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What's your Mahler Cycle?

windhoek said:
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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I had not heard of Katarina Karneus so looked into this recording, listened to it on Tidal, and then ended up buying it from Presto Classics. It is really a superb performance. Not quite at Janet Baker/Barbirolli level, but Karneus has a fine, expressive voice with excellent diction and both the performance and sound quality are very good indeed.
 
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I'm presently listening to Orchestral Songs by Fassbaender/ Chailly and Fassbaender has a real silky, soft style that contrasts considerably with that of Magdalena Kožená: of whom I'm familiar as the vocalist on Abbado/ Lucerne Festival Orchestra's performance of Rückert-Leider.

Here she is singing Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen and as you can see - and hear - her enunciation and diction are super sharp - Teutonic sharp, you might say. That's not to say I don't like it, I do, for she performs with sincerity, but it's very abrupt at times nonetheless.


EDIT: I meant to say, at £2.14 delivered, the Fassbaender/ Chailly CD is bargain of the first order :)
 
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alanbeeb said:
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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Not for me I'm afraid. I found that the Orchestral contribution lacked tension and I find Kaufmann too deliberate. A disappointment. I went straight to my Bernstein/Fischer-Dieskau recording to rectify this. For Der Abschied nobody gets near to Fassbaender IMHO.
 
gustavm said:
Hard to beat Janet Baker + Barbirolli:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01MQ22YG9/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21

Not sure I'd pay the £125 odd asked for here though! Should be possible to find at a sensible price
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Yes, Amazon do at times throw up strange price anomalies . If you are confronted again with such a situation....there is a possible quick remedy.

Go to one of the web's other record buying sites like MDT, Presto Classical & others...punch in the details of the composer/ the work & performer and press 'Search'.

Don't be surprised to see available sources for what you are looking for., pop up. Perhaps, including various options such as a single CD/ part of a larger bargain / big box reissue or a download.:)

I did a quick scan and quickly came across the Warner Bros ( former EMI release) 5 CD Janet Baker-box set on their 'Icon series' of not only all those identical -listed above mentioned highly regarded Mahler performances , you listed.... plus other composers' work - Baker performed.. All for about 25 dollars. The box is a 'steal'.
 
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Del monaco said:
Not for me I'm afraid. I found that the Orchestral contribution lacked tension and I find Kaufmann too deliberate. A disappointment. I went straight to my Bernstein/Fischer-Dieskau recording to rectify this. For Der Abschied nobody gets near to Fassbaender IMHO.
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I got a bit of the same feeling with Kauffmann's CD of Schubert Die Schone Mullerin.
There are some works, some fine remarkable performers should stay away from - often ,we find though -from lack of detached judgement- many recorded examples where they did not.
It is not a consideration of whether their voice and range is capable of negotiating the Score. More likely , they do not have the artistic temperament to convince the listener what the music demands / represents / or how to connect with the listener on a particular occasion.

I;E: Much as I adore Renee Fleming I cannot get into her dreamy swooning version of Strauss 4 Last Songs' (or Kiri te Kanawa's , as well!)

On the other hand: the latest impressive example of a true performer/ listener I found lately was a Chopin etc. recital of the young pianist Benjamin Grosvenor on Decca, without any hint of shouting, empathic bombast : one usually finds from other performers
What a delight to hear him, " communicate" with the listener. With a skill which is usually only afforded to the mature & established 'greats'. . He promises to have a long and admired career.
On the strength of that CD, I quickly ordered all his other released - so far. CDs,
 
Not that it matters much, and not that there's much in it, but I lean slightly more towards Fassbaender/Chailly than Baker/Barbirolli. Both great regardless, however, and just a smidge in it between them that might easily smidge the other way tomorrow :)
 
Here's One of Lenny getting it on with Mahler as only he can. That might be Janet Baker seated,

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I'm loving the white leisure suit and matching shoes.
 
TheDecameron said:
Here's One of Lenny getting it on with Mahler as only he can. That might be Janet Baker seated,

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I'm loving the white leisure suit and matching shoes.
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That pic, that dramatic pic seems to confirm what I've heard some say about Bernstein's performances - it's about the conductor as much as it is the composer. Go Lenny!

And speaking of Lenny, I've come to the conclusion that Mahler is to classical music what Leonard Cohen is to popular music: typically seen by the masses as depressing drivel but regarded as deeply divine by the appreciating minority. Fair comment?
 
I had a very superficial appreciation of Mahler in my early 20's then stopped listening for a decade- Wagner was where I was at in my decade of spiritual austerity. I was dismissive of Mahler in all that time because I was unable to take it in or try to understand him. Now, I'd call him one of the greatest creative artists in history-in the symphonic form, no one else comes close. I'm just sorry he wasn't around longer, particularly conducting since he raised orchestral performance standards enormously, though I gather he was, ahem, very challenging to work for. Now I happily accommodate Wagner and Mahler, I love them both-I have a better imaginative pivot point.
 
Conversely, I'm a little tepid when it comes to Wagner. I get the feeling the ingredients are there to be enjoyed - albeit, they come in big, bite-sized chunks - but it's an almost too tart tart to swallow with pleasure for me and my Mahlerian palate at present :)
 
Slightly off topic, but I keep waiting for the penny to drop with Bruckner. So far: absolutely nothing.

Given all the music I do enjoy, it's rather disconcerting.
 
I find early Bruckner in particular hard to get enthusiastic about. Symphonies 5-8 are the best IMHO. You do have to be in the mood for Bruckner, but I think these are all great symphonies. (The opening of no 8 is one of the most portentous openings of any symphony I think.)

Interpretation seems to matter more in Bruckner than most other composers. Stand by to be deluged by PFM members favourite Bruckner recordings!

A friend of mine who is very dismissive of Bruckner was actually very taken with the 3rd movement of the 8th, so maybe give that a go if you havn't already?
 
What got me going on Bruckner was #6, live. The riffs (brass section!) are so repetitive in movements that go on for so long that even the most distracted listener can latch on to them in the end. The textures are glorious.
 
What recordings do people suggest for Mahler's third symphony?

I have Abbado (I), Boulez, Tennstedt (Live), Chailly, Haitink and both Soltis, but I still can't get to grips with this symphony. It always seems to collapse under its own weight. Tennstedt gets closest to giving it some structure, but even he seems to struggle with this loose, baggy monster.
 
I've only heard a few M3s: Abbado/Lucerne, Abbado/ Berlin, and Bernstein/New York. The Abbado/Lucerne is available on DVD and Blu ray, the format I own, and it makes for a great night in if your Blu ray player and TV is connected to your hifi :)

You can watch it here, but don't expect much if you're using a laptop or tablet.


Alternatively, you can watch Bernstein/ Vienna PO perform it below to get a feel of The Bernstein at work with it

 
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