Mahler: Symphonies No. 1 & No. 2; Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Oh baby, this is really good! Bruno Walter was a disciple of Big Man Gustav himself, and at the very end of his life, in the early 1960s, he recorded these two stereo performances that have come up sounding magnificent in this new digital transfer. Anyone who had those grotty-sounding old Odyssey LPs will be shocked by the vividness and depth of sound on these old master tapes. In particular, someone has come up with an amazing organ presence at the end of the Resurrection Symphony that outclasses most modern digital recordings. Where has it been all these years? You simply can't like Mahler and not own these recordings. At midprice, why wait? --David Hurwitz

Amazon.com
Bruno Walter's 1961 account of Symphony No. 1 was the loving reminiscence of a man in his mid-eighties, one who not only had a vivid memory of the composer, but also of the youthful emotions the music is about. It is an unabashedly Romantic reading of the score--passionate, grandly phrased, and almost Straussian in its warmth of sound, but with irresistible momentum as well. Walter's 1958 recording of the Resurrection Symphony remains among the best as well, notable for its generosity of spirit... read more

Mahler: Symphonies No. 1 & No. 2; Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen

Tracks:

Also Sprach Zarathustra (Sunrise) - R. Strauss
Mars (The Planets) - Holst
Overture 1812 - Tchaikovsky
Entry Of The Gladiadtors - Fucik
Sabre Dance - Khachaturian
Procession Of The Sardar - Ippolitov Ivanov
Night On Bald Mountain - Mussorgsky
Anvil Chor (II Trovatore) - Verdi
The Thunderer March - Sousa
Thunder & Lightening Polka - J. Strauss
Prelude To Act III : Lohengrin - Wagner
The Ride Of The Valkryies - Wagner
Montagues & Capulets (Romeo & Juliet Ballet Suite) - Prokofiev
The Storm: Symphony No. 6 In F Major, 'Pastorale' - Beethoven
Rondeau - Edward Carroll
Overture: Fireworks Music - Handel
March To The Scaffold: Symphonie Fantastique - Berlioz
LesToreadors - Bizet
William Tell Overture: Finale - Rossini
Revolutionary Study - Abbey Simon
Fanfare For The Common Man - Copland
Sym No. 1 'Titan' IV Sturmisch Bewegt (Excerpt) - Mahler
Augurs Of Spring From Rite Of Spring - Stravinsky
Russian Dance From Petrouchka - Stravinsky
The Great Gate At Kiev From Pictures At An Exhibition - Mussorgsky

Customer Reviews:

Good selection.......2005-10-02

I bought this CD to use in my classroom as listening examples. I'm not just a super big fan of some of the performances, but they are all good and for the price you can't beat it. That's why I gave it 5 stars. It's worth more than it costs by far.

thunderous applause.......2005-08-31

This is a who's-who of great pieces of music you have heard all of your life, and never knew the names and stories! I listened to it over and over in the car and had my own concert! A friend borrowed it to add music to his Home Movies and it was perfect!

Good Music at a Great Price.......2004-03-06

I bought this CD mostly for "Entry of the Gladiators," which everyone will recognize as classic circus music. The performance on this CD (by Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops) is the best available version of Entry of the Gladiators. The rest of the CD offers mostly excerpts of classical music.

You will like this!.......2004-02-19

I had purchased an abundance of the "Favorites" collection and some were better than others.

This CD is at the top of them all. They may be short, but not that short. Wondrous music.

I can almost guarantee that you will like this music.
Well worth the price!

Good for the novice.......2002-06-08

The recordings on this disc are pretty good. However, the editors selected only the *loud* parts, as indicated by the title. I was pretty disappointed to find that the pieces are, in many cases, edited to reflect the most famous themes, etc, instead of including the whole work. In general, I would recommend this to the classical music novice, or someone who wants to expand their knowledge of classical music in general. Those who already are familiar with these pieces will probably feel gypped.

Average customer rating:

Groundbreaking but partly outdated
Outstanding Mahler Compilation
Bernstein or Tennstedt: read on....
Comparing the two Bernstein Mahler cycles
Mahler complete symphonies.

Mahler: The Complete Symphonies
Dame Janet Baker , Jennie Tourel , Lili Chookasian , Martha Lipton , Israel Philharmonic Orchestra , New York Philharmonic , Hans Vollenweider , Adele Addison , Dame Gwyneth Jones , Erna Spoorenberg , Lee Venora , Lucine Amara , Reri Grist , John Mitchinson , and Richard Tucker
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Mendelssohn: 5 Symphonies; 7 Overtures
Schubert: 8 Symphonies
Bruckner: The Complete Symphonies
Johannes Brahms: The Symphonies
Dvorák: The Symphonies

ASIN: B0000589BP
Release Date: 2001-01-30

Tracks:

Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt I: Langsam. Schleppend. Wie Ein Naturlaut - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt I: Immer Sehr Gemachlich - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt I: Sehr Gemachlich - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt I: Vorwats Dragend - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt II: Kraftig Bewegt - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt II: Trio. Recht Gemachlich - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt II: Tempo Primo - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt III: Feierlich Und Gemessen, Ohne Zu Schleppen - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt III: A Tempo. Ziemlich Langsam - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt III: Sehr Einfach Und Schlicht Wie Eine Volksweise - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt III: Weider Etwas Bewegter, Wie Im Anfang - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt IV: Sturmisch Bewegt - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt IV: Sehr Gesangvoll - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt IV: Wieder Wie Zu Angang. Sturmisch Bewegt - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt IV: Sehr Langsam - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt IV: Wieder Vorwarts Drangend - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.10, 'Adagio': Andante - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.10, 'Adagio': Andante Come Prima - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.10, 'Adagio': A Tempo (Fliessend) - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.10, 'Adagio': Measure 104 - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.10, 'Adagio': Measure 194 - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.10, 'Adagio': A Tempo - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein

Tracks:

Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt I: Allegro Maestoso - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt I: Sehr Massig Und Zuruckhaltend - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt I: Schnell - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt I: Tempo I - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt I: Tempo Sostenuto - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt II: Andante Moderato - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt II: Energisch Bewegt - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt II: Wieder In's Tempo Zuruckgehen. Tempo I - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt III: In Ruhig Fliessender Bewegung - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt III: Vorwarts - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt III: Zum Tempo I. Zuruckkehren - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan

Tracks:

Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt IV: ' Urlicht' - Sehr Feierlich, Aber Schlicht - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt IV: Etwas Bewegter - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt V: Im Tempo Des Scherzos. Wild Herausfahrend - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt V: Langsam - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt V: Im Anfang Sehr Zuruckgehalten - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt V: Maestoso - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt V: Wieder Zuruckhaltend - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt V: Sehr Langsam Und Gedehnt - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt V: Langsam. Misterioso - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt V: Etwas Bewegter 'O Glaube' - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt V: Mit Aufschwung, Aber Nicht Eilen 'O Schmerz!' - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt V: Piu Mosso 'Sterben' - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
Sym No.5 in c#: IV. Adagietto. Sehr Langsam - New York PO/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand', Part One: Veni, Creator Spiritus! - Adele Addison/Lucine Amara/Lili Chookasian/Jennie Tourel/Richard Tucker/Ezio Flagello...
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand', Part One: Imple Superna Gratia - Adele Addison/Lucine Amara/Lili Chookasian/Jennie Tourel/Richard Tucker/Ezio Flagello...
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand', Part One: Infirma Nostri Corporis - Adele Addison/Lucine Amara/Lili Chookasian/Jennie Tourel/Richard Tucker/Ezio Flagello...
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand', Part One: Tempo I. (Allegro, Etwas Hastig) - Adele Addison/Lucine Amara/Lili Chookasian/Jennie Tourel/Richard Tucker/Ezio Flagello...
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand', Part One: Infirma Nostri Corporis - Adele Addison/Lucine Amara/Lili Chookasian/Jennie Tourel/Richard Tucker/Ezio Flagello...
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand', Part One: Accende Lumen Sensibus - Adele Addison/Lucine Amara/Lili Chookasian/Jennie Tourel/Richard Tucker/Ezio Flagello...
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand', Part One: Qui Paraclitus Deceris - Adele Addison/Lucine Amara/Lili Chookasian/Jennie Tourel/Richard Tucker/Ezio Flagello...
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand', Part One: Gloria Patri Domino - Adele Addison/Lucine Amara/Lili Chookasian/Jennie Tourel/Richard Tucker/Ezio Flagello...

Tracks:

Sym No.3 in d, Part One: Movt I: Kraftig. Entschieden - John Ware
Sym No.3 in d, Part One: Movt I: Langsam. Schwer - John Ware
Sym No.3 in d, Part One: Movt I: Tempo I - John Ware
Sym No.3 in d, Part One: Movt I: A Tempo - John Ware
Sym No.3 in d, Part One: Movt I: Immer Dasselbe Tempo (Marsch). Nicht Eilen - John Ware
Sym No.3 in d, Part One: Movt I: Im Alten Marschtempo (Allegro Moderato) - John Ware
Sym No.3 in d, Part One: Movt I: Tempo I - John Ware
Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt II: Tempo Di Menuetto. Sehr Massig - John Ware
Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt II: A Tempo - John Ware
Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt II: Ganz Plotzlich Gemachlich. Tempo Di Menuetto - John Ware
Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt III: Comodo. Scherzando. Ohne Hast - John Ware
Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt III: Wieder Sehr Gemachlilch, Wie Zu Anfang - John Ware
Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt III: Etwas Zuruckhaltend - Sehr Gemachlich - John Ware
Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt III: Tempo I. Mit Geheimnisvolles Hast! - Martha Lipton/Women's Chor Of The Schola Cantorum/Hugh Ross...
Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt III: Wieder Sehr Gemachlich, Beinahe Langsam - Martha Lipton/Women's Chor Of The Schola Cantorum/Hugh Ross...
Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt IV: Sehr Langsam. Misterioso. Durchaus Ppp - Martha Lipton/Women's Chor Of The Schola Cantorum/Hugh Ross...
Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt IV: Piu Mosso Subito - Martha Lipton/Women's Chor Of The Schola Cantorum/Hugh Ross...
Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt V: Lustig Im Tempo Und Keck Im Ausdruck - Martha Lipton/Women's Chor Of The Schola Cantorum/Hugh Ross...

Tracks:

Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt VI: Langsam. Ruhevoll. Empfunden - Martha Lipton/Women's Chor Of The Schola Cantorum/Hugh Ross...
Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt VI: Nicht Mehr So Breit - Martha Lipton/Women's Chor Of The Schola Cantorum/Hugh Ross...
Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt VI: Tempo I. Ruhevoll! - Martha Lipton/Women's Chor Of The Schola Cantorum/Hugh Ross...
Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt VI: A Tempo (Etwas Bewegter) - Martha Lipton/Women's Chor Of The Schola Cantorum/Hugh Ross...
Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt VI: Tempo I - Martha Lipton/Women's Chor Of The Schola Cantorum/Hugh Ross...
Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt VI: Langsam. Tempo I - Martha Lipton/Women's Chor Of The Schola Cantorum/Hugh Ross...
Three Ruckert Songs: Ich Atmet Einen Linden Duft - Jennie Tourel
Three Ruckert Songs: Ich Bin Der Welt Abhanden Gekommen - Jennie Tourel
Three Ruckert Songs: Um Mitternacht - Jennie Tourel
Des Knaben Wunderhorn: Das Irdische Leben - Jennie Tourel
Kindertotenlieder: Nun Will Die Sonn' So Hell Aufgeh'n! - Jennie Tourel
Kindertotenlieder: Nun Seh' Ich Wohl, Warum So Dunkle Flammen - Jennie Tourel
Kindertotenlieder: Wenn Dein Mutterlein - Jennie Tourel
Kindertotenlieder: Oft Denk' Ich, Sie Sind Nur Ausgegangen - Jennie Tourel
Kindertotenlieder: In Diesem Wetter! - Jennie Tourel

Tracks:

Sym No.4 in G: Movt I: Bedachtig. Nicht Eilen - Reri Grist
Sym No.4 in G: Movt I: Tempo I - Reri Grist
Sym No.4 in G: Movt I: Wieder Wie Zu Anfang. Sehr Gemachlich, Behaglich - Reri Grist
Sym No.4 in G: Movt I: Wieder Plotzlich Langsam Und Bedachtig - Reri Grist
Sym No.4 in G: Movt II: In Gemachlicher Bewegung. Ohne Hast - Reri Grist
Sym No.4 in G: Movt II: Nicht Eilen - Reri Grist
Sym No.4 in G: Movt III: Ruhevoll - Reri Grist
Sym No.4 in G: Movt III: Viel Langsamer - Reri Grist
Sym No.4 in G: Movt III: Anmutig Bewegt - Reri Grist
Sym No.4 in G: Movt III: Andante - Reri Grist
Sym No.4 in G: Movt III: Vorwarts. Poco Piu Mosso - Reri Grist
Sym No.4 in G: Movt IV: Sehr Behaglich - Reri Grist
Sym No.4 in G: Movt IV: Wieder Lebhaft - Reri Grist
Sym No.4 in G: Movt IV: Tempo I. Sehr Zart Und Geheimnisvoll Bis Zum Schluss - Reri Grist

Tracks:

Sym No.5 in c#: Part I: I. Trauermarsch. In Gemessenem Schritt. Streng. Wie Ein Kondukt - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.5 in c#: Part I: II. Sturmisch Bewegt. Mit Grosster Vehemenz - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.5 in c#: Part II: III. Scherzo. Kraftig, Nicht Zu Schnell - James Chambers
Sym No.5 in c#: Part III: IV. Adagietto. Sehr Langsam - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.5 in c#: Part III: V. Rondo-Finale. Allegro - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein

Tracks:

Sym No.6 in a 'Tragic': I. Allegro Energico, Ma Non Troppo (Heftig, Aber Markig) - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.6 in a 'Tragic': II. Scherzo. Wuchtig - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.6 in a 'Tragic': III. Andante Moderato - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.6 in a 'Tragic': IV. Finale. Allegro Moderato - Allegro Energico - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein

Tracks:

Sym No.7 in e: Movt I: Langsam (Adagio) - Raymond Sabinsky
Sym No.7 in e: Movt I: Nicht Schleppen - Raymond Sabinsky
Sym No.7 in e: Movt I: Allegro Risoluto, Ma Non Troppo - Raymond Sabinsky
Sym No.7 in e: Movt I: A Tempo (Sempre L'istesso) - Raymond Sabinsky
Sym No.7 in e: Movt I: Subito Allegro I. Ziemlich Ruhig - Raymond Sabinsky
Sym No.7 in e: Movt I: Adagio (Tempo Der Einleitung) - Raymond Sabinsky
Sym No.7 in e: Movt I: Maestoso. Allegro Come Prima - Raymond Sabinsky
Sym No.7 in e: Movt II: Nachtmusik I. Allegro Moderato - Raymond Sabinsky
Sym No.7 in e: Movt II: Sempre L'istesso Tempo. Nicht Eilen, Sehr Gemachlich - Raymond Sabinsky
Sym No.7 in e: Movt II: Tempo - Raymond Sabinsky
Sym No.7 in e: Movt III: Scherzo. Schattenhaft, Fliessend, Aber Nicht Zu Schnell - Raymond Sabinsky
Sym No.7 in e: Movt III: Trio - Raymond Sabinsky
Sym No.7 in e: Movt III: Wieder Wie Zu Anfang (Nicht Eilen) - Raymond Sabinsky
Sym No.7 in e: Movt IV: Nachtmusik II. Andante Amoroso - Raymond Sabinsky
Sym No.7 in e: Movt IV: (Figure 197) - Raymond Sabinsky
Sym No.7 in e: Movt V: Rondo-Finale. Tempo I (Allegro Ordinario) - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.7 in e: Movt V: Gemessen! Nicht Schnell! Tempo II (Allegro Moderato Ma Energico) - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.7 in e: Movt V: Tempo I (Halbe Wie Die Viertel Des Tempo I) - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.7 in e: Movt V: Sempre L'istesso Tempo - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein

Tracks:

Kindertotenlieder: Nun Will Die Sonn' So Hell Aufgeh'n! - Janet Baker
Kindertotenlieder: Nun Seh' Ich Wohl, Warum So Dunkle Flammen - Janet Baker
Kindertotenlieder: Wenn Dein Mutterlein - Janet Baker
Kindertotenlieder: Oft Denk' Ich, Sie Sind Nur Ausgegangen - Janet Baker
Kindertotenlieder: In Diesem Wetter! - Janet Baker
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part I: Veni, Creator Spiritus! - LSO/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part I: Imple Superna Gratia - LSO/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part I: Infirma Nostri Corporis - LSO/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part I: Tempo I. (Allegro, Etwas Hastig) - LSO/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part I: Infirma Nostri Corporis - LSO/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part I: Accende Lumen Sensibus - LSO/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part I: Qui Paraclitus Diceris - LSO/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part I: Gloria Patri Domino - LSO/Leonard Bernstein

Tracks:

Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Poco Adagio - LSO/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Piu Mosso. (Allegro Moderato) - LSO/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Waldung, Sie Schwankt Heran - Leeds Festival Chor/London Sym Chor
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Ewiger Wonnebrand - Vladimir Ruzdjak
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Wie Felsenabgrund Mir Zu Fussen - Donald McIntyre
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Gerettet Ist Das Edle Glied - Leeds Festival Chor/London Sym Chor/Highgate School Boys Choir
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Jene Rosen, Aus Den Handen - Leeds Festival Chor/London Sym Chor
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Uns Bleibt Ein Erdenrest - Leeds Festival Chor/London Sym Chor
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Ich Spur' Soeben - Leeds Festival Chor/London Sym Chor
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Hier Ist Die Aussicht Frei/Freudig Empfangen Wir - John Mitchinson
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Hochste Herrscherin Der Welt - John Mitchinson
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Jungfrau, Rein Im Schonsten Sinne - John Mitchinson/Leeds Festival Chor/London Sym Chor
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Aussert Langsam. Adagissimo - LSO/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Dir, Der Uberuhrbaren/Du Schwebst Zu Hohen - Gwyneth Jones
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Bei Der Liebe, Die Den Fussen - Erna Spoorenberg
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Bei Dem Bronn, Zu Dem Schon Weiland - Anna Reynolds
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Bei Dem Hochgeweihten Orte - Norma Procter
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Die Du Grossen Sunderinnnen - Erna Spoorenberg/Anna Reynolds/Norma Procter
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Neige, Neige, Du Ohnegleiche - Gwyneth Jones
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Er Uberwachst Uns Schon - Highgate School Boys Chor
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Vom Edlen Geisterchor Umgeben - Gwyneth Jones
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Komm! Hebe Dich Zu Hohern Spharen! - Gwenyth Annear
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Blicket Auf Zum Retterblick - John Mitchinson
Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Alles Vergangliche - Leeds Festival Chor/London Sym Chor

Tracks:

Sym No.9 in D: Movt I: Andante Comodo - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.9 in D: Movt I: Etwas Frischer - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.9 in D: Movt I: Tempo I Subito - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.9 in D: Movt I: Mit Wut. Allegro Risoluto - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.9 in D: Movt I: Schattenhaft - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.9 in D: Movt I: Wie Von Anfang - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.9 in D: Movt I: Plotzlich Bedeutend Langsamer (Lento) Und Leise - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.9 in D: Movt I: Schon Ganz Langsam - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.9 in D: Movt II: Im Tempo Eines Gemachlichen Landlers. Etwas Tappisch Und Sehr Derb - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.9 in D: Movt II: Poco Piu Mosso Subito (Tempo II) - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.9 in D: Movt II: Tempo III - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.9 in D: Movt II: A Tempo II - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.9 in D: Movt II: Tempo I - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.9 in D: Movt II: Tempo II - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.9 in D: Movt II: Tempo I Subito - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.9 in D: Movt III: Rondo - Burleske. Allegro Assai. Sehr Trotzig - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.9 in D: Movt III: L'istesso Tempo - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.9 in D: Movt III: Sempre L'istesso Tempo - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.9 in D: Movt III: Nicht Eilen - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.9 in D: Movt III: Piu Stretto - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.9 in D: Movt IV: Adagio. Sehr Langsam Und Noch Zuruckhaltend - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.9 in D: Movt IV: Plotzlich Wieder Langsam (Wie Zu Anfang) Und Etwas Zogernd - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.9 in D: Movt IV: Molto Adagio Subito - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.9 in D: Movt IV: A Tempo (Molto Adagio) - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.9 in D: Movt IV: Stets Sehr Gehalten - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.9 in D: Movt IV: Fliessender, Doch Durchaus Nicht Eilend - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.9 in D: Movt IV: Tempo I. Molto Adagio - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.9 in D: Movt IV: Adagissimo - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein

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For many of us, Leonard Bernstein's first Mahler cycle for CBS (compiled here, remastered and cheaper than ever) has stood the test of time since it initially came out on LP in the late 1960s. Upon completing this traversal of nine symphonies (and the "Adagio" movement from the unfinished 10th), Lenny and the New York Philharmonic achieved something no one else had and proved that Mahler was, simply put, worth recording in the first place. It's still a marvelous set of recordings that belongs in every record collection.

Using the same budgeted design as on their (surprisingly pricey) Original Jacket series of box sets, Sony has unleashed a true bargain here: 12 CDs that average a little over five bucks a pop. Lenny's second cycle for Deutsche Grammophon may boast greater sonics, plenty of wonderful moments, and the complete song cycles, but it costs more than twice as much. Here, we get a younger Lenny, sounding fresh and expressive and delivering still-unparalleled interpretations of the First, Third, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth, and pretty great performances of the rest. The intensity on these discs is infectious and the price can't be beat. A must-have. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Groundbreaking but partly outdated.......2007-03-26

Recorded 1960-67, this is the first complete cycle of Mahler's numbered symphonies (1-9 + no. 10 Adagio), and, as such, an essential purchase. Add Bernstein's 1966 classic recording of Das Lied von der Erde (Decca), and you get a piece of recording history: the development of the Mahler boom in the sixties.

How do these recordings stand today? The interpretations of the third, fourth, and seventh are very fine, even exceptional, and, despite their age, the recordings are sonically impressive as well. NYPO plays marvellously. The seventh, in particular, is a reference disc.

The remaining recordings are not really for the desert island, however. The fifth, for instance, is very unsuccessful and badly recorded too. Bernstein's later account on DG is clearly an improvement. The same holds for the second symphony, which you also find on DG in a later, much improved and moving interpretation. But here we have also a crowded field of classic performances, such as Klemperer's second (EMI) and Walter's fifth (SONY). Both are preferable to Bernstein's recordings, old or new.

The first, sixth, eight and ninth are quite good but not exceptional. No one beats Kubelik's first (DG). Mitropoulos (BMG Great Conductors) and Barbirolli (EMI) own the sixth. The eight - well, here we have Horenstein (BBC) and Mitropoulos (Orfeo) as classic, first choices. And for the ninth, Ancerl (Supraphon), Barbirolli (EMI), Klemperer (EMI) and Walter (SONY) sound far more attractive and fresh than Bernstein's mannered account.

If you're a collector this box is of course essential - regardless all critical considerations. But if you just look for an excellent and consistent Mahler box, go for Gary Bertini's cycle on EMI, which you get for a super-bargain price. It's a contemporary and future classic.

Thus I recommend a pick of individual Bernstein SONY CDs: the third, the fourth and the seventh. Add his fifth and second from his DG recordings, and his 1966 Das Lied von der Erde (Decca). These recordings are what I take to be the "essentials" of the Bernstein Mahler legacy.

Outstanding Mahler Compilation.......2007-01-29

I think is very important for a Mahler Fan to hear carefully all his work. This compilation allows you to enjoy that experience. A better sound quality for some symphonies could be a great plus, but you have to consider that this is a remasterized old record.

Leonard Bernstein just express the true passion that Mahler put on his work. It's incredible that (using the 8ve Symphony as an example) with fewer instruments than in the Abbado version, the feeling is even better. Simply outstanding.

Great price, great compilation. Lot of Mahler.

Bernstein or Tennstedt: read on...........2006-07-12

If the only way you could obtain the Mahler Symphonies was by buying a box containing them all by one conductor, then this would be my second choice, or my first!; my first (or second)would be the Tennstedt set. It's a close call thoughout - a 'swings and roundabouts' situation, but if Bernstein's was the one and only then I would be happy enough. Actually if you want a truly satisfying Mahler Symphonies collection then the two sets together sitting side by side on your CD shelf would be pretty well ideal, as I believe that the legacy of recordings by these two great men are nowhere surpassed (save Horenstein in the Fourth, Barbirolli in the Sixth and Rudolf Schwarz in the Fifth). As to comparisons between individual symphonies, the following would be my first choice:

No. 1 Bernstein. More poetic and earthy than T and my very first choice out of the dozens of others I've heard.
2 Bernstein. Simply the greatest Mahler 2; T is earthbound by comparison.
3 Tennstedt. Actually this is a tougher one to decide as B is marginally better in the first movement and he produces the best sixth movement of any version I've heard. Overall T has it, partly due to the excellent sound quality.
4 Overall B is better but there are so many points of comparison to take into consideration that it's a tough one to decide. T has the better soloist in the finale. My far-and-away first choice in the Fourth is Horenstein on EMI/CfP.
5 Tennstedt. Bernstein's CBS Fifth was the weakest link. However, Rudolf Schwarz (Everest) produces the very finest Fifth:
I always maintain that you can tell pretty much straight away when a Mahler conductor gets it right and Schwarz gets it 100%
6 Tennstedt. From the angry crunching heavy tread of the opening through to the nightmare ending, this is a very dark view of the Sixth, but it works. Barbirolli on EMI is my definite first choice in the Sixth. Bernstein's quick-march approach sounds like parody.
7 Bernstein. Nobody has produced a better Seventh and probably never will. T's version is very good though and I think he out-performs all other competition.
8 This one is the hardest of all to separate, but in the end I opt for Bernstein as his version as the feel of a live performance and the recording is almost as good as T's digital one.
9 Bernstein. Again my favourite version. T's weakest link of his whole set.
So Bernstein scores more points, but take into account the generally better sound of the Tennstedt set (especially in nos. 3,5,6) and things are evened up slightly. My advice overall? Go for both sets; at the asking prices you will have a superb Mahler Symphonies collection which will last you a lifetime. But don't forget those other versions of 4, 5 and 6. A point about sound quality: most of the above are analogue recordings, made many years ago, but across the board they are in almost every way superior to most modern digital ones (though to be fair one or two are not so great). I have a very good stereo system which reproduces very neutral sound; what goes in at the CD player end comes out unchanged at the loudspeaker end and so what I hear is the 'real thing'. For example Bernstein's 2 is stunning. One of the very best is the oldest of them all - Schwarz's Fifth, made in 1958. Maybe the art of recording has been replaced by science (and not for the better)? In the final analysis, to my mind the above versions render most of the rest of the Mahler symphonies discography redundant and surplus to requirements.

Comparing the two Bernstein Mahler cycles.......2006-06-27

Most buyers aren't in the market for a complete Mahler cycle by a single conductor, but if they were, the two from Bernstein contain many great performances. I've reviewed the contents of this Sixties cycle on Sony and the later one from the Eighties (contianing many live performances) on DG, taking them one symphony at a time. But it's worthwhile to give a sense of the strongest and weakest parts of each set.

Cycle #1:

By general consensus the performance of Sym. #3 is one of the glories of this cycle and perhaps the most inspired Mahler condcuting Bernstein did on disc. It has all the freshness of discovery--LB was new to Mahler in 1961. Sony's 20-bit remastering makes the original analog sound quite good. In fact, there's no need to fear the sound quality of these NY Phil. recordings, none of which are bad. Expect the deep sound stage and wide stereo separation that Columbia Records favored at the time.

Bernstein also put his stamp on Sym. #7 in such a way that no one would ever hear it the same again. Previously, 'The Song of the Night,' as this work was dubbed, had almost no life either on disc or the concert stage (a Mahler champion as prominent as Bruno Walter never performed it). Not only did LB prove that this was coherent music, he made an unforgettable drama out of the Seventh. This is his signature recording of the work.

Two other great performances stand out: Sym. #2 and #4, each rendered with amazing imagination and a huge range of emotions. The accusation that LB went over the top in the Second is unjustified--he is often tender and delicate--but there's no doubt that he takes an apocalyptic view of the finale. Whatever you think about his approach, he single-handedly revolutionized the way that the Resurrection Sym. was played. In Sym. #4 the classic recording was by Bruno Walter, but LB added more depth, imaginaiton, and excitement. Lyric soprano Reri Grist has come in for a good deal of criticism in the vocal finale, but I think she fits beautifully into LB's overall conception.

In the middle of the pack, as it were, we get LB's readings of Sym. #1 and #9. He went on to conduct greater readings of both works, especially the Ninth. In person LB's First was a real showpiece, but somehow Sony's sonics are not up to the conductor's vision. In the cse of the Ninth, the NY version would qualify as an outstanding performance if there weren't so many truly great ones from Karajan, Bruno Walter, James Levine, and Barbirolli, among others. Bernstein himself would add two of the greatest, both on DG.

I find a few problems wiht Sym. #5, #6, and #8 in the first cycle. For many critics all three are great recordings. For some reason, I have never warmed up to either of LB's versions of Sym. #5, where for once he does manipulate and exaggerate to the point that the spirit of the work seems lost in histrionics. Sym. #6 is too brisk in the first movement to let the music expand to its visionary potential, and in the other movements Bernstein seems less expressive than he could be. The Eighth is unmathced in the excitement and joyousness of Part 1, and for some listeners the whole symphony remains on that exalted level. I find that LB is too studied in Part 2, and my attention wasn't held. He does elicit very beautiful singing and playing, however. It should be noted that this performance is with the London Sym. and a host of fine English singers.

To the end of his life Bernstein resisted Deryck Cooke's completion of the Tenth Sym., agreeing to conduct only the shattering Adagio. which Mahler had essentially finished in full score. Bernstein's reading with the NY Phil. is one of the most searing accounts this magnificent fragment has ever received, equaled by his later live reading with the incomparable Vienna Phil.

Cycle #2:

It should be said right off that DG's digital sonics are in a different league from what LB got in New York. Even though several venues were involved (Vienna, Amsterdam, New York), and many recordings were under live concert conditions, the DG engineers triumphed. They favor closer mike posiitons, solo highlighting, and a vivid sound stage compared to their predecessors in New York. As to the interprettions, with a few exceptions--the most prominent being Sym. #6--Bernstein did not drastically change his views from the first cycle, and in some cases the readings feel almost identical (Sym. #2 and #7, for example).

The most interest centers on the works where LB clearly outdoes his younger self. At the top of the list I would put Sym. #6 and #9. In the former he achieved one of the classic Mahler reacordings of the modern era. His Sixth has slowed down by 2 min. in the first movement, giving the music room to expand properly. The Andante is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. The finale is an explosion of genius on Mahler's part that LB resonates with perfectly. Almost the same can be said of the Ninth, where the conducting reaches deeply moving areas of expression. The finale is drastically slow (as is Levine's, to similar devastating effect), which some critics find excessive. But it's a truism that no tempo is right or wrong; everything depends upon being drawn into the world of the music. LB achieved a great Ninth but would surpass himself with a live performance from Berlin in 1979, also on DG.

Almost as great is Sym. #1, which on DG receives a flawless performance packed with excitement. I'm not sure that LB's reading actually changed, but the superlative sonics and the spine-tingling playing of the Concertgebiuw weren't matched in New York.

The next thing to ask is where Bernstein fell short of his earlier versions. The Sym. #2, #3, and #4 from New York were one of a kind, representing LB's early and most exciting explorations of Mahler's world. Their counterparts on DG are also strong, but I don't think they rise to the heights he achieved earlier. The only sharp criticism I have is with the use of a boy soprano in the finale of the Fourth; musical as he is, a boy is too undeveloped to capture what Mahler intended. It should be said, however, that if the earlier NY versions didn't exist, these would be outstanding performances.

I feel much the same about Sym. #7, where LB's first recording set a standard that only two or three rivals have come close to, but his DG remake, which was a return to the NY Phil. in oncert from Lincoln Center(as are Sym. #2 and #3), feels fractionally less overwhelming. It's in better sound, however. The one symphony I can't compare is the Fifth, which doesn't satisfy me in either cycle. The DG version with the Vienna Phil. convinces many listeners, and some critics call in unsurpassable, but I am not on its wavelength.

That leaves Sym. #8, which Bernstein didn't live to record for commercial release. DG reached into its vaults for a live 1975 radio tape from Vienna, and although it has flaws in execution, including some rough singing in Part 2, LB's conducting is superlative, more ocmpelling than his version from London. Paired with this symphony is a 1974 reading of the Adagio from Sym. #10, also with the Vienna Phil. As you'd expect, it's an inspired, searing reading, just like the NY version.

How ot sum up? If money were no object, I'd own both cycles for the pleasure of Bernstein's unqiue inspiration. If I had to pick and choose, I'd take Sym. #2, #3, and #4 from New York, Sym. #8 from London, and the rest form the DG cycle.

Mahler complete symphonies........2006-02-24

"Mahler was an altogether great man" -One who also knows a thing or two.

Average customer rating:

Late Christmas present
Mahler-iffic!!!!
Three Brilliant Mahler Works Perfectly Melded
THe Mahler Bargain of a lifetime
Why pay more?

Mahler: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 5; Lieder
Gustav Mahler , Leonard Bernstein , and Thomas Hampson
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00004XT2A
Release Date: 2001-01-23

Tracks:

Sym No.1 'Titan': 1. Langsam. Schleppend - Im Anfang Sehr Gemachlich - Concg O/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.1 'Titan': 2. Kraftig Bewegt, Doch Nicht Zu Schnell - Trio. Recht Gemachlich - Concg O/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.1 'Titan': 3. Feierlich Und Gemessen, Ohne Zu Schleppen - Concg O/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.1 'Titan': 4. Sturmisch Bewegt - Concg O/Leonard Bernstein
Songs Of A Wayfarer: 1. Wenn Mein Schatz Hochzeit Macht - Thomas Hampson
Songs Of A Wayfarer: 2. Ging Heut Morgen Ubers Feld - Thomas Hampson
Songs Of A Wayfarer: 3. Ich Hab Ein Gluhend Messer - Thomas Hampson
Songs Of A Wayfarer: 4. Die Zwei Blauen Augen - Thomas Hampson

Tracks:

Sym No.5: First Part: 1. Trauermarsch. In Gemessenem Schritt. Streng. Wie Ein Kondukt - VPO/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.5: First Part: 2. Sturmisch Bewegt. Mit Grosster Vehemenz - VPO/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.5: Second Part: 3. Scherzo. Kraftig, Nicht Zu Schnell - Friedrich Pfeiffer
Sym No.5: Third Part: 4. Adagietto. Sehr Langsam - VPO/Leonard Bernstein
Sym No.5: Third Part: 5. Rondo-Finale. Allegro - Allegro Giocoso. Frisch - VPO/Leonard Bernstein

Customer Reviews:

Late Christmas present.......2007-01-23

Thank you Amazon for this CD. It was well received from my brother in law who is a Mahler Fan. It did arrive sooner than promised from USA and he was delighted when it came in the early new year!
Thank you for the prompt reply I will use this service again.

Mahler-iffic!!!!.......2006-08-16

I have heard that Symphony 1 is considered Mahler's weakest but I find myself listening to this CD over & over.

Movements #2 & #3 are just beautiful to hear. Sound quality is good and it's a great value for the $.

Symphony 5 has been quoted as being 'overdone' (but nothing compared to Symphony 8). It's OK. A little too pretty for me.

Three Brilliant Mahler Works Perfectly Melded.......2005-11-01

Remember the days in the 1960s when we all waited for the next Mahler Symphony from Leonard Bernstein to be unveiled? As I recall that was the same time frame when the Solti recordings of Wagner's 'Ring' were slowly being released. So many music lovers 'found' Mahler through Leonard Bernstein and this splendid set of CDs reminds us why.

Here are perfect performances. The Symphony No. 1 "The Titan" with Bernstein conducting the 'Mahler orchestra' AKA the Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam. The response from the orchestra to Bernstein's penetrating approach is sensitive and breathtaking - some of the finest recorded sound the orchestra ever made.

On that first CD the remainder of the disc is rounded out with the still-respected partnership of Bernstein with Thomas Hampson in a performance of 'Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen', this time with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. The communication among conductor, soloist and orchestra is on the highest level. This is the young Hampson when his approach feels not only secure but also very fresh. Listen to the way he uses his head tones for the higher notes in 'Die Zwei Blauen Augen': this is as close to Mahler's vision as a singer can get.

The second CD is devoted to a performance of the Symphony No. 5 again with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Bernstein is at the height of his powers here, able to rush into the heady movements with steady will and then bask in the Adagietto in as perfect a reading as any conductor has produced. This, too, is a perfect performance.

At Amazon.com's low price this is a recording that is easily accessible to every budget and one that is a must in the libraries of all those who love Mahler's wondrous music. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, October 05

THe Mahler Bargain of a lifetime.......2005-06-28

Bernstein in his later wisdom filled years gives us a 1st symphony bursting with edge of your seat tension and bombast.
Each movement is played with passionate articulate phrasing and sharp precision to reveal the wondrous worlds of nature,ghouls,enigma,struggle, and triumph.
Bernstein does have a tendency to extend certain passages out for maximum effect but he does it successfully without any sense of routine or premeditation.
This 1st sounds totally spontaneous as it is live and it feels like it but Mahler's soundworld is kept sharply intact.
As for Mahler's 5th, expect an over the top milk it till it bleeds interpretation.
Bernstein digs and digs deep to uncover all of the darkness of the 1st movements funeral march with plenty of phrasing that makes the tragedy all the more vivid but natural unforced phrasing.
The 2nd movement is off the chain chaotic madness with the vpo whipping up a storm of violence and destruction and the scherzo counterpoint and waltz schizophrenia is brought forth with precision and style.
Now the Adaggietto is done very expansively as it lasts over 11 minutes but Bernstein knows how to pace and phrase it well enough to where it doesn't drag and the climactic concluding full string fortissimo really hits your heart when it finally kicks in.
Now some people say that Mahler intended this movement to be done in a slightly brisk manner as Mahler's student Bruno Walter interpreted it at about 8 minutes but Bernstein chooses to caress every note which doesn't erase the romantic love letter concept of the movement as one critic had mentioned but it actually enhances that concept.
The final rondo movements triumphant jovial spirit is aplenty with the v.p.o. again providing technical and musical fireworks and sounding as if they're having a ball doing it.
So in this 5th expect highly individualistic phrasing and dynamics from Bernstein with emotions teetering on the edge resulting in a most compelling and convincing performance.
The Lieder performed by Thomas Hampson is simply icing on the cake as he sings with wonderful heartfelt musical eloquence with Bernstein as his trusty and enthusiastic partner.
Trully a Bargain to scoop up before they yank it like they do so often in classical.
Happy Listening.

O.f.

Why pay more?.......2004-10-08

Both the First and Fifth Symphonies are considered to be the gems of Bernstein's later Mahler cycle on DG. Previously, they were available separately at full price each. But now, thankfully, they have been released together, along with Songs of a Wayfarer featuring Thomas Hampson, at a 2 for 1 price. Shame on Amazon for not recommending this one instead of the 2 CDs separately. I guess it has to do more with profits than with recommendations.

Mahler: Symphonies No. 1 & No. 2; Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen

Average customer rating:

The Mellow Essence of Mahler
Maybe the best Mahler Sym. # 1 & #2 available on CD
Mellow Mahler from Bruno Walter, but Symphony 2 sounds a little tinny
Right back where I started
Excellent

Mahler: Symphonies No. 1 & No. 2; Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen
Bruno Walter , Emilia Cundari , Maureen Forrester , and Mildred Miller
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mahler: Symphony No. 9
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ASIN: B000002A7H
Release Date: 1995-01-24

Tracks:

Symphony No. 1 'Titan': Langsam. Schleppend. Wie ein Naturlaut. Im Anfang sehr gemachlich
Symphony No. 1 'Titan': Kraftig bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell
Symphony No. 1 'Titan': Feierlich und gemessen, ohne zu schleppen
Symphony No. 1 'Titan': Sturmisch bewegt - Energisch
Symphony No. 2 'Resurrection': Allegro maestoso

Tracks:

Symphony No. 2 'Resurrection': Andante moderato
Symphony No. 2 'Resurrection': (Scherzo) In ruhig fliessender Bewegung
Symphony No. 2 'Resurrection': Urlicht - Sehr feierlich, aber achlicht
Symphony No. 2 'Resurrection': Im Tempo des Scherzos. Wild herausfahrend
Songs Of A Wayfarer: 1. Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht
Songs Of A Wayfarer: 2. Ging heut morgen uebers Feld
Songs Of A Wayfarer: 3. Ich hab ein gluehen Messer
Songs Of A Wayfarer: 4. Die zwei blauen Augen

Amazon.com

Oh baby, this is really good! Bruno Walter was a disciple of Big Man Gustav himself, and at the very end of his life, in the early 1960s, he recorded these two stereo performances that have come up sounding magnificent in this new digital transfer. Anyone who had those grotty-sounding old Odyssey LPs will be shocked by the vividness and depth of sound on these old master tapes. In particular, someone has come up with an amazing organ presence at the end of the Resurrection Symphony that outclasses most modern digital recordings. Where has it been all these years? You simply can't like Mahler and not own these recordings. At midprice, why wait? --David Hurwitz

Amazon.com

Bruno Walter's 1961 account of Symphony No. 1 was the loving reminiscence of a man in his mid-eighties, one who not only had a vivid memory of the composer, but also of the youthful emotions the music is about. It is an unabashedly Romantic reading of the score--passionate, grandly phrased, and almost Straussian in its warmth of sound, but with irresistible momentum as well. Walter's 1958 recording of the Resurrection Symphony remains among the best as well, notable for its generosity of spirit and insight, its breadth and scope, and the deeply committed and spiritually uplifting manner in which the conductor puts across the finale. In Sony's excellent 20-bit remasterings, the sound scarcely shows any age at all. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

The Mellow Essence of Mahler.......2006-02-06

These recordings are for two sorts of listeners: those who are just becoming interested in Mahler's music and those who are thoroughly familiar with Mahler's music. The former will have a fine introduction to Mahler's musical world without the sometimes distorting tendencies of conductors competing for attention in a now-crowded interpretive field; the latter will be able to enjoy again the direct, unforced beauty of Walter's conducting.

Famously a protege of Mahler's, Walter brought to his recordings the authority of having been present at the creation of the works combined with his sure hand in guiding the musical line and his sense of communicating a transcendent spiritual experience. Straddling the symphonic traditions up to the end of the century and the incipient modernist trends, Mahler's music is so ample in both its scale and inventiveness that it can bear a wide range of interpretive approaches without being pulled utterly out of shape. With Walter the listener gets the music as close as possible to a "no-frills" approach, yet with a radiance that can, if you let it, transport you to an emotional plane that lies beyond words, which the best music does. There are always the many other ways to be guided through Mahler's great musical lands -- the crackling intensity of Mitropoulos, the wrenching emotion of Bernstein, the grandeur of Karajan, the clarity of Boulez -- but Walter gives you the mellow essence of the music, where the tumult and the anguish give way to a hard-won tranquillity and the triumphant moment is tempered with a sense of its transitory nature.

Maybe the best Mahler Sym. # 1 & #2 available on CD.......2006-02-02

Two beautifully recorded CDs!

The fact that Mahler and Walter were close associates, probably had a significant influence on these recording. I seems that Walter must have obtained some insight as to the "artistic intentions" for these pieces because they have a special quality that many other recordings of these works seem to lack; a subtleness, a quiet self-assurance if you will.

My favorite:...Symphony # 1
I've always been drawn to the "Titan" from the very first time I heard those eerie opening bars years ago. It always reminded me of stepping out into an alien (but not necessarily unfriendly) landscape.

All in all, Mahler as I'm sure Mahler would have intended. Recommended!

Mellow Mahler from Bruno Walter, but Symphony 2 sounds a little tinny.......2005-12-14

Bruno Walter (1876-1962) has the reputation in our current generation of being a disciple/protege of Gustav Mahler (1860-1911), while he was one of several great conductors who were Mahler's students, including Otto Klemperer and Oscar Fried. Walter never completed an entire Mahler Symphony cycle during his career. But there is an earlier MONO recording of Symphony 1 with the New York Philharmonic (Sony CD), a 1947 recording of Symphony 4 (New York, Sony CD) and Symphony 5 (New York, Sony CD, MONO), a stereo Symphony 9 (Columbia Symphony, Los Angeles, Sony - 2 CDs), and a famous live 1938 Symphony 9 with the Vienna Philharmonic made just days before the "Anschlass" uniting Germany and Austria under the Nazi government in Berlin
(EMI, Naxos, and other budget labels). (Bruno Walter then fled from Vienna, first for Paris, then in 1940, New York and did not return to Europe until after World War II, a wise decision given his Jewish lineage.)

In this recording, Walter's Mahler 1 benefits from better sound, and fine playing from the Columbia Symphony. But it is quite mellow: climaxes are not built up as in some recordings, and there is a laid back aura about the whole performance. Some may find it refreshing, and I find it acceptable, but when in a mood to be moved or shaken by something, this doesn't cut it.

Symphony 2 is also fine, but doesn't have the powerful climaxes many conductors bring to Mahler. Some exciting moments are more beautiful and loving than exciting or gut wrenching. Here the sound is more tinny, and not as natural as in Symphony 1. I read the recordings sessions for Walter's Mahler 2 were interrupted when Walter took sick with a near fatal heart attack and there was a large gap in time before the recording could be completed: it was done in several sessions in 1957 and 1958.

Still, Walter's Mahler is worth hearing, and is important as Walter knew the composer personally. I love Bruno Walter's recordings, and would recommend (more highly than this) his Beethoven Symphonies (except 9); Mozart Symphonies 35, 36, 38-41 (either New York Philharmonic MONO or California Columbia Symphony STEREO recordings: the New Yorks are faster tempos in most movements); Brahms Symphonies with the Columbia Symphony; and Schubert Symphonies 5, 8, and 9, all available in the "Bruno Walter Edition" from Sony Classical.

For Mahler 1, I like Muti/Philadelphia (EMI) and for Mahler 2, Klemperer/Philharmonia (EMI).

Right back where I started.......2005-04-11

This was the first Mahler Second I'd ever heard. Twenty five years of searching for the ideal recording of this work and I find myself right back here with this one. Whatever anyone else may have, no one comes close to the deep love and total conviction found in this performance.

Excellent.......2003-11-16

These are the best recordings of these works. (Especially, the performance of 2nd Symphony).

Still, 2nd Symphony "Resurrection" is one of the best works of Mahler; this is music like film music.
Be constituted in 5 movements, as you know, like a cantata form. Scored for very large ensemble (as usual): quadruple woodwinds plus 4 piccolos, 2 cor anglais, 2 E-flat clarinets, contrabassoon, 10 horns, 10 trumpets, 4 trombones, Contrabass-Tuba, 2 (in some passages 3) set timpani, bass drum, cymbals, 2 or more snare drum, triangle, small and large gongs, large bells, 2 harps, organ, strings, a small ensemble placed on offstage (brass ensemble taken from main orchestra), soprano and alto soloists and chorus.

In this symphony, Mahler simply confessed.

This movement, as you know, a funeral music. After the wild start, there is a calm E Major passage, which tells the heaven. But in centre of music, this heavenly music, suddenly cut off by a blow, which tells, the fall into hell. And then music continues very slowly by cellos and double basses with a darkful E flat minor, who they are tells a man slowly walk in hell with scared. But then, when music moves faster and faster, may be devil suddenly comes and chases the man(!). This man may be the composer... In conclusion section, music starts a funeral march and finishes darkful...

The composer calls in partition of this symphony, when finished the First movement, there should be at least five-movement-silence...

And then, the second movement starts, which a calm peacefully A flat Major landler (an Austrian dance, in triple time). This movement tranqilizes the listeners, after the amazing, terrible moments of the first movement.

The third centre movement is the Scherzo. It is a devilish scherzo, but in centre moments, there is again heavenly E Major passage, which tells a story of "Saint Antonius of Padua", who gives sermons to fishes at sea. The fishes listen him with admire, but then , because of they're not understands that what he is saying, the fishes go away!

The 4th movement, called Ulricht (means Red Rose) is a peaceful music, written for alto solo and a small enseble. This light is shines to onebody, who will go to heaven.

And the last movement starts, with questions that came in Scherzo. There are terro, fright, hesitate. And then fanfares to be hear. These fanfares means, doomsday comes closer! And then in centre moments, there are earthquakes, tempests and all other disasters! And then, in very deep silence, chorus starts a chorale, which tells the judgement day is coming. But this symphony finishes with a glory scene, which tells the heavenly life will be come...

And this performance with New York Philharmonic is the best recording. Sound quality is very good, was recorded at Carnegie Hall.

And, the performances of Symphony No. 1 "Titan" and "Lieder eines Fahrenden Gesselen" with Columbia Symphony Orchestra and Maureen Forrester are also very good. The musicians of this orchestra were being constituted from different studio orchestra that plays the film music. Still, they were placed on American Legion Hall, Hollywood. And, as you know, Bruno Walter was lived his last years in Beverly Hills and his latest recordings made with this orchestra.

This is a must have for Mahler admirers and music lovers.

Very highly recommended.

Mahler: Symphonies 1-10; Das Lied von der Erde

Average customer rating:

Good -- but not great
Outstanding, yet Affordable Mahler Set
Ignore the name(s): Listen to the Music!
An exceptionally fine bargain
best overall cycle

Mahler: Symphonies 1-10; Das Lied von der Erde

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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Mahler - The Symphonies plus Das Lied von der Erde Boxset / Leonard Bernstein, Wiener Philharmoniker, London Symphony Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

ASIN: B000BQ7BX2
Release Date: 2006-01-10

Tracks:

I. Langsam, Schleppend, Wie Ein Naturlaut - Im Anfang Sehr Gemachlich - Kolner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester
II. Kraftig Bewegt, Doch NIcht Zu Schnell - Kolner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester
III. Feirlich Und Gemessen, Ohne Zu Schleppen - Kolner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester
IV. Sturmisch Bewegt - Kolner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester
I. Allegro Maestoso. Mit Durchaus Ernstem Und Feierlichem Ausdruck - Krisztina Laki

Tracks:

II. Andante Moderato. Sehr Gemachlich - Krisztina Laki
II. In Ruhig Fliessender Bewegung - Krisztina Laki
IV. Urlicht: Sehr Feierlich, Aber Schlicht - Krisztina Laki
V. Im Tempo Des Scherzo. Wild Herausfahrend - Krisztina Laki
Wieder Sehr Breit - Krisztina Laki
Ritardando...Maestoso. Sehr Zuruckhaltend - Krisztina Laki
Wieder Zuruckhaltend - Krisztina Laki
Langsam, Misterioso - Krisztina Laki
Etwas Bewegter - Krisztina Laki
Mit Aufschwung, Aber Nicht Eilen - Krisztina Laki

Tracks:

I. Kraftig. Entschieden - Gwendolyn Killebrew
II. Tempo Di Menuetto - Gwendolyn Killebrew
III. Comodo. Scherzando - Gwendolyn Killebrew
IV. Sehr Langsam - Gwendolyn Killebrew

Tracks:

V. Lustig IM Tempo UNd Keck Im Ausdruck - Gwendolyn Killebrew
VI. Sehr Langsam - Ruhevoll - Empfunden - Gwendolyn Killebrew
I. Bed Achtig. Nicht Eilen - Lucia Popp
II. In Gemachlicher Bewegung. Ohne Hast - Lucia Popp
III. Ruhevoll - Lucia Popp

Tracks:

IV. Sehr Behaglich - Lucia Popp
I. Trauermarsch (Im Gemessenem Schritt - Streng - Wie Ein Kondukt) - Kolner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester
II. Sturmisch Bewegt, Mit Grosster Vehemenz - Kolner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester
III. Scherzo (Kraftig, Nicht Zu Schnell) - Kolner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester
IV. Adagietto (Sehr Langsam) - Kolner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester
V. Rondo - Finale (Allegro) - Kolner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester

Tracks:

I. Langsam - Allegro - Kolner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester
II. Nachtmusik I - Kolner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester
III. Scherzo: Schattenhaft - Kolner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester
IV. Nachtmusik II. Andante Amoroso - Kolner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester
V. Rondo - Finale - Kolner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester

Tracks:

I. Allegro Energico, Ma Non Troppo - Kolner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester
II. Scherzo. Wuchtig - Kolner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester
III. Andante Moderato - Kolner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester

Tracks:

IV. Finale: Sostenuto - Allegro Moderato - Kolner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester
I. Andante Comodo - Kolner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester
II. Im Tempo Eines Gemachlichen Landlers - Etwas Tappisch Und Sehr Derb - Kolner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester

Tracks:

III. Rondo Burleske: Allegro Assai. Sehr Trotzig - Kolner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester
IV. Adagio: Sehr Langsam Und Noch Zuruckhaltend - Kolner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester
I. Adagio - Kolner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester

Tracks:

Veni, Creator Spiritus - Maria Venuti
Imple Superna Gratia - Maria Venuti
Infirma Nostri Corporis - Maria Venuti
Accende Lumen Sensibus - Maria Venuti
Veni, Creator Spiritus - Maria Venuti
Gloria Patri Domino - Maria Venuti
Poco Adagio: Waldung, Sie Schwankt Heran - Maria Venuti
Ewiger Wonnebrand - Maria Venuti
Wie Felsenabgrund Mir Zu Fussen - Maria Venuti
Gerettet Ist Das Edle Glied - Maria Venuti
Uns Bleibt Ein Erdenrest - Maria Venuti
Hier Ist Die Aussicht Frei - Maria Venuti
Hochste Herrscherin Der Welt - Maria Venuti
Dir, Der Unberuhrbaren - Maria Venuti
Bei Der Liebe, Die Den Fussen - Maria Venuti
Neige, Neige, Du Ohnegleiche - Maria Venuti
Blicket Suf Zum Retterblick - Maria Venuti
Alles Vergangliche - Maria Venuti

Tracks:

I. Das Trinklied Vom Jammer Der Erde - Marjana Lipovsek
II. Der Einsame Im Herbst - Marjana Lipovsek
III. Von Der Jugend - Marjana Lipovsek
IV. Von Der Schonheit - Marjana Lipovsek
V. Der Trunkene Im Fruhling - Marjana Lipovsek
VI. Der Abschied - Marjana Lipovsek

Customer Reviews:

Good -- but not great.......2007-07-07

Having listened intently to this set two times now, once with scores in hand, once without, I have to give this set less than a 5 star rating. The sound is adequate, compressed at times, muddy at others. The later symphonies fare better than 1 & 2. Conducting is fine: very straightfoward and unfussy. Plays it straight. And maybe that's a problem. The sixth in particular never really scales the heights or depths. Same story with 8. Layout is weird, but economical. My biggest beef is the orchestral execution. There are a LOT of bloopers that should have been fixed. In a live concert you can accept, even expect, some error in music this difficult. But on recordings they become very irritating. I grant that most people would never notice any, but if you have a good ear and really know this music there are some problems. The worst is an abundance of wrong notes in the 4th movement of the 7th, which otherwise is a superb version -- one of the best. Another easy to spot example occurs at the end of the 6th: why did the cellos leave the bass clarinet to fend for itself just a few bars before the end? Why didn't someone fix this?
I'm glad I heard this set, but there are better, albeit more expensive. As a complete set there isn't any that is altogether perfect, but Solti/Decca, Haitink/Philips, Kubelik/DG and deWaart/RCA come closer.

Outstanding, yet Affordable Mahler Set.......2007-06-10

If you are looking for a great Mahler set that doesn't give you the Walletdämmerung syndrome, yet you also want excellent musicians and soloists and a conductor with a most refreshing and philosophically true understanding of Mahler's music, I would recommend that you purchase this box set of Mahler symphonies with Gary Bertini. Although Gary Bertini was not a big name in the recording industry, he was deemed as a highly esteemable conductor in Europe. His Mahler offers a completely different sound from what you would hear from Bernstein, Abbado, Walter, and Klemperer, much closer to what Rafael Kubelik did with his Mahler, but Bertini offers a degree of transparency in his music that you cannot hear in any other conductor. Despite the transparency, his Mahler does not lack passion. If you want to know what I mean, you must listen to his Symphonies no. 1,2,4,5,6,7,8, and 9. These renditions are ranked with the very best Mahlerians in a very competitive field. Bertini is also supported by an ensemble of an extremely high calibre--the WDR or the Kölner Rundfunks Orchester. They play with a finesse and a grace that rivals the very best Mahler orchestras, including the Vienna Philharmonic, the Bavarian Radio Symphony, and the Concertgebouw. In terms of virtuosity and beauty, the orchestra offers some of the most glorious playing and a crystalline sound balance that you would want in a world-class German orchestra.

The soloists are all excellent too. You have Florence Quivar, Paul Frey, Lucia Popp, Julia Varady, Julia Hamari, and Alan Titus, among others. You must simply hear the alto part that Quivar sings in the Resurrection Symphony!

Included in this already sparkling box set is a Das Lied von der Erde with Marjana Lipovsek and Ben Heppner. While I will always love Klemperer, Ludwig, and Wunderlich, I think this Das Lied von der Erde comes close to being one of the very best recordings of the work. Heppner sings with his usual golden tone and security, and sings the tenor's songs with an abandon and an elan that makes his interpretation very attractive. Lipovsek sings the mezzo parts with a tragically imbued tone that improved over her recording with Solti years earlier. You must listen to what she does in the Abschied. I have never heard a more resentful and reflective understanding of this very complex movement other than Christa Ludwig, Janet Baker, and Kathleen Ferrier.

All in all, a Mahler box set that everyone should get along with Haitink, Chailly, and Kubelik.

Ignore the name(s): Listen to the Music!.......2007-05-07

Gary Bertini and the Cologne Radio Symphony? The Mahler symphonies have been recorded in toto by many of the "biggest" names in music Leonard Bernstein (three times), Solti, Kubelik, Haitink and so on with the best known orchestras in the world ---- Vienna Philharmonic, Concertgebouw, New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Berlin Philharmonic, and so on and so on. I've given away my bias by those I've chosen to list and the sequence I've put them in.
And along comes a little known conductor, now deceased, with an orchestra I would not rank with those above; and by virtue of their sheer musicianship they belong alongside all the above. Mr. Bertini's performances hew closer to Mr. Kubelik and Mr. Haitink in being moderate in both tempo and phrasing. At the same time, Mr. Bertini still beings a far greater feeling of intensity and passion than either. Mr. Bertini's performances have a sweep and a grandeur that places them on the same plane as Mr. Bernstein's performances without entirely going "over the top" as Mr. B. was inclined to do.
No: Bertini's recording of the Sixth Symphony does not take us emotionally to the depth of Mr. Bernstein's last recording (DG digital). Nor has Mr. Solti's magnificent performance of the Eighth been surpassed. But I were asked to choose one cycle to live with for the rest of my life, it would be this one.

An exceptionally fine bargain.......2007-03-26

Gary Bertini's EMI Mahler cycle is more or less contemporary with Tennstedt's Mahler cycle on the same label. But, according to the gossip, the company decided to keep Bertini in the vaults since the former and LPO where more publicly known. In my view, however, Bertini's set is clearly superior. The orchestra - Kölner Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester - is outstanding, far better than LPO, and so are most of Bertini's interpretations as well.

Considering that Bertini and the orchestra are not among the obvious "stars", it is an exceptional sleeper. In fact, Bertini was virtually unknown before this cycle made him famous, post mortem.

The cycle combines both live and studio recordings. The live ones were recorded in Japan where the audience knows how to behave. Excellent stereo sound adds to the pleasure.

But one could note that some of Bertini's tempi are among the slowest on record. The final movement of symphony no. 9 stops at 28:34, which is ten minutes more than Walter's 1939 classic. It's even a few seconds slower than Chailly's very slow account on Decca. The finale of the third is six minutes longer than Tennstedt's on EMI. But the adagietto in the fifth stops at just above 10 minutes, so Bertini is not consistently very slow when Mahler's music may invite sentimental conductors to drag. Unlike such conductors, however, Bertini has the ability to keep tension during a long breath, bringing forth interesting details in contextual balance.

Thus the performances of symphonies 1, 5, 7, 8, 9 and Das Lied von der Erde are outstanding, challenging almost every recording in the current catalogue. The remaining symphonies are also convincingly presented, in perfectly consistent performances.

However, one irritating thing with this set is that the fourth symphony is divided over two discs. That EMI decision was not necessary. The cycle could still fit on 11 CDs with a different editing. The policy for all record companies should be to avoid unnecessary splitting.

At a super-bargain price, this is of course the first choice among boxed sets, especially the contemporary ones. All the recordings in this box have something that attracts repeated listening. This is true of Gielen's outstanding cycle too (Hänssler), but it requires you to pay four times the price. Still, Kubelik (DG) remains my favourite cycle. But Bertini's is better recorded.

Warmly recommended!

best overall cycle.......2006-12-09

There's little that I could add to the testimonials that have already been written here . While none of these performances would be an absolute first choice for me, save Bertini's Mahler 8th (which IS extraordinary), all of them have an amazing consistantcy in style, sound quality, and orchestral execution. The inclusion of a really fine "Das Lied von der Erde", expertly sung by Ben Heppner and Marjana Lipovsek, makes this a clear front runner. While Bertini didn't record a complete Mahler 10th symphony (finished by Deryck Cooke and others), his M10 Adagio is outstanding - giving the feeling of completeness on to itself. In fact, other than Leonard Bernstein, I can think of no other conductor who has been so satisfying in capturing the complete emotional range of Mahler's symphonies; going from the fresh and youthful first symphony (and Bertini is truly fresh and youthful); working on up to the cosmic orgasm that is the 8th symphony (and Bertini is cosmically orgasmic here), and still making the drastic shift to the zen-like, other-worldliness of the so-called farewell trilogy: "DLvdE", 9th symphony, and 10th symphony adagio. He runs the entire gamut, Janet.

Much positive has been written about Gielen's fine Mahler cycle. But his box set doesn't include his recording of the Cooke 10th (Chailly's does!), which is really a very good 10th. It's also more expensive. In addition, getting Gielen's Mahler 6th separately also gives you a really fine performance of Alban Berg's "Three Pieces For Orchestra" - a very natural coupling for that dark work. Better to pick and choose with Gielen, I think. If you want a box, get the Bertini.

Mahler - The Symphonies / Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti

Average customer rating:

I still come back to these performances after 10 years.
Great artistic interpretations & technical reproduction
It's all about Mahler
Let's ride roughshod over Mahler
Great Recordings

Mahler - The Symphonies / Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti
Kiri Te Kanawa , Georg Solti , Gustav Mahler , George Solti , Chicago Symphony Orchestra , Isobel Buchanan , Mira Zakai , Arleen Auger , Heather Harper , Yvonne Minton , Lucia Popp , John Shirley-Quirk , Martti Talveala , and Helga Dernesch
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Te Kanawa, Kiri | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Johannes Brahms: The Symphonies
Mahler - The Complete Symphonies / LPO, Tennstedt

ASIN: B0000041Z6
Release Date: 1992-02-11

Tracks:

Symphony No. 1: I Langsam. Schleppend. Wie ein Naturlaut
Symphony No. 1: II Kraftig bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell
Symphony No. 1: III Feierlich und gemessen, ohne zu schleppen
Symphony No. 1: IV Stuermisch bewegt
Symphony No. 2 'Resurrection': I Allegro maestoso

Tracks:

Symphony No. 2 'Resurrection': II Andante moderato
Symphony No. 2 'Resurrection': III In ruhig fliessender Bewegung
Symphony No. 2 'Resurrection': IV Urlicht. Sehr feierlich, aber schlicht
Symphony No. 2 'Resurrection': V In tempo des Scherzo

Tracks:

Symphony No. 3: I Kraftig - Entschieden
Symphony No. 3: II Tempo di Menuetto. Sehr massig
Symphony No. 3: III Comodo. Scherzando. Ohne Hast
Symphony No. 3: IV Sehr langsam. Misterioso
Symphony No. 3: V Lustig im Tempo und keck im Ausdruck

Tracks:

Symphony No. 3: VI Langsam. Ruhevoll. Empfunden
Symphony No. 4: I Bedachtig. Nicht eilen
Symphony No. 4: II In gemachlicher Bewegung. Ohne Hast
Symphony No. 4: III Ruhevoll
Symphony No. 4: IV Sehr behaglich

Tracks:

Symphony No. 5: I Trauermarsch
Symphony No. 5: II Sth bewegt. Mit grer Vehemenz
Symphony No. 5: III Scherzo: Krig, nicht zu schnell
Symphony No. 5: IV Adagietto: Sehr langsam
Symphony No. 5: V Rondo-Finale: Allegro

Tracks:

Symphony No. 6: I Allegro energico, ma non troppo
Symphony No. 6: II Scherzo: Wuchtig
Symphony No. 6: III Andante
Symphony No. 6: IV Finale: Allegro moderato

Tracks:

Symphony No. 7: I Langsam - Allegro
Symphony No. 7: II Nachtmusik I: Allegro moderato
Symphony No. 7: III Scherzo
Symphony No. 7: IV Nachtmusik II: Andante amoroso

Tracks:

Symphony No. 7: V Rondo-Finale
Symphony No. 9: I Andante comodo
Symphony No. 9: II Im Tempo eines gemachlichen Landlers. Etwas tappisch und sehr derb

Tracks:

Symphony No. 9: III Rondo-Burleske. Allegro assai. Sehr trotzig
Symphony No. 9: IV Adagio. Sehr langsam und noch zuruckhaltend
Symphony No. 8: Part 1: Hymnus: Veni, Creator Spiritus - Veni, Creator Spritus
Symphony No. 8: Part 1: Hymnus: Veni, Creator Spiritus - Imple superna gratia
Symphony No. 8: Part 1: Hymnus: Veni, Creator Spiritus - Infirma nostri corporis
Symphony No. 8: Part 1: Hymnus: Veni, Creator Spiritus - Accende lumen sensibus
Symphony No. 8: Part 1: Hymnus: Veni, Creator Spiritus - (Veni, Creator Spiritus)
Symphony No. 8: Part 1: Hymnus: Veni, Creator Spiritus - Gloria Patri Domino

Tracks:

Symphony No. 8, Part II: Final Scene from Goethe's Faust Part II: Poco adagio: Waldung, sie schwankt heran
Symphony No. 8, Part II: Final Scene from Goethe's Faust Part II: Ewiger Wonnebrand
Symphony No. 8, Part II: Final Scene from Goethe's Faust Part II: Wie Felsenabgrund mir zu Fussen
Symphony No. 8, Part II: Final Scene from Goethe's Faust Part II: Gerettet ist das edle Glied
Symphony No. 8, Part II: Final Scene from Goethe's Faust Part II: 5.1: Uns bliebt ein Erdenrest, 5.2: Hier ist die Aussicht frei
Symphony No. 8, Part II: Final Scene from Goethe's Faust Part II: 6.1: Hochste Herrscherin der Welt, 6.2: Dir, der Unberuhrbaren
Symphony No. 8, Part II: Final Scene from Goethe's Faust Part II: Bei der Liebe, die den Fussen
Symphony No. 8, Part II: Final Scene from Goethe's Faust Part II: Neige, neige, Du Ohnegleiche
Symphony No. 8, Part II: Final Scene from Goethe's Faust Part II: Blicket auf zum Retterblick
Symphony No. 8, Part II: Final Scene from Goethe's Faust Part II: Alles Vergangliche

Amazon.com

György Solti has come in for his share of hard knocks as a Mahler interpreter, and no one will pretend that he has the same sort of intuitive empathy for this music that Leonard Bernstein has. But he does have the Chicago Symphony Orchestra--no mean advantage--and many of these performances have come up sounding rather well. London also has been smart to include his first (and better) performance of the Fifth, and he generally does quite well by Symphonies Nos. 2, 6, 7, 8, and 9 as well. There may be better performances of the other symphonies available, and every music lover will have personal preferences, but at a budget price this set offers pretty impressive value for the money. It deserves its success. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

I still come back to these performances after 10 years........2007-07-06

I was a young high schooler when I bought this set. When i heard all of these performances I was inspired and amazed at the power of mahler. Now 10 years later i will say my tastes have changed, and I have heard many other versions of mahler. And while there are many amazing performances of all of mahler symphonies I still think this set is truely inspirational. With all that said i want to take the time to point out my new mahler passion. Abbado and the Lucerne festival orchestra and their ongoing mahler DVD project.

If you have the rescources and the money, I would suggest that you invest in this series. The performace of Symphony 5 is great and on par with many of the great performances. I still think Solti's 5th is the definitive recording, but the lucerne performance is still worth the money. And the "Ressurection" symphony is truely an inspiring performace. But it is the 7th symphony that is truely awe inspiring. I have never heard a performance so full of life and musicality. I cry everytime i hear it. I just ordered the new release of mahler's 6th symphony and i have high expectations as well.

Back to Solti's mahler. In my humble opinion the Recordings of 2, 3, 5, and 6 are definitive recordings. I have not come across another recording that I like better. I would have said the same thing of the 7th until I heard Abbado's on DVD. Now it is my definitive 7th. The 8th is generally consididered difinitive as well and i won't argue at all, but i did recently come across a new recording on the naxos label with the Warsaw philharmanic and Antoni Wit conducting. It is well worth checking out. The ninth i fully admit is the symphony I am least familiar with. I do however enjoy the recording here in the Solti set, but fully contest that there might be better out there. So this leaves us with the 1st and 4th. The recordings in this set are fine recordings, but again there are probably better ones out there. One of my favorite 1st is one on the Harmoni Mundi label, with the Florida Philharmonic and James Judd conducting, but I recently found out it is out of print. So if you come across a copy I highly recomend picking it up. So as for the 4th, I don't have any recording to recommend.

So my overall recommendation is if you wan't a great reference recording of the mahler symphonies this is the way to go. I don't think there is another set out there that can compete with the solti version. I also say that if you can, expereince the ongoing mahler interprtations on DVD with Abbado and the lucerne festival Orchestra.

Great artistic interpretations & technical reproduction.......2007-01-09

Beautifully reproduced. I say that because I also had CDs of these performances before they were reproduced for this collection. Absolutely warm and human interpretations by Solti. Thanks for putting this all together.

It's all about Mahler.......2005-12-04

So many Mahler performances, both in concert and on record, are mannered to the extent that one senses a conductor trying to convey the impression that it is his personal suffering, not the composer's vision, which is producing such beautiful music.
Not Solti's. He and his incredibly virtuosic orchestra let Mahler do the talking. The 5th, 6th and 7th especially lend themselves to Solti's approach, while the 8th benefits from his
long, successful career in the pit. Though Karajan, Walter, Guilini and others have recorded great 9ths, I defy anyone to find a better played one than this. Solti gives us the orchestral tours de force that are the Mahler Symphonies and which, I believe, explain why "my(his)time will(has) come."

Let's ride roughshod over Mahler.......2005-09-18

In its day, these readings sold very wel for Decca, given the splendid sonics and the spectacular virtuosity of the CSO, but Solti can't help himself--he is a driven, unsubtle conductor who approaches every symphony in a coarse, sometimes frenzied manner. Mahler conducting has come a long way since then...and had come a long way before then, to think aobut it.

Great Recordings.......2004-12-14

Unlike many of the people who have weighed in on this set, I absolutely love these recordings. Unlike most who review on this site, I have actually performed many of these works (my being a classical violist). I know these symphonies like the back of my hand. Solti's interpretation is masterful in every aspect, he in fact, is the only conductor who has ever made the Rondo-Finale of the symphony no. 5 make sense as a cohesive movement. The CSO plays absolutely brilliantly, as always, so there is nothing to criticize there. I just think that most who listen to these recordings have been caught up in the over-dramaticized versions recorded by Bernstein, not to say that his recordings don't also have merit. To any one looking for a complete Mahler set, I recommend this one above any other.

Average customer rating:

Very fine but not the very best
An Emotionally Riveting, Fine Mahler Symphony Cycle From Chailly, etc.
The best and most interesting Mhaler cycle
First-rate Mahler, and a tremendous bargain!
Highly professional, hardly cataclysmic

Mahler: The Symphonies

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00092ZALS
Release Date: 2005-07-12

Customer Reviews:

Very fine but not the very best.......2007-03-26

This is a fine contemporary Mahler cycle, but some of Chailly's interpretations are among the slowest on record. For example, symphony no. 9 is incredibly slow. Despite that, most of the recordings in this set are very fine.

With one exception it is the great Concertgebouw Orchestra we hear on these recordings. The Concertgebouw concert hall is famous for its acoustics, but - surprisingly - Decca's recordings are not impeccable. Symphony 2 and 4 both sound a bit dry, lacking in atmosphere. Nonetheless, we get symphonies 3, 8-10 in moving interpretations, and very well recorded. Symphony nos. 5, 6 and 7 are however unconvincing, lacking sardonic character. They are not the recordings you will go back to when comparing them with other fine and recent recordings, such as Barshai and Barenboim (no. 5), Herbig and Sanderling (no. 6) and Barenboim and Gielen (no. 7).

So within a crowded field of Mahler cycles, including the classic sets, Chailly's set is not as consistently convincing as Bertini (EMI) and Gielen (Hänssler). Pick either of these as first choices among all-digital contemporary sets, or go for the classic Kubelik set on DG.

An Emotionally Riveting, Fine Mahler Symphony Cycle From Chailly, etc........2007-03-12

Much to the surprise of music critics and fans, Riccardo Chailly has emerged as one of our most prominent conductors of late 19th Century classical music, especially of Mahler's symphonies. Here in New York City, there is still ample praise for his spellbinding performances of the Mahler 7th Symphony with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra over a year ago. Most recently, his performance of the Mahler 5th Symphony with his current orchestra, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, earned ample critical praise from Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times's chief classical music critic. I was present too at the same concert, and heard the finest live performance I've heard of this symphony, and one of the greatest performances I have ever heard of a Mahler symphony.

This Decca box set includes Riccardo Chailly's historically-informed interpretations of Mahler's symphonies, recorded with his former orchestra, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (except for the Adagio of the unfinished 10th Symphony, which was recorded much earlier with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra) from the 1990s into the early 2000s. These recordings truly rank among the finest recent recordings of Mahler's symphonies I've heard, with the most notable ones those of the 4th, 7th and 8th symphonies, though the rest are fine in their own right (I concur with another reviewer who observed that the sound quality seems slightly inferior for the 2nd symphony, but otherwise, the recordings are superb examples of Decca's state-of-the-art sound engineering.). Personally, I find the recent cycles from Abbado and Boulez more intriguing, but this is a matter of my own personal taste rather than a negative judgement of Chailly's skills as a Mahler interpreter. Without question, Chailly's emotionally riveting interpretations should be regarded favorably by anyone interested in acquiring a recently recorded Mahler symphony cycle.

The best and most interesting Mhaler cycle.......2007-01-29

When compiling my ideas and opinions of all the best and most hailed Mahler cycles out there, Bernstein, Abbado, Tilson Thomas, etc., I find Ricardo Chailly's to be the best, and most interesting recording of them all. The tone , color of the orchestra and the raw emotion and imagination that Chailly evokes from the players is unmatchable. There are however some questionable solos, particularly in the 5th that were sloppy, and the tempos in the 6th were very constrained and needed more movement. But overall Chailly is a master, and he brought the 8th to my attention like no other conductor out there. Please give it a listen.

First-rate Mahler, and a tremendous bargain!.......2006-07-18

This is as fine a Mahler box available today. First off, you have the magnificent Royal Concertgebouw, as fine an orchestra in the world today, which happens to have a great tradition of Mahler on disc, going back to Mengelberg's 4th recorded in the 30's. Throughout every single performance, they are consistently world class, responding idiomatically to Mahler's unique soundworld. In the 10th, Chailly conducts the Berlin Radio symphony and their playing equals that of the Concertgebouw's. Chailly's interpretations may lack the hysteria of Bernstein's DG Cycle, or the sheer orchestral fireworks from Solti or Tennstedt, but I found Chailly's Mahler to be consistently thoughtful and musically intelligent, more so than his competition. While some performances are better than others, his interpretive thoughts are never less than good. There's only one minor quibble I can think of. No. 2 has some issues in sound, in that it's somewhat over-reverberant, sometimes obscuring detail. But in terms of performance, it receives a fine reading from Chailly. Aside from no. 2, Decca's digital recordings are all of demonstration quality, rich yet detailed. Great Mahler cycles under 100 bucks don't exactly grow on trees, the great ones being Bertini, Bernstein I and Kubelik. This one belongs in that distinguished company. I could go into strenuous detail about each individual performance, but I'll save you the time. Just get this set and hear for yourself! Add together the superb Royal Concertgebouw, Chailly's fine interpretations, first class DDD recordings and a price of about 8 bucks a disc, and this box is just about unbeatable. Buy buy buy!

Highly professional, hardly cataclysmic.......2006-03-16

This set doesn't reach the same level of sheer audacity heard in the Solti, Bernstein or even Kubelik renditions of Mahler's beloved orchestral works, but, needless to say, the Concertgebouw Orchestra doesn't disappoint easily in this repertoire. And for Chailly, who conducted the band for almost two decades, they really are in top notch form. Orchestral execution is very good, sometimes plain marvellous, and the overall sound is nothing short of spectacular.

Then, what is this set short of? It's a question that is not answered easily. Mahler's works require not only a conductor and a band willing to explore and execute several levels of musical greatness, there also has to be the urge to bring out every drop of emotion, symbolism, love, life, death, prayer, aching nostalgia and sometimes just plain desperation. The likes of Bernstein, Gielen and Solti certainly make the best of these important elements, albeit, sometimes, at the cost of orchestral flubs or having to bear the blame for being too 'over-indulgent'.

Well, at least the last qualification doesn't apply to Chailly. His views on Mahler are more cultured, detailed and above all, musical. He let's the music speak for itself without ever crossing the border. This pays good dividends in the most neutral of all Mahler symphonies, the first, and the highly colourfull Third gets what is probably one of the three finest performances ever recorded on disc. The Fifth, although superbly played and recorded, might just lack a certain amount of emotional thrust to really let off, but the Sixth with it's unusually slow first movement comes across very satisfactory without ever being emotionally detached. The Eigth is another highlight in this set with superb vocal contributions as is the Ninth that absolutely belongs at the peak of a high mountain of outstanding Mahler Ninth's. So far, this set is nothing short of fabulous, especially with the equally excellent rendition of Cooke's reconstruction of Mahler 10.

Unfortunately, Chailly's thoughtful and sober approach leaves something to be desired in the symphonies that require just a tad more than just fabulous orchestral playing to make the music a real knock-out. The Second symphony lacks a required amount of overall tension and deliverance at the very end and the Fourth symphony simply sounds weird with a first movement that is stiff on the rubato, but the singing of Barbara Bonney is fantastic. The Seventh could not have made a bigger difference with Bernstein's neurotic all-or-nothing approach. Here Chailly chooses to accentuate elements that really show this work's influence on the Second Viennese School very effective, but as a result is sadly underplaying the finale with brass extremely timid.

To sum up, this may not be the most satisfactory complete Mahler set around, but it surely is one of the best played thanks to an orchestra with a long-standing tradition in Mahler and a conductor who really has put some thought on the music. Certainly worth having, even though you may prefer other conductors/performers in this music.

Average customer rating:

Another Outstanding Naxos Recording!
Symphony No. 2, a really great discovery
FIRE AND AIR
Amended review
A Delight In All Respects

Weber: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Weber: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2; Polacca Brillante; Konzertstück
Carl Maria von Weber: Clarinet Concertos
Saint-Saëns: Les 5 Symphonies
Bruch: The Complete Symphonies
Weber: Clarinet Concertos Nos. 1 & 2; Grand Duo Concertante; Concertino

ASIN: B00000140J
Release Date: 1994-12-13

Tracks:

Symphony No. 1 in C Major; J. 50: Allegro con fuoco
Symphony No. 1 in C Major; J. 50: Andante
Symphony No. 1 in C Major; J. 50: Scherzo And Trio
Symphony No. 1 In C Major, J. 50: Finale: Presto
Symphony No. 2 In C Major, J. 51: Allegro
Symphony No. 2 In C Major, J. 51: Adagio ma non troppo
Symphony No. 2 In C Major, J. 51: Menuetto And Trio
Symphony No. 2 In C Major, J. 51: Finale: Scherzo presto
Turandot, J. 75: Overture
Turandot, J. 75: Funeral March From Act V
Turandot, J. 75: March From Act II
Silvana, J. 87: Tanz der Edelknaben
Silvana, J. 87: Fackel Tanz
Die Drei Pintos, Anh. 5: Entr'acte

Customer Reviews:

Another Outstanding Naxos Recording!.......2007-03-23

Weber wrote both of his Symphonies in the same year (1807), and both are in the key of C Major. However, each one brings different delights. The sound is excellent on this Naxos release, and the playing by the Queensland Philharmonic is impressive, especially by the horns, with a wonderful viola solo in the Adagio of the Second Symphony. Weber's music here is witty, adventurous and at times a little unpredictable. The Penguin Guide has awarded this great recording a Rosette, which is their highest honor, reserved only for a recording that "shows special illumination, magic or a spiritual quality...that places it in a very special class". I wholeheartedly agree. And, as a nice bonus, Naxos has added attractive excerpts from two lesser-known operas, as well as incidental music from Turandot. I highly recommend this CD, and the price is easy on the budget, to be sure.

Symphony No. 2, a really great discovery.......2006-03-21

Until I bought this CD, I had never heard the Weber 2nd Symphony. It is a strange but an absolutely delightful piece. The first movement is longer than the rest of the symphony combined. It is also as fine an example of sonata-allegro form as you will ever hear. The horn solo in the second theme is just gorgeous. The second movement is short but lovely, the menuetto even shorter and the finale is less than 2 minutes and just when you think it is over the bassoon plays one last fade away phrase. It almost like Weber is poking fun at Beethoven's 5th. The rest of the music, including the much more popular 1st Symphony, are all lovely and fun to listen to. But it is the 2nd Symphony that really caught my ear. Great performances from New Zealand.

FIRE AND AIR.......2004-01-24

Naxos really are doing us proud. Here is yet another first-class disc of comparatively out of the way music, beautifully performed and recorded. I am very enthusiastic for Weber in general. He had a superlative melodic gift for one thing, he was a brilliant orchestrator and he is blessedly free of pretentiousness. Nobody would look to his compositions for lessons in intellectual techniques, but I will happily trade that to be spared laboured workings-out, twaddling `passages' and the whole baggage of second-rate 19th century instrumental music. All the music on this record is comparatively lightweight, but the symphonies less so than the incidental music. Being perfectly candid, I find them more interesting than the early symphonies of my beloved Schubert. There is a theatrical feel to them, but that is no bad thing in my opinion, and when the inevitable thoughts of Rossini came to the forefront of my mind I also found myself reflecting that Weber had a soul within him, a thing of fire and air, where Rossini had nothing but a vacuum.

The recorded quality is in some ways very striking indeed, with startling resonance in the bass - to start with I could almost have sworn that I heard a tuba. The Queensland Philharmonic play with real life, vigour and enthusiasm, and the conductor has to my way of thinking the right extroversion and sense of style and pace for this particular music. There is also a businesslike and helpful liner-note giving some information on conductor and orchestra as well as commentary on the music.

Right at the end we have something very different and very interesting indeed - an entr'acte put together by Mahler from material Weber had left from an unfinished opera The Three Pintos. Suddenly to hear Mahler's idiom and Mahler's scoring in a ghostly embrace with Weber's has real `tingle-factor` for me, something like the effect of the last bars of the Flying Dutchman overture, written by the Wagner of Tristan and Isolde. I am going to get very attached to this record.

Amended review.......2001-06-30

I lowered my original score from 4 star to 2 star after listening to it a few more times. It became clearer to me that, though the recording is dead quiet with no extraneous noise, the strings are muffled considerably. Great music, OK recording quality.

A Delight In All Respects.......2001-06-23

Weber clearly liked to keep a little fun in his music. These two symphonies are delightful music. Weber used a light touch to lead the listener through a spirited conversation between the orchestra sections. Instead of hiding the woodwinds behind a curtain of strings as was typical, Weber brought them out where they shine without being shrill or syrupy. None of that thin, reedy stuff here, its all full-bodied. Weber's love of the oboe shows. The orchestra plays Weber beautifully and the engineers did a great job too.

Mahler - The Complete Symphonies / LPO, Tennstedt

Average customer rating:

Mostly fine but somewhat uneven
Classic Sound of Mahler from LPO
IMHO best Mahler performe.
Tennstedt's Mahler Cycle: A Best Buy
Challenging, Sensitive, Sincerely Committed Performances.

Mahler - The Complete Symphonies / LPO, Tennstedt
Lucia Popp , London Philharmonic Orchestra , Elizabeth Connell , Edith Mathis , David Hill , Jorma Hynninen , Trudeliese Schmidt, Richard Versalle, Edith Wiens Doris Soffel , Hans Sotin , Nadine Denize , and Ladies of London Philharmonic Chorus Southend Boys' Chor
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Bruckner: The Complete Symphonies
Beethoven - The Complete String Quartets / Alban Berg Quartet
Mozart: Chamber Music
Symphonies 1-3 / Piano Concerto 1-4 / Isle of Dead
Liszt: Works for Piano and Orchestra

ASIN: B00000C2KM
Release Date: 1998-11-03

Tracks:

Symphony No. 1 In D Major: 1. Langsam. Schleppend - Im Anfang Sehr Gemachlich
Symphony No. 1 In D Major: II: Kraftig bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell
Symphony No. 1 In D Major: III: Feierlich und gemessen, ohne zu schleppen
Symphony No. 1 In D Major: IV: Sturmisch bewegt
Symphony No. 2 In C Minor 'Resurection': I: Adagio maestoso

Tracks:

Symphony No. 2 In C Minor 'Resurrection': II: Andante moderato
Symphony No. 2 In C Minor 'Resurrection': III: In ruhig fliessender Bewegung
Symphony No. 2 In C Minor 'Resurrection': IV: Urlicht (Sehr feierlich aber schlicht)
Symphony No. 2 In C Minor 'Resurrection': V: Im Tempo des Scherzos (Wild herausfahrend) - Langsam - Allegro energico - Langsam

Tracks:

Symphony No. 3 In D Minor: Erste Aabteilung: I: Kraftig. Entschieden
Symphony No. 3 In D Minor: Zweite Abteilung: II: Tempo di Menuetto. Sehr massig
Symphony No. 3 In D Minor: Zweite Abteilung: III: Comodo. Scherzando. Ohne Hast
Symphony No. 3 In D Minor: Zweite Abteilung: IV: Sehr Langsam. Misterioso. Durchaus ppp
Symphony No. 3 In D Minor: Zweite Abteilung: V: Lustig im Tempo und keck im Ausdruck

Tracks:

Symphony No. 3 In D Minor: Qweite Abteilung: VI: Langsam. Ruhevoll. Empfunden.
Symphony No. 4 In G Major: I: Bedachtig. Nicht eilen
Symphony No. 4 In G Major: II: In gemachlicher Bewegung. Ohne Hast
Symphony No. 4 In G Major: III: Ruhevoll
Symphony No. 4 In G Major: IV: Sehr behaglich

Tracks:

Symphony No. 5 In C Sharp Minor: I: Trauermarsch
Symphony No. 5 In C Sharp Minor: II: Sturmisch bewegt, mit grosster Vehemenz
Symphony No. 5 In C Sharp Minor: III: Scherzo: Schattenhaft
Symphony No. 5 In C Sharp Minor: IV: Adagietto: Sehr langsam
Symphony No. 5 In C Sharp Minor: V: Rondo-Finale: Allegro

Tracks:

Symphony No. 7 In E Minor: I: Langsam - Allegro
Symphony No. 7 In E Minor: II: Nachtmusik I: Allegro moderato
Symphony No. 7 In E Minor: III: Scherzo: Schattenhaft
Symphony No. 7 In E Minor: IV: Nachtmusik II: Andante amoroso

Tracks:

Symphony No. 7 In E Minor: V: Rondo - Finale: Tempo I (Allegro ordinario) - Tempo II (Allegro moderato ma energico)
Symphony No. 6 In A Minor: I: Allegro energico, ma non troppo. Heftig aber markig
Symphony No. 6 In A Minor: II: Scherzo Wuchtig
Symphony No. 6 In A Minor: III: Andante moderato

Tracks:

Symphony No. 6 In A Minor: IV: Finale: Allegro moderato
Symphony No. 8 In E Flat Major 'Symphony Of A Thousand': I. Teil. Hymnus: Veni, creator spiritus
Symphony No. 8 In E Flat Major 'Symphony Of A Thousand': I. Teil. Hymnus: Allegro impetuoso: Imple superna gratia
Symphony No. 8 In E Flat Major 'Symphony Of A Thousand': I. Teil. Hymnus: Allegro impetuoso: Infirma nostri corporis
Symphony No. 8 In E Flat Major 'Symphony Of A Thousand': I. Teil. Hymnus: Allegro impetuoso: Accende lumen sensibus
Symphony No. 8 In E Flat Major 'Symphony Of A Thousand': I. Teil. Hymnus: Allegro impetuoso: Veni, creator spiritus
Symphony No. 8 In E Flat Major 'Symphony Of A Thousand': I. Teil. Hymnus: Allegro impetuoso: Gloria, Patri Domino

Tracks:

Symphony No. 8 In E Flat Major 'Symphony Of A Thousand': II. Teil. Schlussszene 'Faust': Poco adagio: Waldung sie schwankt heran
Symphony No. 8 In E Flat Major 'Symphony Of A Thousand': II. Teil. Schlussszene 'Faust': Poco adagio: Ewiger Wonnerbrand
Symphony No. 8 In E Flat Major 'Symphony Of A Thousand': II. Teil. Schlussszene 'Faust': Poco adagio: Wie Felsenabgrund mir zu Fussen
Symphony No. 8 In E Flat Major 'Symphony Of A Thousand': II. Teil. Schlussszene 'Faust': Allegro deciso: Gerettet ist das edle Glied
Symphony No. 8 In E Flat Major 'Symphony Of A Thousand': II. Teil. Schlussszene 'Faust': Allegro deciso: Uns bleibt ein Erdenrest
Symphony No. 8 In E Flat Major 'Symphony Of A Thousand': II. Teil. Schlussszene 'Faust': Allegro deciso: Hier ist die Aussicht frei
Symphony No. 8 In E Flat Major 'Symphony Of A Thousand': II. Teil. Schlussszene 'Faust': Allegro deciso: Hochste Herrscherin der Welt
Symphony No. 8 In E Flat Major 'Symphony Of A Thousand': II. Teil. Schlussszene 'Faust': Ausserst langsam. Adagissimo: Dir, der Unberuhrbaren
Symphony No. 8 In E Flat Major 'Symphony Of A Thousand': II. Teil. Schlussszene 'Faust': Allegro deciso: Bei der Liebe, die den Fussen
Symphony No. 8 In E Flat Major 'Symphony Of A Thousand': II. Teil. Schlussszene 'Faust': Allegro deciso: Neige, neige, du Ohnegleiche
Symphony No. 8 In E Flat Major 'Symphony Of A Thousand': II. Teil. Schlussszene 'Faust': Allegro deciso: Blicket auf zum Retterblick
Symphony No. 8 In E Flat Major 'Symphony Of A Thousand': II. Teil. Schlussszene 'Faust': Allegro deciso: Alles Vergangliche

Tracks:

Symphony No. 9 In D Minor: I: Andante comodo
Symphony No. 9 In D Minor: II: Im Tempo eines gemachlichen Landlers. Etwas tappisch und sehr derb
Symphony No. 9 In D Minor: III: Rondo-Burleske: Allegro assai. Sehr trotiz

Tracks:

Symphony No. 9 In D Minor: IV: Adagio: Sehr langsam und noch zuruckhaltend
Symphony No. 10 In F Sharp Minor: I: Adagio

Amazon.com

Hot on the heels of DG's new reissue of the Bernstein's complete Mahler symphonies and song cycles, EMI has repackaged Klaus Tennstedt's recordings of all 10 symphonies. Although he remade symphonies 5 through 7, these are his first versions, essentially the same performances that used to be available in three separate boxes at mid price. Now at budget price, and at virtually a third of the cost of DG's Bernstein set, Tennstedt's Mahler is one hell of a bargain. The performances aren't as consistent as Bernstein's. The London Philharmonic was never a great Mahler orchestra, and minor errors are fairly common, especially in the Sixth Symphony, which was the conductor's own favorite among all his recordings despite the lapses in the brass section. It's a performance of frightening intensity, and it's easy to understand his affection for it. All of Tennstedt's Mahler features such spontaneity, emotional honesty, and real human warmth that reservations about execution and sound largely fall by the wayside. Hearing it again is a deeply moving experience. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Mostly fine but somewhat uneven.......2007-04-26

Tennstedt's interpretations emphasize the darker side of Mahler's scores; hence he is among the "hands on" Mahler conductors, such as Barbirolli. Especially successful interpretations are those of # 1-3, 5, and 9. The sound is mostly fine analogue stereo, but some of the recordings are problematic: early digital with a nasty, edgy sound.

Some comments of each recording.

Symphony 1. A very fine interpretation, in outstanding analogue sound. Especially the two final movements are memorable showcases for Tennstedt's dark emphasis. But Kubelik's recordings (DG and Audite) are more consistent.

Symphony 2. Excellent drama and tension, but the sound is not entirely satisfying (edgy early digital). Consider Metha's fine recording (Decca) for reference.

Symphony 3. Also a very fine performance, but perhaps not great. Excellent, swift account of the finale. Anyway, first choices are Kubelik (DG and Audite), Barbirolli (BBC) and Schuricht (Classical D'Oro).

Symphony 4. Not entirely successful, too fast and partly weak playing. Popp is excellent in the finale, however. Again, Kubelik is my first choice, followed by Barbirolli (BBC) and Horensten (EMI).

Symphony 5. Excellent! A classical reading of tremendous power and passion. Very fine sound too.

Symphony 6. Bad hammerblows, and a lukewarm middle of the road reading. The most problemtic interpretation in this set. Barbirolli's is my favourite recording (EMI), but Horenstein's is fine too (BBC or Unicorn).

Symphony 7. Slow and entirely unconvincing, especially in a crowded field with great recordings, such as Kubelik's (DG and Audite), Gielen's (Hänssler), Bernstein's (DG and SONY).

Symphony 8. Mahler requires two choirs, Tennstedt uses only one. Thus no "heavenly" sound. In addition, I have hard times with Lott's voice. But the recorded sound is very fine. Kubelik (Audite), Horenstein (BBC) and Mitropoulos (Orfeo) are first choices.

Symphony 9. One of the best recordings in this set, and a moving interpretation as well. Consider Ancerl (Supraphon) and Klemperer (EMI) for reference.

The Tennstedt set was for a long time the best and cheapest bargain set. But now it has been challenged by Gary Bertini's Mahler cycle on the same label. That set is more or less contemporary with Tennstedt's set, but it is generally far more arresting - virtually the interpretations and the recording quality are clearly superior. In addition, it is even cheaper. So my advice is that budget collectors grab the Bertini cycle while it is available. It is the best Mahler bargain cycle, and it is even better than many other, more expensive sets. However, Kubelik's classic cycle on DG remains my first recommendation.

Nonetheless, dedicated collectors should have the Tennstedt cycle too. Recommended, but not without reservations.

Classic Sound of Mahler from LPO.......2005-09-30

Tennstedt has his unique ways and skill of engeenering the sound of Mahler's symphonies.

Personally, I enjoy this CD set of Symphony 1, 5, 6, 8 and 9

IMHO best Mahler performe........2005-07-25

I can say, what sound quality and performe of this symphonies is on top,best i ever heard. I'm professional musician,so this is not just a mere words.

Tennstedt's Mahler Cycle: A Best Buy.......2005-03-19

Whether you are new to Mahler or just a fellow Mahler enthusiast looking for yet another way of hearing these wonderful works, this well-recorded 11-disc set strikes me as a clear "best buy." I recently acquired a brand-new, sealed copy from one of Amazon's alternative vendors for about $40, which works out to less than $4 per CD.

On 19 December 1974 I was fortunate to attend Klaus Tennstedt's American debut concert with the Boston Symphony. The sole work was Bruckner's 8th Symphony (I am amazed to discover that I still have the concert program). The East German conductor was tall, gaunt, and seemingly rather un-coordinated: he almost fell down on his way to the podium. But once he lifted his baton, egad! The BSO, which often sounded so dispirited under Ozawa, immediately caught fire and delivered one of the greatest performances in my entire concert-going experience. Sadly, Tennstedt's later studio recording (different orchestra) was just a shadow of what I heard in Boston.

My interest in Tennstedt was re-ignited a couple years ago by the purchase of an expensive ($225) box set of "live" Mahler recordings put out by the NY Philharmonic. Its main attraction was the opportunity to hear the legendary Mitropoulos 6th (superb!), the 1950 Stokowski 8th (excellent, but no match for Horenstein's), and Walter's Das Lied with Ferrier and Svanholm (preferable over-all to Walter's famed 1952 studio effort on Decca). But the set's two biggest surprises were a hypnotic 7th under Kubelik and a staggeringly brilliant Tennstedt 5th: I can't recall EVER hearing the orchestra sound quite this good in Mahler under Bernstein.

The present Tennstedt set is not at that rarefied level: these are studio readings with a fine but lesser ensemble. The 1st is fairly straightforward and beautifully played, if lacking a little in the klezmer music's inherent vulgarity. The 2nd is very satisfying if, like me, you prefer a less interventionist version than Bernstein's. Regrettably, the sound here is rather recessed - you really have to turn up the volume to achieve sonic impact. The 3rd is better played & recorded than Horenstein's, if not quite its interpretive equal. Tennstedt's 4th is excessively hasty in the first mvt. and Lucia Popp's singing is rather over-extended in the 4th mvt. Beautiful slow mvt., though. The 5th, while to my ears clearly superior to both Kubelik and Bernstein, is not as brilliant as Tennstedt's later live EMI version or the live NY Phil. account. The 6th is a bit "over the top" for my taste and has some messy brass playing, but it's an unquestionably committed account. The 7th is a little tentative in the first mvt. but fine thereafter. The 8th has, along with the 3rd, the set's best recorded sound. It's a performance of real stature, despite an under-sized chorus ("the symphony of 500?"). The 9th is somewhat heavy until the last mvt., which is gorgeously played (likewise the Adagio from the 10th).

So Tennstedt's set, like everybody else's, is a bit uneven. His main competition in the complete set sweepstakes comes primarily from Bernstein (Sony) and Kubelik (DG). Bernstein's is a highly proselytizing Mahler, with frequent dramatic underlinings and triple exclamation points: to my ears Lenny is just a little too exaggerated and inveigling. Kubelik has a rather rustic-sounding orchestra and often veers toward quickish tempos, with recorded sound that is uncomfortably bright and bass-deficient. If you are looking for a first-ever set in reasonably decent sound, this Tennstedt offering is probably the best choice (and by far the cheapest).

Ultimately, just as a meal prepared from scratch will satisfy more than a TV dinner, I feel that choosing individual readings from a variety of conductors is the most satisfying course to pursue. My suggestion: buy this cheap Tennstedt set and then garnish it with some of the best individual offerings, plus a completed version of the 10th and a Das Lied (a symphony in all but name). Here are my current preferences in addition to this Tennstedt set:

#1. The live Kubelik (Audite) is just about perfect - it's even better than his two studio versions. The mono Horenstein on Vox (great interpretation, some scrappy playing) is closer to how the music was played in Mahler's day (e.g., lots of lovely string portamento), and it's available for just $3.98 from Berkshire Record Outlet.

#2. The Scherchen (Millenium), despite some eccentric tempos, has choral entries steeped in mysticism, and Mimi Coertse's glorious soprano voice is unmatched for innocent radiance (what a shame she didn't do a 4th with Scherchen). The studio Klemperer (EMI) is excellent, but I prefer his more urgent live 1951 Amsterdam account, with Ferrier's unforgettably valiant Urlicht (recently available on a Membran CD for just $2.99 at broinc.com).

#3. Horenstein (Unicorn) is simply indispensable. Another of my favorite 3rds comes live from Jean Martinon and the Chicago Symphony. It features spot-on ensemble, a deeply-felt interpretation, and sensational recorded sound. It's available only in an expensive ($225) 10-disc set from the CSO (which includes an outstanding live Bruckner 7th with Tennstedt). I also admire the big-hearted Barbirolli 3rd (BBC) and Mahler disciple F. Charles Adler's old-fashioned account (Tahra).

#4. Horenstein (Chief CD) and Kletzki (EMI) now strike me as the finest stereo readings. Would somebody PLEASE re-issue the enchanting Otterloo (Epic LP)? Stich-Randall's ingenuous soprano was just about ideal. And, last but not least, there's the Mengelberg (on Q Disc and other labels) with the appealing soprano of Jo Vincent.

#5. Tennstedt/NY Phil. is breathtaking, even though I prefer a quicker Adagietto (i.e., Mengelberg's stand-alone reading). A more blunt and very well-played account is Barshai's (coupled with #10 on Brilliant Classics). The early Scherchen (DG Westminster) is also a classic.

#6. My favorites: Barbirolli (EMI), in spite (or perhaps because) of the slow 1st mvt., the blazing live Mitropoulos/NY Phil., and the live Rosbaud (much in need of CD re-issue).

#7. The aforementioned Kubelik/NY is magical, even though the 1st mvt. is quite slow. I also treasure the Horenstein despite its poor execution (better heard on a Descant CD than on BBC or M&A). Scherchen (Orfeo) and Rosbaud (Wergo) present Mahler in a more avant-garde guise: both are riveting performances. The Bernstein/NY Phil. (Sony) strikes me as that conductor's finest Mahler recording.

#8. Horenstein (BBC) carries the day for me. The 1950 Scherchen (Tahra) has problematic sound and some pretty awful singing: soprano Illitsch sounds like a mis-placed Brunnhilde, and mezzo Anday's wobbly vibrato reminds me of Bert Lahr singing "If I Were King of the Forest." But there are moments (the last ten minutes especially) where Scherchen achieves a Furtwanglerish intensity that is hair-raising.

#9. Two that really stand out: Ancerl (Supraphon), especially his electrifying Rondo Burleske, and the mono Horenstein on Vox.

#10. My favorites: Wyn Morris (an Adagio of heart-rending loneliness) and the Martinon/Chicago (too fast in the Adagio but brilliant otherwise; available only in another wallet-depleting 12-CD box set). The Morris (Philips LP) is WAY overdue for a CD transfer. Barshai's 10th (coupled with his 5th on budget label Brilliant Classics) is excellent.

Das Lied. Kubelik (Audite) with Baker & Kmentt is a superb all-round choice. The 1939 Schuricht (Minerva, etc.) has Ohmann's Melchior-like heldentenor (extraordinary!). The finest studio set is probably the Klemperer with Ludwig & Wunderlich (EMI). Ludwig is even better with Kmentt in a live Carlos Kleiber set on Golden Melodram (but the sound is rather poor).

This Tennstedt set is a fine and inexpensive introduction to Mahler's symphonies. After adding a completed 10th, a Das Lied, and perhaps a few supplementary readings, you can then sit back and revel in many hours of glorious music making.

Challenging, Sensitive, Sincerely Committed Performances........2004-04-05

I have the distinct feeling that, in time, Tennstedt's Mahler will grow in the affections of others as it has with me. Simply put, there is something very authentic about these accounts. The sense of commitment is unquestionable. Generally, the interpretations are thoughtful and emotionally satisfying. Tennstedt often digs deeply to ferret a wealth of detail, which provides substantial rewards, including a broader, more fulfilling connection with Mahler's musical messages. (Listen to the thoroughly captivating reading given of the first movement of the Fourth Symphony or the soulful account of the final movement of the Ninth.) The conductor's characterization of these messages tends to be vivid, yet typically free of emotional excess. This is as true of Mahler's uplifting aspects as it is of his anxiety ridden, sardonic and tragic aspects. Where other sets are concerned, I also like Bernstein in his earlier all-New York Philharmonic endeavor and Kubelik with the BRSO on DG. Any of these three compilations merits high marks. Overall, however, it is difficult to pick a clear winner. Each presents individually moving interpretations. My preferred performances in the Bernstein set are 2-3-4-6-7-9 ; in the Tennstedt set, 3-4-5-7-8-9 ; and in the Kubelik set, 1-2-3-5-7-8-9. (Incidentally, after listening to selected excerpts, I'm anxious to hear some of Kubelik's live and complete performances in his Audite set.).... Sonically, Bernstein's recordings are typically fine (but not the Fifth). Tennstedt's are often clear, detailed and ambient, though sometimes there is a touch of brightness and sharpness. Kubelik's are uniformly good except for occasionally tinny sounding trumpets.... Regarding orchestral execution, I am rarely concerned about what some others allude to as occasional inconsistency in the quality of play demonstrated by the New York Philharmonic's horns. Frankly, there are a few intermittent brass problems with Kubelik's BRSO too. As far as what some cite as the London Philharmonic's tendency toward occasional lapses in concentration, either I don't detect those lapses as much or I tune them out or don't care. Tennstedt's is a wonderful set to own. Obviously, it's not perfect, but it's the kind that augurs for solid quality and satisfaction over the long haul. I have absolutely no serious reservations about warmly recommending it.