[Kreisler jr]

I am not sure if there is anything as original and daring in #2 as the beginning (or maybe even most) of the 1st movement of #1, the rest might be more uneven in the earlier work.

The 3rd movement has not completely shed the earlier rudimentary program. (One could argue that most movements in the first 4 Mahler symphonies still bear some rudiments of programmatic ideas, cf. the commentary/"plot" to #2, the later discarded titles for #3). The inspiration was a grotesque picture of animals burying the hunter. Then there is the Klezmer music in the woodwinds/trumpets and finally the central section that stems from the last lied of Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, the dream under the linden tree. I don't claim to know how this fits into the symphony but I like the movement very much

Moritz von Schwind: "Wie die Thiere den Jäger begraben" (1850)

 

[Neo Romanza]

I am a huge Mahler fan and could not DISAGREE more with your posts against haziz. The thread does not say "Mahler fans only." Quite the contrary, it asks how you rate the first symphony and even allows you to choose "Horrible" and "Quite bad" as choices. So clearly the thread is aimed at getting a broad range of opinions, from good to bad, and haziz's should be completely welcome.

I enjoy getting a wide range of opinions, even when someone disagrees with my taste. Life would be boring if we agreed on everything. There would be no need for this forum.

I'm all for differing opinions as, like you said, this poll opens up the choices for those opinions, but It's one thing to say you dislike this symphony, which is what this thread is about, but when you complicate this opinion by stating you're not fond of the other symphonies or really the composer in question, then it feels unnecessary and, more importantly, it doesn't make one bit of sense to volunteer that opinion. Anyway, it looks like we'll just have to agree to disagree.

 

[Joek Baron]

I'm all for differing opinions as, like you said, this poll opens up the choices for those opinions, but It's one thing to say you dislike this symphony, which is what this thread is about, but when you complicate this opinion by stating you're not fond of the other symphonies or really the composer in question, then it feels unnecessary and, more importantly, it doesn't make one bit of sense to volunteer that opinion. Anyway, it looks like we'll just have to agree to disagree.

No, you literally said if you don’t like Mahler 6 or DLVDE then you don’t belong on this thread. This thread is about Mahler 1, so he does belong here. And saying that if you don’t like his late symphonies you don’t like Mahler is gatekeeping which works of a composer people can enjoy. There is no agreeing to disagreeing here, you’re just plain wrong about the intention of this thread and who gets to participate

 

[Neo Romanza]

No, you literally said if you don’t like Mahler 6 or DLVDE then you don’t belong on this thread. This thread is about Mahler 1, so he does belong here. And saying that if you don’t like his late symphonies you don’t like Mahler is gatekeeping which works of a composer people can enjoy. There is no agreeing to disagreeing here, you’re just plain wrong about the intention of this thread and who gets to participate

And like I told Brahmsianhorn, we'll have to agree to disagree.

P. S. Telling someone they are wrong doesn't make you or anyone else right. It just makes you a person with a differing opinion. Plus, it's only an opinion that I shared and if you don't like it, then you didn't have to respond to it. Also, it should be obvious that I feel I've said nothing wrong regardless of what you or anyone else says. So, yes, we'll have to agree to disagree.

Anyway, let's move on...

 

[Neo Romanza]

Does anyone remember the first performance they heard of Mahler's 1st? I believe mine was Bernstein with New York Philharmonic on Sony. This set to be exact:

This set is essentially a boxing up of all the 'Bernstein Century' releases. No new remastering whatsoever.

 

[Kreisler jr]

I think the first I heard was Bruno Walter/Columbia on a cheap and not so great sounding CD of a friend's. The first I owned on CD was Bernstein/Concertgebouw/DG. It's a beautiful recording but I think the 3rd movement is not sufficiently grotesque and the finale also lacks a bit of punch. (I have had similar quibbles with the even better sounding Gielen, IIRC.)
My favorite of the ca. 10 recordings I heard/own(ed) is Kubelik/DG. (I am afraid I don't care enough for the piece to try his live on Audite that some apparently prefer)
Walter/NY or Columbia are also very good but the sound isn't, I don't mind mono for some other music but it's a liability here. (Scherchen's is the only one I got rid of because the sound was fairly poor (mono but ridiculous highlighting of harp and whatnot) and the performance not quite special enough to make up for it.)

 

[Neo Romanza]

I want to tell Haziz I'm sorry for my boorish behavior. I was out-of-line and, yes, wrong for even bringing any of this up.

 

[justekaia]

Outstanding symphony for a first start. It is a symphony i regularly revert to. But of course Mahler has produced more exhilarating or moving symphonies after his first (2, 3, 5, 9, 10, Das Lied von der Erde),

 

[Neo Romanza]

Outstanding symphony for a first start. It is a symphony i regularly revert to. But of course Mahler has produced more exhilarating or moving symphonies after his first (2, 3, 5, 9, 10, Das Lied von der Erde),

Any favorite performances of the 1st?

 

[haziz]

I want to tell Haziz I'm sorry for my boorish behavior. I was out-of-line and, yes, wrong for even bringing any of this up.

Apology accepted. Enjoy the music.

 

[mbhaub]

Any favorite performances of the 1st?

There are so many excellent ones. For an ancient version, Mitropoulos in Minnesota still is quite thrilling, but the sound is not to par and is even pretty bad for its time. For a great modern version is at least good sound, Kubelik on DG is my choice. For modern, digital sound and all, I really like the Maazel/VPO recording on Sony. There is nothing wrong with it. But, Manfed Honeck with Pittsburgh on Exton is quite thrilling, too.

I'm sure that some hot-shot conductor is out there champing at the bit to record the new Breitkopf Mahler critical edition. I heard a live performance of that new edition a few weeks ago, and if you really know the work, especially the scoring, there are some noticeable changes from what we've all had so far. Even a few different harmonic changes. At first I thought maybe the orchestra just screwed up, but no, on the repeat concert Sunday it was played exactly the same.

 

[Brahmsianhorn]

I love the Mitropoulos. I also like Barbirolli, Bernstein/RCO, and Kubelik.

But my absolute favorite is Bruno Walter conducting Toscanini’s NBC orchestra in 1939, shortly after he fled Europe. The concert is electric.

 

[golfer72]

I think its fantastic. Probably the most impressive first symphony from any composer I can think of. And to think he exceeded it numerous times in later Symphonies. Impressive

 

[Neo Romanza]

I think its fantastic. Probably the most impressive first symphony from any composer I can think of. And to think he exceeded it numerous times in later Symphonies. Impressive

Not to derail the thread, but some other first symphonies that I admire: Shostakovich, Sibelius, Nielsen, Martinů, Vaughan Williams, Roussel, K. A. Hartmann, Dvořák (this one gets put down a lot, but I love it) and Langgaard.

 

[justekaia]

Any favorite performances of the 1st?

Chicago SO-Boulez
Budapest FO-I.Fischer
RCO-Chailly or Jansons
Finnish Radio SO-Lintu
Pittsburgh SO-Honeck
Les Siècles-Roth
Boulez and Ivan Fischer are solid conductors and i like their Mahler interpretations overall, although Boulez conducts various orchestras in the cycle.
The RCO has a splendid orchestra and are Mahler specialists. Chailly and Jansons are great conductors.
Lintu does a great job with the Finnish and you get Blumina as an encore.
Honeck is one of the best conductors alive and his performance in great sound is superb.
Les Siècles have started a cycle and have recorded the first and the fourth with period instruments. Roth achieves miracles with his orchestra.

 

[RobertJTh]

Probably the most impressive first symphony from any composer I can think of.

cough Elgar cough
Damn that cold.

 

[mbhaub]

cough Elgar cough
Damn that cold.

Well, that's certainly what Hans Richter thought, wasn't it? As much as I love and admire the Elgar, it was very traditional and broke no new ground. The opening of the Mahler, that wide octave spread in the strings, was so profoundly new and original.

 

[Neo Romanza]

Well, that's certainly what Hans Richter thought, wasn't it? As much as I love and admire the Elgar, it was very traditional and broke no new ground. The opening of the Mahler, that wide octave spread in the strings, was so profoundly new and original.

I don't think Elgar broke any new musical ground, did he?

 

[haziz]

I don't think Elgar broke any new musical ground, did he?

I don’t think he did, but he did write the greatest cello concerto ever!

 

[Neo Romanza]

I don’t think he did, but he did write the greatest cello concerto ever!

Hmmm...I'm not too fond of his Cello Concerto truth be told. I know this opinion is probably blasphemy. I do think he wrote one of the great violin concerti however. I think the overt emotionalism of the Cello Concerto comes across as forced and I think it misses the emotional tug-of-war that is more prominent in the Violin Concerto or 2nd symphony for example. For me, these emotional contrasts are what make Elgar a unique composer.