Our Summer BaL No.31: MAHLER: Symphony No.8

[BBMmk2]

Just for mthe sheer joy of the way Mahler composed this symphony, although, as Barbs said above, it's still quite a work

[Roehre]

Solti - is enough for me . I do find it the weakest of all the symphonies and the one I least wish to listen to most of the time.

Of his surviving works it's the nearest to what a mahlerian opera might have been (like Rinaldo op.50 is for a Brahms opera)

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I know Bernstein has been mentioned quite a few times, but I'd single out the Video (now available on DVD with the Seventh Symphony) of the VPO performance, the film directed by Humphrey Burton. This was the first time I ever heard the work (c1978) and Lennie's contribution helped make this probably my favourite of the Mahler Symphonies: not the "best", but the one that I feel best having heard.

[LeMartinPecheur]

One that I think hasn't so far been mentioned: the Bertini in what was a ridiculously cheap Complete Symphs + DLfdE on EMI. At least, it was ridiculously cheap but possibly no longer.

I've so far only heard the 8th just the once, but it seemed more than decent alongside Solti, Gielen, Tennstedt and Morris, the other versions on my shelves. The whole box is well worthy of attention IMHO.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

The Bertini set is still available, not as cheap as it was a couple of months ago, but around £20 is still extremely good value:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mahler-Symphonies-Das-Lied-Erde/dp/B000BQ7BX2/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1377974327&sr=1-1&keywords=bertini+mahler

[Nick Armstrong]

The members of For3 might like to know that Esa-Pekka Salonen is conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra in Mahler's Eighth at the Southbank Centre next June.

Only just picked this up, apologies. And welcome!

And thanks for this - judging by the epic performance of 'Gurrelieder' a few years ago with Salonen and the Phil (I went; it's now on CD), that could be a tremendous concert

I lived for years with Tennstedt's studio recording; then added the Solti and more recently the live Tennstedt

Very very tempted by the new Jansons having heard the extract on CD Review - sounded wonderful.

[Nick Armstrong]

I've only just purchased the RCO/Jansons and it's down for a listen next week, probably Tuesday (a Prom free evening for me)

.... and did you, Pet? Do post a review please, as and when time permits!

[Petrushka]

.... and did you, Pet? Do post a review please, as and when time permits!

I posted my review on the night I listened to it on the 'What are you Listening to now?' thread. Post 11226 here:http://www.for3.org/forums/showthrea...to-now/page562

[Nick Armstrong]

I posted my review on the night I listened to it on the 'What are you Listening to now?' thread. Post 11226 here:http://www.for3.org/forums/showthrea...to-now/page562

Oh great, thanks Pet

This is the direct link to that post: http://www.for3.org/forums/showthrea...554#post325554

Actually, why don't I copy it here - most interesting !

Mahler: Symphony No 8

Christine Brewer, Camilla Nylund, Maria Espada (sopranos)
Stephanie Blythe (mezzo-soprano), Mihoko Fujiruma (alto)
Robert Dean Smith (tenor), Tommy Hakala (baritone), Stefan Kocan (bass)

Netherlands Radio Choir, State Choir 'Latvija', Bavarian Radio Choir
National Boys Choir, National Childrens Choir

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Mariss Jansons

A notable addition to the Mahler 8 discography but I rather wish I'd watched the DVD that comes with this set first because I miss a sense of epic scale on the CD. The volume was turned up pretty loud but I found the soloists voices fuzzy and too backwardly placed, Oddly, the large choir only felt like a large choir when singing quietly. At full tilt, I found a lack of definition. Generally underwhelmed, I'm afraid.

No, the big, bold sound with soloists well forward and the choir sounding a thousand strong is what is missing here. Solti and Sinopoli win hands down.

[Richard Barrett]

Kubelik. Sinopoli. Boulez.

I love this work, I think on many levels it's one of Mahler's most original and far-reaching creations (but then they all are!), and my love for it was rekindled on hearing the Boulez recording.