Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Otto Klemperer's 1967 reading of Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde has in Fritz Wunderlich the greatest tenor who has ever recorded the music, and in Christa Ludwig a mezzo scarcely less impressive. The sonics on this recording are absolutely glorious, and the conductor's measured direction imparts a striking sense of grandeur to the account. --Ted Libbey

Tracks:

Das Trinklied Vom Jammer Der Erde
Der Einsame Im Herbst
Von Der Jugend
Von Der Schonheit
Der Trunkene Im Fruhling
Der Abschied

Amazon.com essential recording

Mahler considered The Song of the Earth his most personal work, and indeed it is one of his greatest and most moving. Its six sections, sung alternately by the mezzo-soprano and tenor, are set to seven poems from The Chinese Flute, a collection of Chinese lyrics translated into German by Hans Bethge, which echo Mahler's love of nature and contrast the earth's renewal each spring with the transience of human life. Composed after he lost his beloved 4-year-old daughter and was diagnosed with a serious heart ailment, the music encompasses heart-rending anguish and sublime ecstasy; conceived in the shadow of death, it is suffused with a sense of sorrowful, reluctant leave-taking finally transformed into resigned renunciation. The scoring for a large orchestra is masterful and includes many solo passages; melodic, harmonic, and instrumental devices at times create an oriental flavor. Among the work's many recordings, this is certainly one of the best. The orchestra is splendid; its wonderfully transparent sound, together with Klemperer's extremely leisurely, deliberate tempi, allows many apparently brand-new lines and details to come out and gives the second tenor solo a strikingly Chinese character. Moreover, the singers can be clearly heard, and they are incomparable: vocally glorious, musically deeply involved, sensitive to every expressive nuance and subtlety of words and music, they follow Mahler to the heights and depths of emotion, making the performance an overwhelming, unforgettable experience. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

The Most Poetic Das Lied von der Erde.......2007-06-30

Otto Klemperer was a majestic force of nature during the 50s to the 70s who offered one of the most old-fashioned, granitic interpretations of classical music. His Beethoven stands perhaps at the pantheon of the composer's greatest aural representations, and his Wagner was always correct. Even his Bach, conducted in the grand tradition of the Romantics, sounds ravishingly albeit with all the HIP recordings flooding the market. That said, I believe that Klemperer's strengths as a conductor worked best with his interpretation of the works of Gustav Mahler. It was not because he was Jewish, although Christa Ludwig once said in an interview that this was the main reason why he had such a great affinity with the great composer's works. It was more because Klemperer came from an old tradition of conducting that while rendered obsolete by many of today's musicians, brings out the spirit of the score without eschewing transparency and detail.

It goes to say that this is perhaps the most spiritual and poetic account of Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde ever committed to records. I own over 10 recordings of Das Lied, and this is the one I return to the most. Klemperer had an affinity with Mahler's understanding of the tragic and the rapturous, and perhaps he also knew what it meant to assimilate the Oriental traditions that Mahler imbued in this extremely personal work. I regard it to be his very best orchestral and musical work, much better than all of his symphonies combined. Although others would disagree with me, the Das Lied von der Erde has so much wisdom in it, and sums up in a few lines such as "ewig ewig" the meaning of life as it meant to Mahler. Klemperer understood that philosophy, and paints this recording with that Mahlerian spirit that makes this interpretation so special. Listen to the outbursts of the Philharmonia in the Trinklied, or listen to the gentle, wavelike entrance of the strings in Der Einsame im Herbst. Or yet again, why don't you listen to the opening bars of the Abschied and listen to how successfully Klemperer imbues the music with a touch of tragedy and abandon. It is simply ravishing what he was able to do with this orchestra, and bravo indeed for what is one of the greatest recordings ever committed to disc.

The soloists here deserve special mention too. Has there ever been a better mezzo than Christa Ludwig? Better yet, among all the mezzos who have sung the work, does anyone capture the soul of the work while at the same time giving the lines a sense of security, vocal warmth, and tonal beauty that we never heard in Ferrier and Baker? I think Christa Ludwig surpasses all the altos and baritones who attempt to sing this work, and while I still love what Ferrier, Baker, Dieskau, DeYoung, and other such great singers do to this score, Ludwig is perhaps my favorite. Her singing in Der Einsame in Herbst has a plaintive quality to it that brings tears to my eyes everytime I listen to this ravishingly beautiful movement. Her singing in the Abschied is the interpretation upon which all others are judged. Brava brava brava!

As for the tenor, I don't think there has been a voice that has so easily sung the demanding, yet short parts so beautifully. Wunderlich was a miracle who had not only the beauty of tone, but a large one as well. He easily beats King and Heppner in the tenor songs. How fortunate we are that his voice was captured on recording before his tragic death.

My recommendation? Buy it! This truly is one of the greatest recordings of the century.

Of course, you can't have just one Das Lied von der Erde. Another Lied that I would recommend is Kubelik's Audite recording with Dame Janet Baker and Waldemar Kmentt. This truly is Mahler at its finest!

Good Impressions.......2007-06-26

I was familiar with Kinder Toten Leider and other Mahler songs, but, not these.....I was very pleased.....as I was not familiar with this recording...I was familiar with the singers and the conductor...so hardly had any resevations, only positive expectations.
I guess this is not a review, but, just a recording of a discovery, a pleasant revelation.

Fritz and Ernst--und Crista!.......2007-06-17

I agree with the other reviewer who says that Ernst Haefliger's performance of this piece is sublime and possibly the best--long ago I had a cassette of him singing it with Bruno Walter (not Eugen Jochum) and, most likely, the Columbia Symphony--and like most cassettes it finally wore out and had to be thrown away. For years I remembered his dramatic entrance, the sense of propulsion and upward sweep, and since I couldn't find that disc I decided to buy the Klemperer version since it features the great Fritz Wunderlich and the incomparable Crista Ludwig.

Well even tho I have such fond memories of Walter and Haefliger I have to say that Wunderlich is fabulous, Klemperer and the Philharmonia never sounded better, and Crista Ludwig is still the best female singer of Mahler I have ever heard (check out her EMI performances of Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, Kindertotenlieder, and 5 Lieder with the Philharmonia led by Boult, Vandernoot, and Klemperer). I'm still looking for that Bruno Walter performance but till then this is my five star Lied von der Erde.

Close to perfection.......2006-12-27

It took two years to finish but it was well worth the effort. This Das Lied is one of the greatest Mahler recordings ever made. I have never been a Klemperer fan. His Mahler 2nd left me totally cold and his Brahms 4th sounded utterly contrived. But this recording is just wonderful, especially the final song. I cannot imagine any tenor singing this music with less effort than Fritz Wunderlich (although I have not heard the Placido Domingo recording). And of course Christa Ludwig is also marvelous, although she has lots of competition. The recording started with the Philharmonia Orchestra and ended with the New Philharmonia. They sound exactly the same to me, magnificent. Amazon has discounted this CD to less than 10 bucks, a real bargain. Don't pass it up, especially if you have no recording of this great masterwork.

Stands like a mountain........2006-02-04

This performance sounds & feels like 'Mahler willed down by the genius of Klemperer', who had his own way with Mahler unlike any other, but here it works out to be great. Klemperer is not going about to seek mellifluousness of tone or flowing lyricism, at least not perse; his mahler is 'chiseled out of the marble' and the end result stands like a well-built, powerfully proportioned colossus.
There is evidence of true genius here, helped of course by two of the best singers in history. All together, one can speak of a 'grand occasion' ... and that counts for each and every listen of this recording. Christa Ludwig's voice flows from rapt to hushed to extatic and back again effortlesly, digging deeply into all of the emotions seemingly without effort. The same for the inimitable Fritz Wunderlich, with clear, powerful and ringing voice, as ever; his singing is one of delicate articulation and intelligent phrasing, combined with seemingly endless reserves of power and with beguiling sweetness of timbre.
This recording stands like a mountain - like only a few others -, and it will indeed take a long way into eternity (the final words "Ewig ... ewig ..." never sounded with more appeal) for this mountain to be eroded away - if ever.

The Great War: Classical And Popular Selections From The Time Of World War I (National Public Radio Milestones Of The Millennium)

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Music and the Great War
How a Century Has Change Our Perception of War
Excellent Recording!
Good music, bad title

The Great War: Classical And Popular Selections From The Time Of World War I (National Public Radio Milestones Of The Millennium)

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Great War
Over There - Songs From America's Wars
Words and Music of World War II
The Roaring Twenties
Songs That Got Us Through WWII

ASIN: B00000HXKX
Release Date: 1999-01-12

Tracks:

Military March No. 1 In D Major, Op. 39: Pomp Ad Circumstance
Waltz Fom Der Rosenkavalier Suite
'Von der Schonheit' From Das Lied von der Erde
'De l'aube a midi sur la mer' From La Mer
Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25 'Classical Symphony': III. Gavotta. Non troppo allegro
L'histoire du soldat Suite - IV. The Royal March
L'histoire du soldat Suite - V. The Little Concert
Le tombeau de Couperin - V. Menuet
Le tombeau de Couperin - VI. Toccata
Sinfonia From Pulcinella Suite
Walzer From Funf Klavierstucke, Op. 23
Interlude From Wozzeck, Act III
Prologue From Music Ffor The Theatre
'Shine On Harvest Moon'
'Alexander's Ragtime Band' - Irving Berlin
'Over There'
'How You Gonna Keep'em Down On The Farm (After They've Seen Paree)?'
'The Man I Love' From Stride Up The Band
'West End Blues'

Amazon.com

The first two-thirds of this disc is a fascinating cram course in concert music around the time of World War I. The programmer has put together some fascinating juxtapositions--for example, Strauss's Rosenkavalier leads almost seamlessly into Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde, and Schoenberg sounds out of context with everybody (including Berg). The selections are all short, and performance quality runs from great to mediocre, but this is still a thought-provoking educational experience, even though Bartók and Ives are conspicuously missing. The popular selections are less interesting, often campy, and although vintage recordings are used, they aren't always the right vintage. And someone missed a point by separating Copland's jazzy "Music for the Theatre" from Louis Armstrong, who could have followed immediately. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Music and the Great War.......2007-05-14

This is a fascinating compendium of popular and classical music from the World War One period. It evokes all the turmoil, anguish, and also humor, of the age, and is a vital CD to own if you have an interest in the Great War and the music it inspired or was inspired by.

How a Century Has Change Our Perception of War.......2005-10-29

War. Tough subject these days - tough subject since the beginning of time. Yet Americans tend to mend wounds and gradually allow the atrocities of yesteryear to fade into coated cases that signal more memories of 'how things used to be' rather than learning from the tragedies with which war has scarred the planet. National Public Radio issued this excellent memoir at the turn of the millennium and one wonders if it now has the same response that greeted it in 1999.

Linda Kobler reconstituted this mix of classical and popular music with a keen sense of history. The CD is twice divided (in both the classical and the popular music) into 'Before the War' 1901 - 1917, 'During the War' 1917 - 1922, and 'After the War' 1922 - 1928. In the first era are the works of Elgar ('Pomp and Circumstance'), Strauss (a waltz from 'Der Rosenkavalier'), Mahler (excerpt from 'Das Lied von der Erde'), and Debussy ('La Mer') joining the songs 'Shine On Harvest Moon' and 'Alexander's Ragtime Band'. The War period is represented by Prokofiev's 'Symphony No. 1', Stravinsky's 'L'histoire du soldat', and Ravel's 'Le tombeau de Couperin' in tandem with 'Over There'. After the war include Stravinsky ('Pulcinella Suite'), Schoenberg (Waltz from 'Five Piano Pieces'), Berg (excerpt from 'Wozzeck') and Copland ('Music from the Theatre') with popular songs 'How you gonna keep 'em down on the farm', 'The Man I Love', and 'West End Blues'.

The excerpts selected for this survey are exceptionally good: orchestras include NY Phil, LA Phil, Philadelphia Orchestra, London Symphony, and the Columbia Symphony under such batons a Ormandy, Bernstein, Salonen, Tilson Thomas, Schippers and Stravinsky; soloists include Glen Gould, Robert Casadesus, Lili Chookaskian, Louis Armstrong, et al. The sonics are very fine and the performances are each from significant full recordings remaining in the catalogue.

The booklet accompanying this concert of memories is written by Linda Kobler who uses each selection as a pivotal point in the atmosphere of the globe that accompanied the Great War: it is very well written and informative. This is one of those recorded collections that goes far beyond an accumulation of bits and pieces and instead gives food for thought about how our political and social actions intertwine with the arts in a prophetic way. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, October 05

Excellent Recording!.......1999-03-13

(It was called The "Great" War, because nobody knew about WWII at the time and it was the biggest war anyone had ever seen.)

I think this CD may be a bit choppy to "easy" listeners, but for anyone who has a sincere interest in delving into the musical senses of earlier generations it's VERY good! I recommend the entire NPR Milestones of the Millennium series to such aficionados.

Good music, bad title.......1999-02-11

Since when is war great? Life in the trenches waiting for the germans to attack you worrying about whether mustard gas is gonna loft your way isn't exactly like sipping chablis.

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde (Arranged by Schoenberg)

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Wonderfully played chamber version of Das Lied von der Erde

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde (Arranged by Schoenberg)

Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn
Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No1, Op107; Violin Concerto No1 (revised), Op99
Mahler: Symphony No. 9

ASIN: B000FDFO30
Release Date: 2006-07-11

Tracks:

Das Trinklied Von Jammer Der Erde
Der Einsame In Herbst.
Von Der Jugend
Von Der Schonheit
Der Trunkene Im Fruhling
Der Abschied

Customer Reviews:

Wonderfully played chamber version of Das Lied von der Erde.......2006-11-01

Caveat: This is the Schoenberg-Riehn chamber - *not* Mahler's original orchestral - version of DLvdE. So for example, a piano replaces much of the original percussion instruments like funereal tam-tams in Der Abschied. Everything in the original is shorn down here and the transparency of the work becomes even more evident. Minimalist, almost anti-thetical to Mahler's "a symphony should be like the world" idea. No matter! - it's brilliantly played by Herreweghe & co., and the Remmert and Blochwitz are amongst the best DLvdE singers to my ears. And at budget price, this CD is practically a steal for those who love (the original) DLvdE. I would recommend those new to DLvdE to listen to Mahler's original *first* - many fine classic recordings of this exist e.g., Ludwig/Wunderlich/Klemperer (EMI), Baker/Kmentt/Kubelik (Audite), Hodgson/Mitchinson/Horenstein (BBC), etc. Even though I much prefer Mahler's original version - I'll hang on to this one for its alternative & wonderful musicianship.

Average customer rating:

Wicked Funny Music
Gift Idea
Octoberfest fun
A great CD!

Opera's Greatest Drinking Songs

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000003FV4
Release Date: 1995-04-11

Tracks:

La Traviata: Brindisi
Martha: Lasst mich euch fragen
The Student Prince: Drink, Drink, Drink
Il Trovatore: Anvil chorus
Cavalleria Rusticana: Intanto, amici
Carmen: Votre toast (Toreador Song)
Carmina Burana: In taberna quando sumus
Cherubin: Vous parlex de peril And La Manola
Rigoletto: La donna obile
What Shall We Do With The Drunken Sailor
Das Lied von der Erde: Der trunkene im fr
Wiener Blut: Stoss an!
Lucrezia Borgia: Il segreto per esser felici
Der Freischutz: Hier im ird'schen Jammertal
La Damnation de Faust: Song Of The Rat
Don Giovanni: Finch'han dal vino
La forza del destino: Holholhol
Tafellied
Eine Nacht In Venedig: Solch ein wirtshaus lob ich mir
Otello: Inaffia l'ugola!
The Bartered Bride: Welch Gottesgabe is das Bier
Die Fledermaus: O Fledermaus; Champagne hat's verschuldet

Customer Reviews:

Wicked Funny Music.......2007-05-18

Excellent choices for drunken idiots to sing to. Get some culture while you get smashed!

Gift Idea.......2007-01-17

This was a gift for a man in my life who is a beer conosouir and fluent in German. I fell in love with the cover art because it was so humourous. According to him, the music is also fun and entertaining. This could make an excellent unique gift for someone, even as a joke.

Octoberfest fun.......2000-12-12

My father got this as a joke, ... I heard it and had to have it,, perfect for drinking beer in October. Just a wonderful hearty mix!

A great CD!.......1998-12-12

This CD is so much fun, and has great music! Buy it...you'll love it

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

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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.

Average customer rating:

ditto - a great "DLvdE"
A remarkable recording
A great find-- Janet Baker in her rpime

Das Lied Von Der Erde
Rafael Kubelik , Waldemar Kmentt , Janet Baker , and Bavarian RSO
Manufacturer: Audite
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00006JJ3B
Release Date: 2002-09-24

Customer Reviews:

ditto - a great "DLvdE".......2007-01-17

Yep, this is a recording that pretty much has everything going for it. I don't love Kmentt nearly as much as Fritz Wunderlich (Klemperer), but he's far better than most, in dealing with Mahler's grueling tenor writing - juxtaposed against some mighty Wagnerian orchestral writing in the first song. Janet Baker is truly at the top of her game here. Kubelik doesn't put a foot wrong anyplace either. The sonics are very good, but certainly not up to the latest digital standards. Still, when everything else is so right, slightly dated sonics is just isn't a problem. All aspects considered, this recording of "DLvdE" is right up there with the best of them.

A remarkable recording.......2005-10-04

If you only want one recording of Mahler's wonderful Das Lied von der Erde, this recording will last for a lifetime. I want to emphasize two points for this view.

First, on this record, Rafael Kubelik is conducting the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Kubelik made this orchestra to become one of the finest Mahler orchestras in the sixties, thus contributing to the Mahler-boom. Kubelik's Mahler was once discarded as lightweight, especially beside Bernstein. Today the opinion is rather that Kubelik provided one of the best representations of the truly Bohemian Mahler while Bernstein's Mahler is too much of Bernstein and less of Mahler. Anyway, it is a marvellous orchestra playing on this disc under a classic Mahler conductor, caught live in their own Herkulessaal in Munich with its excellent acoustics. Sonic quality is also excellent. And the audience is spellbound, completely silent.

Second, the soloists are the very best for this work. The Austrian tenor Waldemar Kmentt is perhaps not the most famous tenor, but he was in his prime during the sixties and early seventies. And his contribution on this record must be compared with Wunderlich and Patzak, as the finest interpreters of tenor part of this work. Few can match the desperate tone he produces in "Das Trinklied". And he is as delicate and charming as Wunderlich is in "Der Trunkene im Fruhling" and "Von Der Jugend". Janet Baker, on the other hand, needs no defence in this context. Together with Christa Ludwig, she is the best voice for Das Lied von der Erde. We have her voice in recordings of this work with Haitink, Kempe, and Leppard, but the evening of the present recording was indeed a special occasion. Her performance is just outstanding, especially of the final movement.

To sum up: A remarkable recording, spaciously recorded, and a great event. Strongly and warmly recommended.

A great find-- Janet Baker in her rpime.......2005-09-24

This is a live 1970 performance in excellent stereo under Kubelik, who accomplished as he was and beloved in the Mahler repertoire, here sounds a bit rushed and impatient with Mahler's long line. And Kmentt is no more than a very good tenor soloist burdened with an impossible singing part. The glroy here is Janet Baker, caught exactly in her prime in a signature part.

She is three shades fresher than in her commercial recording under Hiatink, and that added freshness makes all the difference. Her high notes are free and secure, and she has no wobble in long legato lines. Only Christa Ludwig and Kathleen Ferrier equal or excel her in this music. What a relief to anyone who thought this classic performance, which Baker repeated many times in concert, would be lost to us!

Average customer rating:

A Classic Recording
A must for a Placido fan
Great for what it is
Certainly not ALLL the Essential Domingo
Solid, comfortable, familiar -- very good!

Essential Placido Domingo

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Very Best of
Por Amor
Bravo Domingo
De Mi Alma Latina
Placido Domingo: A Love Until The End Of Time

ASIN: B00064AEYW
Release Date: 2004-10-26

Tracks:

Nessun Dorma!
Se Quel Guerrier Io Fossi!.. Celeste Aida
Ch'Ella Mi Creda Libero E Lontano
Una Furtiva Lagrima
Quando Le Sere Al Placido
Bimba Dagli Occhi
Addio, Fiorito Asi
Ingemisco
Amor Ti Vieta
Sincero Amor
Ah! Tout Est Bien Fini-O Souverain, O Juge, O Pere
Apri La Tua Finestra!
E Lucevan Le Stelle
Firenze E Come Un Albero Fiorito
Di Rigori Armato Il Seno
Sole E Amore
Von Der Jugend
Di Quella Pira

Tracks:

Te Quiero, Morena-Jota
La Roca Fria Del Calvario (Romanze)
Por El Humo Se Sabe Donde Esta El Fuego
Granada
Andalucia
Serenata Tapatia
Adoro
Siempre En Mi Corazon
Malaguena
Dulcinea
The Impossible Dream (The Quest)
In Pace
Maria
Perhaps Love
Love Came For Me
A Love Until The End Of Time

Customer Reviews:

A Classic Recording.......2007-03-09

This was a great buy for me. The power and accuracy of Placido's voice are demonstrated well. Two CD's and 34 songs--just can't beat that for the price.

A must for a Placido fan.......2005-04-23

If you've continously listened to this master of tenors and said "wow, I like it, I want to listen even more of him", then raise it to 5 stars, which is the rating I personally give the CD; HOWEVER, if you've only heard him once or not at all, you might want to wait a while and get to know him and other tenors better. Why? Well, disc 1 is the "classical" disc, with arias from famous operas and choral pieces by Puccini and the like, but disc 2, the "modern" or "popular" disc, contains music that will leave you a bit puzzled, since it's is not for everyone; a lot of people have never heard zarzuela or tunes by Manzanero or Lecuona. In short, this disc is better suited for fans of Placido or people who want to know him better, if not, it still is a top choice, and this way you just might fall in love with him (well, his singing, not him literally).

Great for what it is.......2005-01-13

I agree with the previous poster that this does not contain his great dramatic stuff like otello/wagner, but the collection is a beautiful one. There are some great recordings here, and his crossover stuff(maria, Dulcinea, impossible dream) is very interesting. His opera is of course impecable and brilliant. Finally we get to hear Domingo's high C in Di Quella Pira, and its a good one. The zarzuela or spanish operetta type songs and are wonderful.

I found this to be beautiful and exhilirating to listen to.

Certainly not ALLL the Essential Domingo.......2005-01-03

I grew up with Placido Domingo. Not in the sense of being boyhood friends, but rather in the sense that he was part of my "Golden Age" at the Metropolitan Opera. Of the "Three Tenors" (more Marketing hype than useful grouping of three fine singers) Domingo was the most dramatic - the "heaviest" of the three. His repertoire extended well beyond the lyric - and that's why this collection is not all the "essential" Domingo, but rather offers an interesting look at the lighter, more lyric side of Placido Domingo. You won't find Lohengrin or Otello here, but you will find many of the more lyric tenor arias from Verdi, Puccini and Donizetti - to name a few.

There is an "edge" to Domingo's voice that perhaps accounts for his ability to transition successfully into the heavier repertory. I find that tonal quality particularly noticeable in this collection - and sometimes too pronounced. On the other hand, there are a few wonderful surprises. His "Una furtiva lagrima" from L'elisir d'amore is a stand out. Its rare you here a tenor with this much power sing the role. The duet "Bima dagli occhi" from Madama Butterfly with Renata Scotto, again casts Pinkerton with a quality tenor not often found in the opera house any more. I loved the selection from Gianni Schicchi - when is the last time you found Rinuccio cast with this size tenor voice - and the Italian tenor's aria from Rosenkavalier is a treasure from a recording currently out of print. And then there is one of Domingo's signature roles - Jack Rance in Puccini's La Fanciulla del West. No one sings Rance better than Domingo - and the excerpt from the complete recording finds Domingo at his very best.

Disk two is devoted to song - popular and classical. There is a fair amount of tripe - too much cross over (as in who needs to hear Domingo sing "The Impossible Dream" from Man of La Mancha - Broadway is not Mr. Domingo's genre). But there are some wonderful cuts as well - "Granada" is a Domingo encore specialty, and I was particularly struck by the song "In Pace" from the motion picture Hamlet - I never saw the film and was truly taken aback at how beautiful a song this is, and Domingo's voice soars.

I found the sound of these CD's a bit "tinny". Perhaps its the analogue to digital conversion, but I was disappointed in the overall sound. The album is badly mistitled "The Essential Placido Domingo". Certainly this is some of the essential Domingo - and some very wonderful examples of the lyric Domingo - but there is clearly a volume two to come - the dramatic Placido Domingo. But why wait - buy this fine collection, and then feast on some of the complete recordings such as Otello or Lohengrin.

Solid, comfortable, familiar -- very good!.......2005-01-01

Why wait to see if this reviewer enjoyed Sony's latest offering: I did, and so will you. Hats off to Sony for getting it right with this two CD, 34-song bonanza of Placido Domingo singing -- well, as the name implies -- the essentials, from opera to Broadway to Hollywood, in a mix that keeps its distance while holding it all together in a package that breeds enough familiarity to make even the most harsh tenor critic purr. The more clasical offerings are on the first CD and the more sentimental are on disc two. Interestingly, I found side two more seductive and subdued in tone, and enjoyed listening to Mr. Domingo's interpretation of such popular favorites as "Maria" from "West Side Story", "Dulcinea" from "Man From LaMancha" and a couple duets with John Denver (Perhaps Love) and Maureen McGovern (A Love Without End). The songs selected for side two actually did set a thematic tone. Readers of my reviews know that I place a high value on a CDs overall ability to present what is offered in a bundle that sets and keeps a mood. I usually ask two questions: is it consistent once the mood is set; and does it keep the listener in that mood throughout once established? Here, well, here, I break from tradition and profess some confusion. The mood on disc one is not thematic but ecclectic -- from solo's to duets, from live recordings to studio, from one orchestra to the next, from upbeat to mellow. Technically, while there is some difference in the overall sound quality while switching from one setting to another, it is something you would have to listen for to catch, and becaue of this doesn't amount to a serious flaw as presented. What saves disc one from my usual "tenor blahs" is Mr. Domingo's exceptional voice and the selection of songs chosen -- which, while altering between one mood and another, are all familiar enough that we listen with knowing ease to what we expect. This isn't the kind of CD you put on while holding a conversation with anyone, but rather one you would put on, close your eyes and listen to for its sheer technical achievement -- or more precisely for Mr. Domingo's talent. The voice is clear and strong and passinate and reflects Mr. Domingo's control of his range and interpretive skills. Listen to Verdi's "Ingemisco" with The London Symphony and Leonard Bernstein; Puccini's "Bimba Dagli Occhi" with Renata Scoto (he sings a couple meodies with Scoto) and Umberto Giordino's "Amor ti Vieta" from Fedora to get an idea of what I am referring to here. It took me a couple sessions with each side to settle down and appreciate what was offered. Hopefully this review will get you ready and you will enjoy it from the start. PJW

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde / Bernstein, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

Average customer rating:

A geometric intersection between Vienna and China...
the one poem that you will bring with to the tomb
Expressionist Das Lied von der Erde.
A chinese man's review
Too much Bernstein, not enough Mahler

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde / Bernstein, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00001IVQU
Release Date: 1999-09-14

Tracks:

The Song of Earth: 1. Das Trinklied vom Jammer der Erde
The Song of Earth: 2. Der Einsame im Herbst
The Song of Earth: 3. Von der Jugend
The Song of Earth: 4. Von der Schit
The Song of Earth: 5. Der Trunkene im Fr
The Song of Earth: 6. Der Abschied

Amazon.com essential recording

After more than three decades, this remains the Lied of choice if you prefer Mahler's sanctioned baritone alternative in the alto songs. Bernstein's the hero of this intense, powerful reading. The Vienna orchestra, once led by Mahler himself, plays it to the hilt with expressive wind solos, deep, warm strings, and a searing response to Bernstein's (and Mahler's) emotional demands. King copes manfully with the cruelly difficult tenor songs, but Fischer-Dieskau is wonderful in the alto-baritone songs, singing with a great lieder specialist's textual nuance and vocal splendor. I've been imprinted with the versions featuring Ferrier with Walter and Ludwig with Klemperer but would not want to be without this great recording. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

A geometric intersection between Vienna and China..........2007-04-21

Gustav Mahler was a very interesting composer from Vienna who wrote very, very long symphonies in the grand post-Romantic fashion. Although highly influenced by Wagner, Mahler retains a distinctly Viennese character. Active around the same time as Sigmund Freud (also Viennese), who was theorizing on the roots of anxiety; Mahler explored his own neurosis through his music. Each symphony looks for answers in different ways; "Song of Earth" turns to Chinese poetry and philosophy.

I like "Song of the Earth" as a geometric intersection between Vienna and China: Two vastly different cultures. Mahler also adds some exotic flavor in some of the movements which hint at Asian music. It is quite a remarkable piece, maybe better than any of Mahler's other symphonies in that it seems to be more consistent and connected than the other symphonies which can ramble on in parts.

Unlike all other Mahler symphonies, there are parts for the voice throughout; either tenor and alto, or alternately tenor and baritone. This is one of the few recordings of note that feature tenor and baritone and both soloists are quite remarkable as are Leonard Bernstein and the Vienna Phil. Orch. Bernstein was known for rediscovering Mahler and in the 1960s he was the first conductor to record a complete cycle of the Mahler symphonies.

Bernstein's "Song of the Earth" is rich and passionate.

Comparisons: Bruno Walter; O. Klemperer/Wunderlich/C. Ludwig

the one poem that you will bring with to the tomb .......2007-04-17

maybe Das Lied Von Der Erde is the last station mahlerian travellers stay at. i do. i met so many poets at there. they gave me a deeper comfort. they were klemperer, horenstein, herreweghe, giulini, walter, keilberth who showed me the views mahler wanted to take your arms and introduce. but i must say bernstein and dieskau sang and gave the most utmost superb performance. i could not imagine more. i could not go further. it is a rare(barinton sings) and in the bottom all musicians do believe, do feel, do trust as if they were in the garden of eden. they seem to know when to sing, when to lament, when to contemplate. bernstein poured all the heart and mind in to the score. you can notice blazes and glares. more than anything else, dieskau will take you so far away you've never been to. i can smell, feel, and touch it. a poem, a journey, a book you always want to live with.

Expressionist Das Lied von der Erde........2005-11-03

Here we have the most expressionist recording of Das Lied von der Erde I know, and I know about 20 recordings (Klemperer, Giulini, Haitink, Jochum, Rattle, Walter, etc), not too much, but enough to compare it with some other conductors and styles.

First of all it's important to forget the poor Decca recording, with lot of noise and not very well balanced. Anyway, if you can go to what the interpretation is, you will find a jewel of Mahler's music.

Leonard Bernstein is recorded here in his first years playing with the wiener orchestra and the good feeling between both can be felt since the very beginning of the work, from that breathtaking Das Trinklied vom Jammer der Erde that Bernstein understand like a terrible tale, like a touch of attention to the not prepared listeners. The power, the intensity of the orchestra's playing is really outstanding and James King singing is the ideal complement as he is too full of energy and mahlerian style. He's one of the most convincing singers in this complex first song, together with Wunderlich (EMI, with Klemperer), who sings really wonderful too.

The Bariton songs (No.2, 4 & 6) are sung by the greatest Mahler singer of all time, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, who join his outstanding voice with a very natural and mature understanding of the scores, something he really feel like no other, as you can listen in the final Abschied, where you can think he's singing his own farewell, like Ferrier did, but, in my opinion, with a much more technical singing in this recording. The dynamics, the emotions, the tempi... are so great described by Dieskau that it really seems the work was composed for him.

The orchestra playing is not the typical from the late Wiener Philharmoniker we know, much more classical and "distant", as we can watch and listen in the new DVD releases of Mahler & Bernstein (DG). In this `60s recording the Wiener play in a state of hypnotism, following Bernstein baton and his vision of the work, a vision that will not change too much in the next years, and that brings this music full of emotion, power and lyrics, but a lyric from an expressionist point of view, very human and very devastated by the idea of departing, of the farewell. Anyway, Das Lied von der Erde is not a unique song, one feeling; it's a work of six very different pictures, every one a corner of the human soul and existence. Bernstein understand this multiple feelings very well and we can find how charm is his conducting sometimes, how wild others, how sad, how he aspires eternity at the end... The basses from the Wiener, the metals, the strings, woodwinds... give them best in this recording, not so refined like we can listen in the Giulini recording with Berlin (DG), for example, probably the most perfect from the technical point of view. This very little lost of perfection in some passages is because of the very fiery playing of the orchestra and the very deep emotion of the recording, one of the mahlerian monuments of all times.

As I wrote, the recording is not good, and it's curios that this same recording is released in a Deutsche Grammophon box (together with the rest of Mahler's symphonies and songs conducted by Bernstein) with a much more better and clean sound.

A must have, in my opinion with Klemperer (Philharmonia, EMI) and Giulini (Berlin, DG).

A chinese man's review.......2005-10-25

Mahler was inspired by Chinese poems and then here they are Das Lied von der Erde, the Song of the earth. Although my efforts of finding out the original Chinese poems was a failure, I do sense the achievements the Mahler had made to interpret the spirit of those Chinese poetry and the philosophy behind them.

Talking about the performance, this is the best I've ever had.

Too much Bernstein, not enough Mahler.......2005-09-24

I own every Bernstein Mahler recording but place this one pretty far down on the list. The Vienna Phil. plays gorgeously, and the engineers capture everything in super-bright, detailed sonics. I can remember what a blockbuster this produciton was in its day. But Bernstein underlines with heavy ink, barely letting a single bar of the music speak for itself. James King is a bluff tenor soloist, sounding too burly and not sensitive enough to the text. Fischer-Dieskau tries to outdo Bernstein by dramatizing every syllable with leaned-on emphasis but showing no natural lyricism or poetic surrender to Mahler's line.

If you want the baritone version of this masterpiece, there is an excellent reading from Salonen on Sony with Bo Skovhus outsinging F-D by miles. An earlier, less exagerrated reading under Kletzki shows F-D off in better form for his many fans.

Overall, a disappointment from a great Mahlerian.

Brahms: Alt-Rhapsody; Wagner: Wesendonck-Lieder; Mahler: Der Abschied

Average customer rating:

A lovely voice in search of a conductor
For the Brahms Alone ...
Promises kept and more

Brahms: Alt-Rhapsody; Wagner: Wesendonck-Lieder; Mahler: Der Abschied

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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Puccini - Il Trittico / Alagna, Gheorghiu, Guelfi, Guleghina, Gallardo-Domás, Manca di Nissa, Palmer, Shicoff, van Dam, Pappano

ASIN: B0002VYIWS
Release Date: 2004-10-05

Tracks:

Alto Rhapsody Op. 53 For Contralto, Male Chorus And Orchestra
Der Engel
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Das Lied Von Der Erde: Der Abschied

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This stunning release by mezzo (or contralto) Stephanie Blythe shows her dark, focused tone, intelligent and musical approach to the texts, and winning involvement. Schoenberg's re-orchestration of the final song from Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde is very different from the original; though sparse (only 13 instruments), it has great color, with wind instruments importantly highlighted and piano used surprisingly and effectively. Blythe and conductor John Nelson present the narrator's resignation strongly; there is agitation before true inevitability is accepted. A re-working by Hans-Werner Henze of Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder also emphasizes the wind instruments, and its refined transparency is well-suited to Blythe's mostly very lyrical, but occasionally outgoing and strong reading of the poems. Brahms's Alto Rhapsody gets a correctly intense and morbid reading, and Blythe's full sound is perfect for the occasion. The vocal group A Sei Voci and Ensemble National de Paris contribute handsomely. Highly recommended. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

A lovely voice in search of a conductor.......2007-07-21

In recent years Stephanie Blythe has risen rapidly in the oepra world (she was featured in a recent Met broadcast of Puccini's Suor Angelica as the curelly imperious Pincipessa), and one can hear why. She has a plush, rich tone reminiscent of Jessye Norman, firmly produced without a wobble. If that were all this challenging recital needed, I would be very enthusiastic. But in two ways it falters badly. The worst is John Nelson's choppy, flat conducting, which is perfunctory half the time and ordinary the rest. The other is Ms. Blythe's way with the text. She must feel comfortable in german to select a program of brahms, Wagner, and Mahler, but her pronunciaiton sounds as if she learned the language syllabically, and the great exts of the Alto Rhapsody (Goethe) and the Abschied from Das Lied von der Erde (translated from the Chinese of Li Po) float by neturally, with hardly a glimpse of their demotional depths.

The classical music press greeted this CD quite favorably, like the Amazon reviewer here, but unless sheer vocalism is all you care about, I can't see how a recital in search of a conductor can be considered great. The classic recordings of all three works by Janet Baker and Christa Ludwig have nothing to fear.

For the Brahms Alone ..........2007-05-23

Stephanie Blythe's voice is exquisite, and if you have never heard her, I can't imagine a better place to start than with Brahms' Alto Rhapsody. Gorgeous tone, such sensitivity ... if this were the only piece on the CD, it would worth the price and more. But we also have an intelligent rendering of the Wesendonck Lieder and enough of Das Lied von der Erde to have us baying for a recording of the whole. What a stunning recording -- may there be may many, many more from this wonderful person!

Promises kept and more.......2004-10-26

Stephanie Blythe further secures her position as the most exciting contralto singing today. In her previous recital album she proved that the hurdles of Bach and Handel were mere stepping-stones. Here she blossoms with extravagantly rich tone and intelligent musicianship in the Romantic repertoire of Brahms ('Alto Rhapsody'), Wagner ('Wesendonck Lieder') and Mahler (the final song 'Der Abscheid' from 'Das Lied von der Erde'). And not only does she prove that these deeply involving works lie perfectly in her control and range, she also imbues them with a rich warmth of timbre that is as fine as any recorded.

Collaborating with her again is John Nelson and Ensemble Orchestre de Paris (and the Ensemble A Sei Voci in the Brahms) and whether or not it was a joint decision between these two capable artists to use the Hans Werner Henze setting of the Wagner lieder and the Schoenberg orchestral reduction for the Mahler, the result is a freshness to the sonic approach that adds yet another dimension to this treasure of a CD. The transparency of orchestral colors coupled with the depth of Blythe's voice and interpretation are impeccable. This is a recording of tremendous importance - and beauty.

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde / Bruno Walter

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IF YOU ALREADY LOVE THESE PIECES...
One the greatest of all time.
The Da Mahler Code
DESERVEDLY A CLASSIC BUT...
My thoughts.....

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde / Bruno Walter
Gustav Mahler , Bruno Walter , Kathleen Ferrier , Julius Patzak , and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00004XQ8E
Release Date: 2000-11-14

Tracks:

Das Lied Von Der Erde: I. Das Trinklied Vom Jammer Der Erde - Julius Patzak
Das Lied Von Der Erde: II. Der Einsame Im Herbst - Kathleen Ferrier
Das Lied Von Der Erde: III. Von Der Jugend - Julius Patzak
Das Lied Von Der Erde: IV. Von Der Schonheit - Kathleen Ferrier
Das Lied Von Der Erde: V. Der Trunkene Im Fruhling - Julius Patzak
Das Lied Von Der Erde: VI. Der Abschied - Kathleen Ferrier
3 Ruckert-Lieder: Ich Bin Der Welt Abhanden Gekommen - Julius Patzak
3 Ruckert-Lieder: Ich Atmet' Einen Linden Duft - Kathleen Ferrier
3 Ruckert-Lieder: Um Mitternacht - Julius Patzak

Customer Reviews:

IF YOU ALREADY LOVE THESE PIECES..........2007-07-16

...go for this cd. Just my taste talking: after many listenings, I could not get a melody out of this. Nothing made sense. It just wanders, never giving a communicating melody (and I do love some Debussy and Poulenc - and almost every note of Beethoven). Happy sailing!

One the greatest of all time........2006-05-20

There are times when you can't let something pass. I've heard this nonsense about how Bruno Walter "didn't understand Mahler." The fact that Walter knew Mahler well and worked with him gave him far better insight into the composer than those commenting almost a century after the fact. The poetry in this performance is there for those whose who are capable of hearing it. Stating that Ferrier was past her prime seems odd in that she was about 40 when this recording was made and if made in 1951 it would have been two years before her death. She was a true contralto (the voice for which the music was written)with a tonal color that any mezzo-soprano can only approximate. Regarding this not being opera it might do well to remember that Mahler was primarily a conductor of opera. Would this have influenced how he may have wanted this work performed? I think so.

The Da Mahler Code.......2006-01-10

This is probably a minority report, but I could never understand why the Walter/Ferrier recordings of the "Das Lied" are considered to be the best Songs of the Earth. Probably because everyone else says so.

Yes, it's not bad, but certainly not at the top of the list.

The question is why is it so overrated? Our culture loves drama and hates death. Ferrier sang her Farewell in 1951 when she was dying of cancer and she knew it. In the 1947 performance of the same work, she burst into tears in the middle of the Abshied. OK, I understand what's the fuss and drama about, but what does it have to do with the music itself?

The Das Lied is not an opera, a fact that Walter and Ferrier (and also Bernstein amongst others) failed to understand, making this work sound overly dramatic and over-sentimental. It is *poetry*, pure p-o-e-t-r-y, and demands an entirely different approach to the one that many musicians have been taking over the years (yes, forget the misery of Mahler's life, as well. A musician's life is one thing, his output another.)

Bruno Walter himself said that "Kathleen Ferrier's performance in Das Lied remains among the deepest and happiest experiences of my musical life. The lovely timbre of her voice moved me as hardly any other sound has. And she had a soul as well as a voice. That soul knew and resounded the very soul of Mahler's work. I have often thought how much it would have meant to him to hear the profound understanding in her performances."

Contrary to that statement, both Walter and Ferrier did not understand Mahler. (BTW, neither did Bernstein, whose recording of the Das Lied with Fischer-Dieskau is certainly one of the worst Das Lied recordings ever.)

Ferrier probably was someone with a soul indeed, and a great singer, but this work did not suit her. Walter a great conductor, but this Das Lied is a clear case of mystification of the public, something analogous to the Da Vinci code (in this case the Da Mahler Code) and the smile of La Giogonda. There's no mystery. Only preconceived ideas.

I would go for the Boulez/Urmana, Klemperer/Ludwig or Tennstedt/Baltsa recordings, instead. Top of the list (also the Janet Baker and Jochum/Merriman, too.)

DESERVEDLY A CLASSIC BUT..........2006-01-08

Now this recording is out of copyright it is beginning to turn up on several labels (e.g. Naxos). It is, after all, a classic recording. However, it was Decca who recorded it and they therefore are the ones who have access to the originals. So this is probably the best transfer, worth the extra cost over its rivals.

Its status as a classic is well deserved. Walter was a close colleague of the composer, talked through the work with him and conducted the world premiere after Mahler's death. It was a piece he had lived with for more than 40 years by the time this recording was made and his interpretation therefore at least deserves serious respect. Of course, it merits much more than that. Walter loved this music and invested it with all the depth of humanity he brought to everything he conducted. There is appropriate weight and thrust to the opening Trinklied, a logically consistent flow to the meandering melodic lines of the Einsame im Herbst, Schubertian delicacy in Von der Jugend and so on right through to the yearnings and final resigned acceptance of Der Abschied. This, as you might expect from Walter, is a Das Lied viewed from the Mozart, Schubert, Brahms end of the telescope rather than as the forerunner of Schoenberg, Berg, Webern and beyond. To that extent he could be said to smooth out some of the more abrasive orchestration, to soften the impact of the clashing harmonies in the great Funeral March and to try to integrate the often disparate and apparently unrelated contrapuntal melodic lines. For a contrasting point of view, you need to turn to Rattle, Boulez or, interestingly, Horenstein.

One of the chief raisons d'etre for this recording, of course, was the special relationship that had developed between Walter and Kathleen Ferrier. In the unique sound of that voice and in her special artistry, Walter felt he had at last found the perfect vehicle for this piece. And she doesn't disappoint. She gives a near-definitive performance of her three songs and especially of Der Abschied. The last outburst of love and regret for the `liebe Erde' and the ensuing resignation that drifts into an infinity of repeated `ewig...ewigs' over Mahler's achingly unresolved sixths in the harmony, these are heart-rending moments. If there is just the slightest note of reservation in my praise, it is that Ferrier (as her letters show) was rather in awe of Dr. Walter, particularly in this piece which was so much a part of his life. As a result she always seems to be following Walter's lead in this performance, without quite allowing herself the interpretive freedom she shows even in her live New York performance with him. But in her live performance with Barbirolli (on APR) the sympathy - empathy even - between the two close friends leads to greater freedom still, greater risk-taking on both their parts that I find all the more moving, despite the pretty dreadful sound quality.

Julius Patzak is also an integral part of this Vienna performance. The tenor role is a tough one, having to scale the heldentenor heights of the opening movement, the porcelain delicacy of the third and the drunken abandon of the fifth. Patzak doesn't have quite the ideal heft for the Trinklied and occasionally gets submerged in the orchestral swell, but he does bring a wonderfully plangent colouring to his voice in the `Dunkel ist das Leben' refrain. There's a wealth of experience behind the subtle word-painting of Von der Jugend, however, and the Drunkard in Spring is also a perfect blend of singing off the words and the notes.

This recording is deservedly a classic of the gramophone, a great performance which displays roots that reach directly back to the composer himself. However, if you can listen through bad sound quality, I'd urge you to listen to Ferrier's performance with Barbirolli as well.

The three Ruckert Lieder also included on this disc are also wonderfully done - especially Ich bin der Welt anhanden gekommen. Um Mitternacht, too, is mightily imposing. Only Janet Baker (again with Barbirolli) runs them close.

My thoughts............2005-07-13

For a performance more than 50 years old, it sounds really good. Kudos to the engineers; I never knew the early 50s recording can be that good. Kudos too to Bruno Walter, a close friend and great interpreter of Mahler, and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, certainly one of the world's finest orchestras.

Personally, I didn't really like Julius Patzak on the tenor. He sounded to mellow, less dramatic compared to James Kings on a rivalling performance done by Bernstein with the same orchestra (and the same label) 14 years later.

Kathleeen Ferrier, on the other hand, is an absolute winner. There's something really special about her performance that really makes me want to cry, particularily in the "Farewell" movement. She sounded very rich and warm when she was singing in moderate registers, but very sweet and delicate - fragile even as if she know she was going to live no longer - whenever she took the higher notes. By the time she sings "Everywhere the lovely earth blossoms" I was in tears, knowing that this would be one of her glorious moments in her career before dying of cancer. Fischer-Dieskau's performance (with Lenny) was touching in one thing, but Ferrier's performance was an excrutiating experience...

May her performance touch others... for ever... and ever.

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