BaL 9.04.22 - Mahler: Symphony no. 9

[Bryn]

I continue to concur with The Gramophone Editor's Choice of May 2010. None of that mushy 'Hollywood' pseudo-expression from the strings.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

BPO/Barbirolli, VPO/Maazel & VPO/Abbado here. I think that’s all, but I often forget when so many works are in conductor or orchestra boxsets.

[RichardB]

BBC SO/Maderna is missing from the list, maybe it's no longer available, it has one of the most perilously slow and quiet endings you could imagine.

I guess I have about 30 recordings of this symphony. To turn the purpose of BaL on its head, I can't think of any that I really wouldn't want to hear again, it's a work of such (emotional) depth and complexity that no single performance can encapsulate all of it.

[mahlerfan]

My current favourites (first 2 not listed in OP)

Gary Bertini - Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra
Bruno Maderna - BBC Symphony Orchestra
Herbert Von Karajan - BPO both
Riccardo Chailly - Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Simon Rattle. - BPO
John Brabirolli - BPO

Live BPO Krajan tops.

[HighlandDougie]

Sorry, EA, to add to your travails but, pace Petrushka, Haitink/Berlin Philharmonic is available as both a physical CD and a download (from the Berlin Philharmonic's "house" label - see https://www.berliner-philharmoniker-...ymphonies.html).

Apart from the playing and conducting - sublime - the recording quality in 24/96 HD is very good - gives the sub-woofer a good workout.

The Maderna seems to be available on Spotify, btw.

[silvestrione]

BBC SO/Maderna is missing from the list, maybe it's no longer available, it has one of the most perilously slow and quiet endings you could imagine.

I guess I have about 30 recordings of this symphony. To turn the purpose of BaL on its head, I can't think of any that I really wouldn't want to hear again, it's a work of such (emotional) depth and complexity that no single performance can encapsulate all of it.

But, which would you recommend to a friend who wanted only one or two?

[silvestrione]

For me the Berlin Phil seem to have a special relationship with this work, so nearly all mine are with them:
Barbirolli
Karajan
Abbado
Rattle

All very, very special in my view. I also have Abbado in Lucerne on DVD, where you can see the players playing for him with their lives, as it were.

[HighlandDougie]

I forgot to add:

https://fr.mahlerfoundation.org/mahler/discography/symphony-no-9/

of which, totting them up, I seem to have 47 of them (surely some mishtake?)

[Petrushka]

I forgot to add:

https://fr.mahlerfoundation.org/mahler/discography/symphony-no-9/

of which, totting them up, I seem to have 47 of them (surely some mishtake?)

Surprised to find that I have 44 of those on that list. Would particularly like to have the BPO/Karajan May 1 1982 live recording and the Tennstedt live discs.

(Can someone who has used them from the UK confirm that the Norpete.com site is secure to use? As mentioned earlier I'm getting warning messages coming up that they aren't).

[RichardB]

But, which would you recommend to a friend who wanted only one or two?

I really don't know. Every recording I can bring to mind has something special about it. I think it would depend on the friend.

[richardfinegold]

Surprised to find that I have 44 of those on that list. Would particularly like to have the BPO/Karajan May 1 1982 live recording and the Tennstedt live discs.

(Can someone who has used them from the UK confirm that the Norpete.com site is secure to use? As mentioned earlier I'm getting warning messages coming up that they aren't).

I tried emailing them on your behalf just now, but it bounced back. That may be an issue with my iPad. I will try them later from a regular computer

[silvestrione]

I really don't know. Every recording I can bring to mind has something special about it. I think it would depend on the friend.

Yes, when I thought about it more, I concluded you would probably say that! Fair enough.

[Joseph K]

Just listened to the first movement, Chicago SO/Boulez. At almost half an hour it's quite a bit broader than I expected - more so than Barbirolli, whose version is the one I'm used to, but this was no bad thing. I heard lots of detail that I haven't before, though - and this obviously has nothing to do with this recording nor any other - it can irritate me slightly the set up I have in my room where one speaker is further away from me than t'other...

Anyway, I think this symphony and its first movement in particular is one of the most wonderful things Mahler composed.

[richardfinegold]

Surprised to find that I have 44 of those on that list. Would particularly like to have the BPO/Karajan May 1 1982 live recording and the Tennstedt live discs.

(Can someone who has used them from the UK confirm that the Norpete.com site is secure to use? As mentioned earlier I'm getting warning messages coming up that they aren't).

I sent this to you as a PM but then I wasn't sure that it went though so I am reproducing it here.


Norbeck Peters Ford
Tue, Mar 29, 11:54 AM (1 day ago)
to me

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The rest of the website is running on secure lines with proper security certificates. Especially our shopping cart.

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[Petrushka]

I sent this to you as a PM but then I wasn't sure that it went though so I am reproducing it here.


Norbeck Peters Ford
Tue, Mar 29, 11:54 AM (1 day ago)
to me

Hi Dr. Finegold,

I understand the concern regarding doing business with a secure site. With what is going on in the world it can be scary.

Here is what is going on with our site. When Russia Invaded Ukraine the world stepped up their online security game.
When that happened, we found that our search engine wasn't running with proper security. We are planning on
changing websites in the near future. So a decision was made not to pay for additional programming on the search.
The rest of the website is running on secure lines with proper security certificates. Especially our shopping cart.

This being said, it is safe to shop and check out. It is the search that will be unsecure.

If your friend still finds this unacceptable, he can email(norbeckpetersford@gmail.com) or phone(1-802-524-4884)
his order in. We appreciate the understanding and would love the opportunity to do business with him.

Thanks so much for letting us know,

Gail D. Maslack

It came through absolutely fine, thanks, and I've just replied by PM. Thoughts welcome from anyone else.