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What's your Mahler Cycle?

windhoek said:
I'm listening to it just now and like you, I felt Gergiev's was more than palatable... must be the summer air or something like that ;)

On a side note, I heard the presenter refer to the Gergiev/LSO Live performances as a 'Mahler cycle' moments after the LSO snippet was played; I knew I didn't make that phrase up and finally there's proof that a Mahler cycle is a thing :)
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I have been familiar with most of the ( even obscure released versions of the various recorded Mahler symphonies 1-10 since the early 60's, when it was still a case of "Mahler....who is he?"
Now coming to more present times : hearing some of Gregiev's Mahler -performing attempts, I personally vote him "at the bottom of the stack"
I think this particular clown thinks he is a world beater of a conductor , with any composer's works , he touches.
 
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I've just tidied up a couple of wayward quote tags (just needed a [/quote] closing tag). Information as to how the text formatting tags work can be found here in the FAQ. It's actually really simple, every tag you open has to be closed, the syntax concept is the same for all of them.
 
Tony L said:
<moderating>

I've just tidied up a couple of wayward quote tags (just needed a
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closing tag). Information as to how the text formatting tags work can be found here in the FAQ. It's actually really simple, every tag you open has to be closed, the syntax concept is the same for all of them.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for coming to my aid.
 
I just noticed that this survey, which I remember reading years ago, has returned to the web, posthumously. For anyone interested in reading a passionately argued (although somewhat out of date) survey of the available recordings I would thoroughly recommend it.

I followed many of his recommendations, (including the live Haitink part cycle- good, live barshai fifth, not so good, live klemperer second fantastic). Obviously this is all a matter of opinion, but some opinions are better founded and better expressed than others: these are worth reading.

http://www.musicweb-international.com/Mahler/index.html
 
So far I have the Solti/ Simon Rattle/ Tennstedt / and Boulez sets as well as the Levine set ( who never got around to recording the 2nd & 8 th symphonies), plus gathered what accounts to 'near Cycle -completions' from many other Mahler conductors, out on the market. Then, also odds & ends from conductors that perhaps recorded ,one or two of the Mahler symphonies.
Now I have decided to have a punt on / and ordered the complete DG Raphael Kubelik set .

I find a personal "ever fresh" endless fascination with comparing various differing interpretations of Mahler's music. And I fully support the performing of the originally 1893 planned Blumine movement , slap - bang ....in the middle of Mahler's 1st symphony ( making it a 5 movement symphony and IT CERTAINLY DOES MAKE a difference for the better. Like a Sweeney Todd.... Mahler could then (posthumously) also say "At last my 1st symphony is whole...again!". Additionally I agree to the promotion of Mahler's 10th symphony in its 'complete form' -(not just by 'purist performing' the Adagio! ).
There are countless examples of other already accepted / established classic works - like Mahler's 10th sym. where they were 'completed ' by those - other than the composer, himself. Offenbach's Tales of Hoffmann , Puccini's Turandot, and Berg's Lulu are just 3 examples.
 
As the thread's token Haitink fan I'll just drop a link in for the recent Symphonies Edition box set. A superb Mahler and Brukner cycle, a well regarded Brahms along with Beethoven, Schumann and Tchaikovsky (not heard these yet) all in very nice 1960s-80s Philips sound quality for not a spectacularly huge amount of cash. My copy turned up earlier in the week. Worth it for the Mahler 9th IMHO, it really is that good!
 
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Tony L said:
As the thread's token Haitink fan I'll just drop a link in for the recent Symphonies Edition box set. A superb Mahler and Brukner cycle, a well regarded Brahms along with Beethoven, Schumann and Tchaikovsky (not heard these yet) all in very nice 1960s-80s Philips sound quality for not a spectacularly huge amount of cash. My copy turned up earlier in the week. Worth it for the Mahler 9th IMHO, it really is that good!
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The first CD I ever brought was Haitink's live recorded Beethoven 9th Symphony...........now some 9000 odd discs later...(.' to hell with any notion or suggestion of streaming!!)

Over the past month I have either already ordered or brought new- at least some 300 + new CDs and about 40 odd opera video Blu-rays The total quickly added up when one hit the button on large box sets including Mercury's Living Presence 2 & 3 /Decca's mono years 1944-1956/ Marie -Claire Alain complete essays of French Organ works and her 2nd of 3 released sets' of Bach's complete Organ works. Then other big sets of things..... including I see , happens to contain a good representation of Haitink's conducting, especially that of Brahms.

The one thing one must do....'buying massive- in bulk' is, keeping alert and on track to when such large numbers are ordered. One could easily finish up with repeat versions of particular works by some same conductor/ & same identical performance being offered in the available various repertoire -cross sections of these CD box offers from record companies.Usually $2 to $3 dollars each, average -max!
One tends to pinch oneself ....and ask "Is this real?" -when presently reflecting on the sheer silly low cost of these CDs from major companies.
And then remembering what one had to pay for CDs when they first appeared back around 1983.
 
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I bought this Mahler boxset by Bernstein a few days ago and although I've only listened to its M2, I've a feeling in my fingers and toes I'll be adding some of Bernstein's renditions to my preferred Mahler cycle - supplanting some by Abbado/ LFO.

As an aside, I watched a fabulous documentary last night featuring an interview with Leonard Bernstein - who bears an uncanny resemblance in many regards to Leonard Cohen imo - about Mahler's Das Lied Von Der Erde. Although I posted it in the main Music section, I thought I should post it here too for the pleasure of classical-only fishies because Bernstein is a terrific teller of tales. Fwiw, the first five minutes show rehearsals before Bernstein's enchanting introduction to Das Lied begins.

 
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Just added Kubelik's (DG) & Chailly's (Decca) Mahler complete symphonic cycle boxes to my ever expanding Mahler collection.
 
And therein lies life's greatest conundrum: life is short but Mahler's symphonies are long!

I've got Abbado/ Lucerne, Abbado/ BPO and Bernstein/ NYPO boxsets plus two additional M2 performances, two additional M9 performances, one separate M8, plus a few Das Lied Von Erde performances and although that's a decent amount, I'm sure some here have a heck of a lot more... but time, where on earth will we find the time to become acquainted with each reading? Non possible.
 
Can anyone recommend a comprehensive release of Mahler's orchestral songs - Kindertotenlieder; Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen; and Rückert-Lieder? I see this Katarina Karnéus/Göteborgs Symfoniker edition is available on SACD, but whether it's considered compulsory listening I wouldn't know. That said, I'd prefer a good release first and foremost and if it happens to be on SACD, even better, but CD will do if that's where the best performance is to be found.

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This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
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Jonas Kaufmann covering both tenor & baritone songs in Das Lied von der Erde... an automatic purchase for me. He doesn't disappoint, nor do Jonathan Nott & the VPO. Plenty of goosebump moments in Der Abschied.
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Sony/88985389832 - available as a 24/96 download.

However, think I prefer having contrast between voices in the songs, male tenor and female alto. And I can't imagine any new version supplanting Klemperer, Ludwig & Wunderlich.
 
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