Abbado's Mahler: Chicago or Berlin?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

(to be honest, I don't well recall the first cycle #4)

Recently mentioned very favourably on the What RU Listening 2 Thread, rfg:

Mahler: Symphony No 4 in G major

Frederica von Stade (Soprano)/Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/Claudio Abbado - Universal Japan MQA x UHQCD

Having noted Richard Finegold's positive experience with Mytek DACs and bought one (with a built-in MQA decoder - MQA being Bob Stuart of Meridian's attempt at a high quality format, now available on Tidal), I've acquired a small number of MQA-encoded CDs, including this one. I already have it as a standard CD, in a Korean remastering and as a Japanese SACD (I am a total sucker for snake oil) - does it sound any better? Hmm, jury is out on that one - but it's still a lovely performance. The Mytek, so far, is a very impressive DAC, though.

... to which Cloughie replied:

Surely one of the most beautiful 4ths ever - I had the LP when it first came out and then the first CD issue. CO Szell and CAO Solti were my previous favourites but the slow movement in the Abbado blew all others away!

Frederica von Stade in top form, too.

[BBMmk2]

A pity that some of those live LSO performances have never (yet) seen the light of day, my goodness some of them were good. For me the Chicago recordings were mostly superseded by the later ones in Lucerne and Berlin.

My choices:

1. Berlin
2. Lucerne
3. Lucerne
4. Vienna
5. Berlin
6. Lucerne
7. Chicago
8. Berlin, obviously
9. Vienna, a particularly fine performance and recording, one of the best 9ths on disc and much under-rated in my view.

No.6 Lucerne! Wow! I didn’t t know about this one!

[cloughie]

No.6 Lucerne! Wow! I didn’t t know about this one!

Not being a blu ray user I did not know about any Lucerne ones other than No2 - hard-pressed to choose between CSO and that one - both excellent but different, there is a lovely La Mer coupled with Luc whih I would not want to be without!

[Conchis]

Look at some of the artists and orchestras the label use now!

Weren't DG the label that put out that series of operas featuring Andrea Bocelli in the tenor roles, backed by some very credible 'real' opera singers?

I'd say that's pretty much advertising how desperate you are.

[Conchis]

Weren't DG the label that put out that series of operas featuring Andrea Bocelli in the tenor roles, backed by some very credible 'real' opera singers?

I'd say that's pretty much advertising how desperate you are.

Sorry - it wasn't DG, it was Decca. Although, as mentioned above, it's all UMG/Universal now.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

No.6 Lucerne! Wow! I didn’t t know about this one!

It was the BaL choice six years ago, Bbm - which at that time raised a few hackles here because it was only available on DVD.

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?7535-BaL-16-02-13-Mahler-s-6th-Symphony-in-A-minor&highlight=mahler

Somebody on that Thread commented I put on the DVD of Claudio Abbado's recording of Mahler's symphony, and I have to say, this is surely the best recording ever! Superceding, Abbado's Berlin account.)

[Bryn]

It was the BaL choice six years ago, Bbm - which at that time raised a few hackles here because it was only available on DVD.

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?7535-BaL-16-02-13-Mahler-s-6th-Symphony-in-A-minor&highlight=mahler

Somebody on that Thread commented I put on the DVD of Claudio Abbado's recording of Mahler's symphony, and I have to say, this is surely the best recording ever! Superceding, Abbado's Berlin account.)

Or spot on to the point, http://www.for3.org/forums/showthrea...731#post372731

Come on BBM, it was only six years ago. Despite already having forked out for the DVD, I got the Blu-ray set of 1 to 7 when it came out, mainly to hear such performances in even better quality sound than on the already pretty good quality on the DVD. The 9th comes as a separate release but, sadly, no 8th from Abbado to view as well as listen to. One has to make do (and it really is 'make do' as far as I'm concerned) with his Berlin recording on CDs.

[Barbirollians]

It is a shame that the other Lucerne recordings were only on DVD and Blu-ray and not released on CD .

There is of course also that wonderful Das Lied von Der Erde televised concert with von Otter and Kaufmann too .

I prefer of those I have generally the earlier accounts - in particular the von Stade No 4 - except for the Berlin Sixth and Lucerne Second.

[Richard Barrett]

It is a shame that the other Lucerne recordings were only on DVD and Blu-ray

I don't really understand the problem though - nobody is forced to look at the screen or even have anything on the screen when playing a Blu-Ray. For me the orchestral playing on the Lucerne live recordings sets a new standard in this music. For those who prefer others, I wonder what their grounds for criticism might be.

[cloughie]

I don't really understand the problem though - nobody is forced to look at the screen or even have anything on the screen when playing a Blu-Ray. For me the orchestral playing on the Lucerne live recordings sets a new standard in this music. For those who prefer others, I wonder what their grounds for criticism might be.

It is for me - I don’t have a blu-ray player!

[Bryn]

It is for me - I don’t have a blu-ray player!

I bought one in perfect working condition (a fairly advanced one at the time it was originally bought) for a fiver, in a charity shop, recently.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

It is for me - I don’t have a blu-ray player!

DVD/Blu-Ray versions have had a tendency to be more expensive than CD issues, too.

[HighlandDougie]

Some of their output has been very poor indeed and seems to be pandering to a largely indiscriminate Asian market.

Hmm, apologies PG. While I entirely agree that DG are in no way a market leader these days, I don't think that that can be ascribed to the Asian market being indiscriminate. I write as someone who is just as likely to indulge in racial stereotyping as the next person - but my recent experience of concerts in China was that the audiences were enthusiastic but not undiscriminating or indiscriminate. Clearly mistaking the former for the latter, Jukka-Pekka Saraste and the WDR Symphony Orchestra have forever gone onto my blacklist for their patronising and condescending attitude towards the audience after a concert I was at in Beijing. They were, in simple terms, unforgivably rude. Audiences at concerts in Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Taiwan I've attended have not seemed to me to be in way indiscriminate, just like the audience in Lyon last Saturday night, who gave Elgar's First Symphony (Elgar in France?) a great ovation, based on an excellent performance by Leonard Slatkin conducting his former band.

[BBMmk2]

It was the BaL choice six years ago, Bbm - which at that time raised a few hackles here because it was only available on DVD.

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?7535-BaL-16-02-13-Mahler-s-6th-Symphony-in-A-minor&highlight=mahler

Somebody on that Thread commented I put on the DVD of Claudio Abbado's recording of Mahler's symphony, and I have to say, this is surely the best recording ever! Superceding, Abbado's Berlin account.)

I can quite imagine. I don’t remember. I’ll have to see if I have that one.

[richardfinegold]

I don't really understand the problem though - nobody is forced to look at the screen or even have anything on the screen when playing a Blu-Ray. For me the orchestral playing on the Lucerne live recordings sets a new standard in this music. For those who prefer others, I wonder what their grounds for criticism might be.

I listened to the Vienna Fourth last night, and the Orchestral playing, particularly in III, is to die for. I watched and listened to the First movement of the Lucerne today during breakfast and it doesn't sound nearly as luxurious, but my Home Theater equipment is a lot more prosaic than my two channel equipment so probably a meaningless comparison I'm at work now, goofing off, but tonight I'll play the Blu Ray in the good system