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

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

... Mahler's own piano accompaniment.

Ooh! Presumably that's different both from the Vocal Score published by Boosey & Hawkes in 1942 (arranged by Erwin Stein) and from the original piano reduction made in Vienna by Joseph Wöss in 1912? I'd be very interested to hear that!

(Janet Baker in a Proms concert was my first concert encounter with the work, too - in my very first season in 1983, with Pritchard, the BBCSO, and tenor William Lewis. In fact, it was only the third Prom I'd ever attended.)

[richardfinegold]

Wunderlich sings the tenor songs - DFD the alto numbers .

Oh. I've never heard a version with 2 male singers

[Barbirollians]

Thank you to the forumites who put me on to the live 1960 Walter with Forrester and Lewis - very fine indeed despite the coughing and much to be preferred to Walter's stereo studio account with Mildred Miller .

Interesting too to hear the very plangent oboe tone in Abschied which makes it seem this is deliberate on Walter's part rather then a sour Viennese oboe in 1952 as some have suggested .

[Barbirollians]

Anyone heard the Sony Ludwig / Kollo/Bernstein recording released in 1975 both Ted Greenfield originally and RO on reissue were somewhat disparaging especially about the Israel PO’s contribution.

I see online reviewers seem rather more enthusiastic about its 2010 remastering.

[agingjb]

Yet another permutation is Klemperer/Ludwig/Wunderlich (EMI).

[Stanfordian]

The recording I often play is from Janet Baker and Waldemar Kmentt with Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks under Rafael Kubelík at Herkulessaal in 1970 on Audite.

[Barbirollians]

Anyone heard the Sony Ludwig / Kollo/Bernstein recording released in 1975 both Ted Greenfield originally and RO on reissue were somewhat disparaging especially about the Israel PO’s contribution.

I see online reviewers seem rather more enthusiastic about its 2010 remastering.

Surprised that nobody seems to know this one - perhaps you were all put off by the reviews.

[Petrushka]

Surprised that nobody seems to know this one - perhaps you were all put off by the reviews.

I have it both as a CD and DVD (it's included in LB's Mahler DVD set) and although I've had them for several years ashamed to say I've got no memory of playing either. I certainly remember the negative reviews so that might be the reason.

[verismissimo]

I've been revisiting Yvonne Minton/Kollo/Chicago SO/Solti from 1972. Superb, especially Minton. And Kollo not overstraining at the top, as so many. CSO unsurpassed?

[Barbirollians]

I bought the Israel PO /Bernstein recording yesterday and will report back.

[Barbirollians]

Embarrassingly I have not listened to the IPO/Bernstein yet but in a splendid charity shop haul at the weekend ( also including Hugh Bean's account of the Elgar VC which I was pleased to get as my CD of the violin sonata has a glitch in it ) I bought a version I had never heard of and which appears to have also suffered from faint praise - Alfreda Hodgson and John Mitchinson again but this time with SNO and Sir Alexander Gibson on CfP . I enjoyed this a lot - the criticisms of Alfreda Hodgson's singing as being a bit faceless I don't understand at all . I have not heard the Horenstein for a long time and must dig it out but I really enjoyed the Gibson .

[Barbirollians]

In a week of lots of working at home I have now listened to both of Bernstein’s recordings of Das Lied Von Der Erde- I assume that a new one was probably planned in his late DG cycle cut short by his death.

I think that they are complimentary . James King all big voiced and in better form than for Haitink. DFD not in as fresh a voice as for Krips or Kletzki .

Compensation however arises in his expression especially in the Abschied. That leaves me in two minds - sometimes I found it immensely moving at other points Bernstein conducts in an overwrought manner.

The live Israel PO account is generally a bit quicker but it is true that the orchestral playing is a bit scrappy and not a patch on the VPO . I rather like Kollo’s lighter voice and Ludwig is great and more expressive with the text than she was with Klemperer. Bernstein conducts with more electricity and less syrup.

In short I think one just needs all of them !

[Stanfordian]

Since posting about the excellent recording from Janet Baker and Waldemar Kmentt with Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks under Rafael Kubelík at Herkulessaal in 1970 on Audite.

I have become an admirer too of the recently released recording from Magdalena Kožená & Stuart Skelton with Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks under Sir Simon Rattle. It was recorded live in January 2018 at Herkulessaal, Munich on BR-Klassik.

[BBMmk2]

Since posting about the excellent recording from Janet Baker and Waldemar Kmentt with Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks under Rafael Kubelík at Herkulessaal in 1970 on Audite.

I have become an admirer too of the recently released recording from Magdalena Kožená & Stuart Skelton with Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks under Sir Simon Rattle. It was recorded live in January 2018 at Herkulessaal, Munich on BR-Klassik.

Indeed, that is fast becoming my favourite version.

[Bryn]

Indeed, that is fast becoming my favourite version.

I have been holding back from listening to this recording. Looks like I might have to give in and head over to QOBUZ. Hmm. I see they have the high-resolution version on offer at a considerable discount.