are the final choices . For all her qualities Coote is comprehensively out sung and the accompaniment is rather intrusive yet is the winner. Bizarre.

[Ein Heldenleben]

This is a very odd BAL . The Albrecht sounds as boring as can be . The slagging off of Patzak is unevidenced.

She’s ruled out a lot of the recordings on account of the tenor. Having been to hundreds of operas over the years I tend to just take slightly dodgy tenors in my stride and this is one of the most difficult roles in the rep.

[gurnemanz]

This is a very odd BAL . The Albrecht sounds as boring as can be . The slagging off of Patzak is unevidenced.

Yes. Unless I missed it, I don't think Patzak was even mentioned by name.

[BBMmk2]

I like the ones I have.

[Ein Heldenleben]

This is a very odd BAL . The Albrecht sounds as boring as can be . The slagging off of Patzak is unevidenced. Bernstein, Karajan etc ignored.

Ludwig and Coote are the final choices . For all her qualities Coote is comprehensively out sung and the accompaniment is rather intrusive yet is the winner. Bizarre.

I love Coote’s singing but even on the “Ewig” excerpt surely Baker and Ludwig eclipse in terms of hushed intensity....(if I remember aright)

[Wolfram]

That’s pretty much the conclusion I’ve come to after listening to wonderful voice after wonderful voice this morning. The reviewer seems v keen on the Coote recording ...

I must say that I enjoyed the short clips of the Coote/Albrecht recording played this morning more than whenever I have heard them in context when listening to the recording complete. But I suppose that's the BaL paradox; how many times have you heard a featured recording, was impressed by the excerpts played, went out and purchased it, only to be disappointed on the hearing the complete performance?

[Barbirollians]

I wasn’t at all taken with Burkhard Fritz’s singing and nor was David Gutman in Gramophone I see. I just thought that accompaniment was one minute dull and then trying to draw attention to itself . I don’t really get on with cool Mahler performances.

[Barbirollians]

He wasn’t which I think underlined the unfairness of it.

I see that Flora Willson did the dire Magic Flute BAL perhaps I just need to avoid her BALs in future . This was really poor.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I wasn’t at all taken with Burkhard Fritz’s singing and nor was David Gutman in Gramophone I see. I just thought that accompaniment was one minute dull and then trying to draw attention to itself . I don’t really get on with cool Mahler performances.

Agreed . Sorry BAL but in that tenor test mentioned by the reviewer King with Baker ( and indeed Kollo, with Ludwig , Patzak with Ferrier ) is better...

[Darloboy]

If I heard rightly, the reviewer recommended Gerhaher/Vogt/Nagano for a baritone performance (2 stars in The Guardian: "The tenor is Klaus Florian Vogt, whose small-scale performance and bleating tone never come close to fulfilling the demands of Mahler's vocal writing") without mentioning the wonderful King/Fischer-Dieskau/Bernstein recording.

[Barbirollians]

Or the live Krips - Wunderlich/DFD or the Kletzki .

Just listening to the 2009 Stephen Johnson BAL on You Tube- recorded off a hissy FM radio - but a completely different league of analysis ( we get all of Janet Baker's versions discussed for a start ). The winner there the live Hodgson/Mitchinson/Horenstein which for all the qualities of the Gibson that was mentioned in passing - is in a different league to it . I assume it must a nla BBC Legends recording ?

[gradus]

For me it always will be Walter/Ferrier/Patzak but its a piece I rarely choose to listen to at home as I find it almost too intense an emotional experience.