I've really got into Mahler a lot more recently. I wondered whether we could give our favourite recordings of each symphony (and why) starting with no 1. I know we might have done this before but new recordings are constantly coming up.
Mahler symphonies - No 1
DavidA
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Sadly Judith one of the few Mahler recordings I have had that found its way to the charity shop.What about Muti and Philadelphia Orchestra? Another conductor that never lets me down
It is well recorded, from memory, well enough played but I'm not sure if Muti was/is a natural Mahlerian, nothing really wrong but nothing to mark it out as special imo.
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I'm interested as to which recording you are referring to Merl - the attachment won't open for me!
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Sorry, dodgy link. Jurowski's is a decent version but the finale is a bit of a let down and you have to turn it up a bit (low volume) but when you do it sounds really good.
And even if Jansons aint your cup of tea this is some recording. Terrific sonics and the RCO sound brilliant.
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I like Tennstedt from the EMI box, and Ozawa's 1988 digital recording.
Leinsdorf/BSO Mahler recordings - 1,3,5,6 - were disasters....stodgy, pedestrian conducting, muddy, lackluster playing, and muddy, lackluster sound reproduction..I can never understand why they were even issued on CD....
My favorite Mahler 1sts are:
Giulini/CSO
Walter/ColSO
Solti/ CSO
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I have the Tennstedt box and no 1 is superb.
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Kubelik, Tennstedt, Walter, Horenstein are tops.
Boulez is quite, quite good.
Also, surprisingly, Mehta with NYPO.
Boulez is quite, quite good.
Also, surprisingly, Mehta with NYPO.
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This is one of the few Mahler Horensteins that I am not as fond of. For me the interpretation lacks forward direction. It feels a little aimless.
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I will vote for Muti, unexpected but full of freshness and fabulously played. A sleeper.
David Hurwitz suggested that DG almost had a monopoly on this, which I can kind of see: Boulez, Ozawa, Kubelik.
I don't rate Bernstein (too exaggerated for me) or Haitink (too plain).
I also like Yoel Levi on Telarc (he includes the Blumine movement), and Suitner in Dresden (Eterna recording from the 60s). That, Kubelik and Ozawa (either DG or Philips) would be my analogue choices.
David Hurwitz suggested that DG almost had a monopoly on this, which I can kind of see: Boulez, Ozawa, Kubelik.
I don't rate Bernstein (too exaggerated for me) or Haitink (too plain).
I also like Yoel Levi on Telarc (he includes the Blumine movement), and Suitner in Dresden (Eterna recording from the 60s). That, Kubelik and Ozawa (either DG or Philips) would be my analogue choices.
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I have Mackerras with the Royal Liverpool PO, and have always liked it. (I haven't listened to that many alternatives though to be fair.)
Indeed, whenever I have a Mackerras recording of anything I tend to like it, but never find it mentioned in discussions like this. He seems like someone who turned out a string of good performances while garnering little attention.
Perhaps the thing is that although I might like a performance where a conductor puts his stamp on a piece and does so convincingly, I more like the idea of a conductor who executes a mainstream interpretation of a piece well. Hence, with notable exceptions, I am likely to favour recordings which are in good sound, and executed well in terms of playing standards, but which are not controversial in terms of interpretation. The best performance may often be the most middle-of-the-road in terms of interpretive choices - that's kind of what you would expect: the "reference version" if you like. IMO, of course.
In another genre I might point to Gilels and the Grieg Lyric Pieces. There you have a great virtuoso, who could doubtless beat the hell out of those pieces, and take your breath away with his daring this or that. but he takes the pieces for what they are, and therefore makes the most of them beautifully. There's little that annoys me more than a performer taking an unassuming piece of music, and beating it about the head to show what they can do. "Look I can play really fast while staying very quiet indeed. I'll bet you can't do that."
Anyone got any opinions re Mackerras in this work?
Indeed, whenever I have a Mackerras recording of anything I tend to like it, but never find it mentioned in discussions like this. He seems like someone who turned out a string of good performances while garnering little attention.
Perhaps the thing is that although I might like a performance where a conductor puts his stamp on a piece and does so convincingly, I more like the idea of a conductor who executes a mainstream interpretation of a piece well. Hence, with notable exceptions, I am likely to favour recordings which are in good sound, and executed well in terms of playing standards, but which are not controversial in terms of interpretation. The best performance may often be the most middle-of-the-road in terms of interpretive choices - that's kind of what you would expect: the "reference version" if you like. IMO, of course.
In another genre I might point to Gilels and the Grieg Lyric Pieces. There you have a great virtuoso, who could doubtless beat the hell out of those pieces, and take your breath away with his daring this or that. but he takes the pieces for what they are, and therefore makes the most of them beautifully. There's little that annoys me more than a performer taking an unassuming piece of music, and beating it about the head to show what they can do. "Look I can play really fast while staying very quiet indeed. I'll bet you can't do that."
Anyone got any opinions re Mackerras in this work?
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That Mackerras / RLPO is a real sleeper. I return to it every couple of years and it gets right under my skin again. It's an excellent account but Mackerras rarely did anything badly. Good call, indeed, Al. Listen to Mackerras' pacing on that version, btw. It's superb. Like his Sibelius 2 and Mahler 5, he nails it.
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I haven't heard the Mackerras 1st, and it sounds like it's worth investigating…. I do have a Mackerras 6th CD with the BBCPO. It's sparkling clean and non-sensationally exciting; more like an ophthalmologist shining his handheld halogen lamp into your dilated pupil, rather than for a moment of madness looking into the bombast of your new 1000W garden floodlight.
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Wow, that's the first time I've nearly fully agreed with Hurwitz. He hit all my faves. My only differences would be I'd leave Solti out (never rated that one) and replace it with Linrtu, Jurowski, Abbado (live with BPO) or Nezet-Seguin. Thankfully he doesn't rate that awful Kegel one either (ugh). Also Kubelik's best 1st is the Audite live one, IMO.
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And Hurwitz has rated both the Abbado and Nezet-Seguin highly on classicstoday.com
Listened to it just quite recently. Indeed, it was a very enjoyable recording! I like Kubelik's DG recording a lot as well and its sound quality is a treat. Hmm, now I want to do a comparison listening this weekend...
Otherwise, I've been recently in awe of Boulez's recording. I think it's tastefully brisk, in wonderful sound, and a perfect example of Boulez's skill to achieve great orchestral clarity. It has been a real eye-opener.
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Lots of talk about excitement from this symphony, but I prefer an interpretation that is relaxed and graceful above all. Noticing strong criticism earlier in this thread against the account that is my favorite, Leinsdorf/Boston from 1962 on Living Stereo, I played it a couple of times last night back-to-back with two recordings in my collection that I think can fairly be described as exciting, Ozawa/Boston from 1977 and Gielen/SWR from 2002. I enjoyed them all, but I still prefer Leinsdorf. And I find the engineering and sound quality to be very good, typical of Living Stereo. Oh well, there’s my take on it. After listening to this symphony four times in one sitting, I think I won’t listen to it again for a year or so.
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