Customer Reviews

Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 [1895 Gustav Mahler Edition]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Tiboris's recording of Beethoven 9 with Mahler's "Retuschen" is a joy to listen to. I find it among the most satisfying recordings I know, especially in the finale. Not all of the details of the performance are consistent with the established research on Mahler's performing scores, and so it becomes difficult to sort out what changes are Mahler's, versus those of others who have used the score. Nevertheless, this recording makes the changes readily audible.

Particular changes of note:
* Horns 5 & 6 double the bassons about 30 seconds into the scherzo.

* The re-written opening of the finale, incorporating the expanded brass section and filling in notes unavailable to Beethoven's natural brass instruments.

* The sequential entrances of woodwinds and brass during the first "Ode to Joy" theme, and the extensive re-orchestration of the section that immediately follows.

I have both the Mahler edition of Beethovens 9th and two of Beethovens piece (each with a different conductor), and by far, the Mahler edition is the most moving and fantastic of the three. If you have Beethoven's 9th already, you must have the Mahler edition. I won't lecture on the differences/improvements Mahler made, though I must proclaim that this is the greatest of music I have heard in a long time.

This version brings several questions to mind. What if Beethoven had not gone deaf before the first performance of his Ninth Symphony? What if Beethoven had Mahler's orchestra? Hopefully, this CD will attempt to answer that.

Also, I have never been convinced by these so-called "period" recordings, where the conductors try to perform an "authentic" performance of this symphony. I find them too out-of-sync, if not out-of-date. Orchestras have changed since then, and so have concert halls. So I believe there is no such thing as an authentic performance. It's just how you look at it. I personally can't tell much difference in instrumentation, with the exception of the piano and timpani, which I think sound richer today. Beethoven might have had a different opinion if he had modern instruments.

And finally, by all means, don't accept this CD as a substitute for the original version. I would recommend supplementing it with the 1961 recording by George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra (Sony #46533).

OK, you have read Gustav Mahler, Vol. 2: Vienna: The Years of Challenge, 1897-1904. You have read that M 'improved' THE 9th symphony, and that it was met with acclaim and derision. You have assumed that it has been lost to eternity and that there is no way in h*ll you will ever hear it.

WRONG. The orchestral parts survived, and this performance is based, hopefully, at least in part on Mahler's originals.

To my dilettante ears, there is only one noticeable change over the standard performance. M doubled the woodwinds in the middle part of the scherzo with french horns. Well, LA-DE-DA. I have any number of obscure, commercial recordings of the 9th from the 50's and 60's where they do this exact same thing. Now I know where they got this idea from. Far from being obscure and forgotten, M's 'innovations' were understood and widely adopted.

OK, that is the good news.
The BAD news is that this performance is boring, lacklustre, and uninteresting, to be charitable about the matter. Worse, the recording engineers added way too much artificial reverb. At times, especially the choral bits, sounds like they are performing from the bottom of a beer can.

I ordered this because I am a friend and fan of Stella Zambalis, who is listed as one of the soloists of this performance.

I was not nearly as interested in the quality of the performance, as I was in the quality of the (non-existant) soloist.

I first made Amazon aware of this great error in January, 2011. To date, it still lists Stella Zambalis as one of the soloists. Stella Zambalis, in addition to being a DGG recording artist and a Metropolitan Opera artist, is also an internationally respected opera performer.

Another great music critic stated, this month (December 2011, and still no correction from Amazon): "Two stars, because Amazon listed the wrong soloist? Genius! P.S. That's what the 'Update product info' link is for."

I should not have to remind the excellent critic (nor should I have to remind Amazon, after nearly a year) that the "Update product link" is available BEFORE you order, not afterwards, when you can see a legible CD cover, not something so small that is completely illegible. As yet, Amazon does not provide a legible, larger image, in which one can read the soloists. I did not bother to send the CD back to Amazon, even when I discovered that the CD was incorrectly advertised. When one has many, many recordings of the Beethoven 9th, as I do (after forty years in "the business"), one more recording is no big deal, even if it was falsely advertised.

Perhaps, when Amazon corrects its erroneous information, I might be able to give a more accurate review.

I also note that this excellent music critic must have asked Amazon to remove my review, since it has disappeared from Amazon. I stand by my review, from nearly a year ago. Amazon needs to get its act together on this one, and advertise it properly.

Original review title: "Amazon has it wrong and has it right", January 6, 2011