I remember Mahler

[gradus]

I'd not come across this before, it's a fascinating compilation dating from 1964 of musicians who played under Mahler and others who'd come across him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8YUQOos8BA

[smittims]

Thanks, this is fascinating. A similar broadcast, maybe part of this (about 25 minutes) was on the fourth side of Bernstein's CBS Lp set of Mahler's sixth. It was mostly, if not wholly, of ex-NYPO players who had played under Mahler, and contained some revelations about his behaviour in rehearsal. Sadly, I gave away my copy in 1984 so I'm not in a position to compare them.

[Petrushka]

Thanks, this is fascinating. A similar broadcast, maybe part of this (about 25 minutes) was on the fourth side of Bernstein's CBS Lp set of Mahler's sixth. It was mostly, if not wholly, of ex-NYPO players who had played under Mahler, and contained some revelations about his behaviour in rehearsal. Sadly, I gave away my copy in 1984 so I'm not in a position to compare them.

I still have that LP set of the Bernstein Mahler 6 which I bought in 1978 when some of the individuals interviewed for the programme were still alive.

The full programme was included in a CD boxed set of the New York Philharmonic Mahler Broadcasts, which I bought from Tower Records in 1994. It's a fascinating listen.

[richardfinegold]

Thanks, this is fascinating. A similar broadcast, maybe part of this (about 25 minutes) was on the fourth side of Bernstein's CBS Lp set of Mahler's sixth. It was mostly, if not wholly, of ex-NYPO players who had played under Mahler, and contained some revelations about his behaviour in rehearsal. Sadly, I gave away my copy in 1984 so I'm not in a position to compare them.

That material is filler on the Resurrection disc of the Carnegie Hall reissue of the Symphonies

[smittims]

Many thanks.

[oliver sudden]

I have always had a bee in my bonnet about the violin part at the beginning of the fourth symphony. Mahler writes 2 3 4 as fingerings over the D, E, and F#, then a slide to the G and a 2 over it. Which to me (not a violinist!) looks very much as though the middle finger is supposed to slide up to the G from _below_ the F#. Instead you normally don’t hear a slide at all, or if you do it’s from the G down to the B.

I was INORDINATELY pleased to hear in these interviews how Mahler worked on precisely that detail.

Please no one tell me that it isn’t in there and I just dreamt it.

[smittims]

It's many years since I listened to the reminiscences published on the fourth side of the Bernstein Mahler 6 but I do distinctly recall an aged ex-NYP violinist telling how Mahler insisted on a long gliss. up to the G. There;s also the terrible story of how he made the double basses play the 'Joy' theme one by one, and one of them was too nervous to do it alone.