Our Summer BAL No 52 : Mahler Das lied von Der Erde

[Barbirollians]

My favourite Dame Janet recording is the one that was on BBC Radio Classics with Raymond Leppard . The slightly incomplete Ferrier/Lewis Barbirolli recording on APR is also not to be missed .

[richardfinegold]

The Reiner recording that Petrushka mentioned was rerelease do in 3 channel SACD, which opened up the soundstage considerably. It was probably recorded in 3 channels and then down mixed to 2 for release.

[Richard Barrett]

I can't say I'm so enamoured of Janet Baker or Brigitte Fassbaender, but this is probably one of the handful of works I feel closest to. I listen most often to Tennstedt with Klaus König and Agnes Baltsa who to my ears "sounds the part" more than anyone else. Boulez and Karajan: very beautiful too. I really must hear Abbado!

[Petrushka]

Surely the Abbado/BPO live performance must be released on CD at some point. It's available to view on the Digital Concert Hall archive but I'm amazed that it hasn't yet appeared as a CD/DVD on the BPO label.

[BBMmk2]

The Abbado is excellent

Only available from Berlin, though?

[Richard Tarleton]

There is a video with Kaufmann, von Otter and the Berlin Phil, recorded in 2011. Which I would very much like to see.

With Abbado....a marvellous version, I had it on my satellite box hard disc for a long time but accidentally erased it - it'll come round again on Sky Arts I'm sure, I check Radio Times each week. Kaufmann is thrilling - the final verse of the first song, "...it is an ape!..." terrifying. I love von Otter's voice - combines warmth, tenderness, vulnerability, perfect for this.

I've only heard it performed live once - I've mentioned this before - Solti with Baker and...Robert Tear, standing in for Rene Kollo. Exquisite voice but just not loud enough. My recorded versions the usual Ferrier, and Klemperer.

[Richard Barrett]

Many thanks are due to makropulos for sending over the audio of Abbado's 2011 performance with Kaufmann and von Otter. Firstly I should say that the conducting and orchestra are superlative: the perspective between microdetail and broad strokes sounds to me more like Abbado's work with his Lucerne orchestra than much of what he did in Berlin which in my opinion wasn't the best time either in his own career or the orchestra's. Von Otter is also marvellous especially if like me you generally appreciate this lighter vocal timbre. Kaufmann on the other hand does nothing for me. I find his monochrome, baritone-like sound ungrateful to begin with, and doubly so in that he hardly differentiates the expressive worlds of his three songs. However, I didn't listen under optimal circumstances (on a flight, albeit with noise-cancelling headphones) so perhaps I shouldn't jump to conclusions. The recording should however be heard by everyone who loves this work.

[BBMmk2]

Audio file also provided to me - beyond most kindly! - by a fellow forumisto. It's the performance I listen to it most often. Possibly not to everyone's liking in "Der Abschied" but A S v O gets to the very heart of the song, just like Ferrier - and Nan Merriman. Alice Coote (whom I heard in Edinburgh earlier this month) came close. The Kubelik/Baker combo, as recommended by AmpH, is also wonderful but then so is Alfreda Hodgson with Horenstein. A work I never ever tire of.

I wouldn't mind one, if that's too pretentious of me to ask!!

[HighlandDougie]

I wouldn't mind one, if that's too pretentious of me to ask!!

Not at all - check your PMs

[BBMmk2]

Not at all - check your PMs

Thank you HD! Most kind!

[Barbirollians]

Interesting to see nobody seems to go into bat for any of the alternate baritone singing the alto versions . DFD no doubt much the most famous singer of this version . I have not heard the Bernstein which I have read is affected by DFD barking too much . I enjoyed the live Wunderlich/DFD /Krips from 1964 when DFD is in very good voice and I should like to hear Gerhaher's recording . I have not heard DFD's recording with Kletzki either .

[richardfinegold]

Interesting to see nobody seems to go into bat for any of the alternate baritone singing the alto versions . DFD no doubt much the most famous singer of this version . I have not heard the Bernstein which I have read is affected by DFD barking too much . I enjoyed the live Wunderlich/DFD /Krips fem 1964 when DFD is in very good voice and I should like to hear Gerhaher's recording . I have not heard DFD's recording with Kletzki either .

I would pay to buy a recording Wunderlich singing a list of Plumbing Invoices in his shower, so I had that version on a cassette somewhere, but that isn't the way I prefer to have the piece done. I was imprinted by Janet Baker and I just find it difficult to accept a male voice in those songs

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Interesting to see nobody seems to go into bat for any of the alternate baritone singing the alto versions .

I refer my respected fellow Forumista to #6

DF-D with Kletzki is in more lyrical mode, but I miss the fire of Bernstein's conducting more than I regret DF-D's at times more "aggressive" performance, which is only an issue for me in the faster bits of song #4, when he's keeping up with the orchestra!

Having said that, I haven't played this disc in YEARS!

[Barbirollians]

I would pay to buy a recording Wunderlich singing a list of Plumbing Invoices in his shower, so I had that version on a cassette somewhere, but that isn't the way I prefer to have the piece done. I was imprinted by Janet Baker and I just find it difficult to accept a male voice in those songs

Wunderlich sings the tenor songs - DFD the alto numbers .

[gurnemanz]

I first heard this work live at the Proms almost exactly 40 years ago with Janet Baker and John Mitchinson. Standing a few feet away in the Arena I well remember being electrified by Mitchinson's entry in the first song.

In addition to all the classic recordings mentioned it is fascinating to hear how Peter Schreier goes about it with Kurt Sanderling and less interestingly Birgit Finnilä.

For a different angle on this work I have recently acquired and greatly enjoyed Brigitte Fassbaender and Thomas Moser with Cyprien Katsaris playing Mahler's own piano accompaniment. Fassbaender is brilliant. Now on cheap Apex and well worth investigating.