Customer Reviews

Gustav Mahler: Orchestral Songs

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
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Any time there is a chance to hear the favored orchestra for Mahler - the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam - involved in performances of any of Mahler's four song cycles, it is a reason for rejoicing. Somehow the sound of this orchestra and Mahler were meant to be one. Add to this bit of good fortune the fine conducting of Bernard Haitink and a group of first class soloists and Voila! - an album of 2 CDs, modestly priced, and a must for every collector of Mahler's music.

'Das Lied von der Erde', that would-be 9th symphony of the paranoid superstitious Mahler, is one of his most powerful symphony of songs. Here it is given a warm and introspective performance by Dame Janet Baker (just try to find a more poignant 'Der Abschied') and James King in his prime. This is followed by a soulful 'Kindertotenlieder' this time rendered by a male voice - Hermann Prey - giving these five melancholic songs a special Mahlerian significance, paying homage to the Mahler's inspiration for composing them. Prey then segues into the youthful 'Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen': again one song in particular is glowingly memorable with Prey's interpretation - 'Die zwei blauen augen von meinem Schatz'.

'Lieder aus Des Knaben Wunderhorn' served Mahler well in providing melodies and songs for his first four symphonies and hearing the cycle sung with the grace and fun and dignity by Jessye Norman and John Shirley-Quirk plumbs the depths of Mahler's ongoing inspiration. Haitink offers the support and orchestral playing that fits these soloists like a glove. In all, these are fine performances of these cycles, the binding thread being the same orchestra and conductor. Yes, we all have our favorite recordings of each of these works, but on the whole this album is difficult to match. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, September 05

Bernard Haitinks recording of the "Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen" is surpassed only by two other recordings: his own 1989 recording with Jessye Norman and the Berliner Philharmoniker and, ofcourse, the greatest recording of them all: Fischer-Dieskau with Furtwangler. That same Fischer-Dieskau, but now accompanied by Rudolf Kempe, recorded the "Kindertotenlieder" to end all "Kindetotenlieder..", but nevertheless, Herman Prey's interpretation is very, very fine and sensitive, surpassed only by Fischer-Dieskau and Dame Janet Baker. The orchestral playing on this disc though, outshines both the Berliner for Fischer-Dieskau and the Halle orchestra for Baker. In short, as far as the "Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen" and the "Kindertotenlieder" are concerned, this recording comes in on third place.

But, a word on the "Wunderhorn" songs... Maybe Szell's (that great Mahler-conductor) recording with, again, Fischer-Dieskau and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and the London Symphony Orchestra is better when it comes to true understanding and diction of the words. Fischer-Dieskau is able to convey the story behind the songs even if one doesn't understand a word of german, but in the "Wunderhorn" songs he sometimes sounds a bit too intellectual, too perfected. He's rough and harsh, soft and beautiful at exactly the right places, but he's a mere projection of the drummer-boy, or the poor soldier in "Revelge." John Shirley-Quirk on the other hand, IS the drummer-boy and he BECOMES the soldier. His voice isn't hardly as polished as Fischer-Dieskau's, sometimes he even has trouble reaching the high notes and his (and ofcourse Haitinks...) tempo's have a strange sluggishness at times, but, by god, the feeling in that voice..!! Just listen to "Revelge", listen to the way he sings the phrase "Sie ziehen vor Schatzeleins Haus, tralali." At "tralali" Mahler writes "geschrieen," shouted, and shouts he does. Chilling. Buy this disc for Shirley-Quirk alone, get a marvelous Jessye Norman as a bonus and own the ultimate recording of "Des Knaben Wunderhorn."

For a long time British critics have hailed Haitink's Das Lied, even though James King blares through the tenor part without regard for the words and the marvelous Janet Baker was caught about seven years past her prime. As for the Kindertotenlieder, Prey's version is touching and sensitive without being lugubrious. It's appealing to hear this cycle, which is for male voice, done so well by a baritone despite the fact that so many of the classic recordings (Ferrier, Ludwig, and Baker in particular)have been by women. If only Thomas Quasthoff would now record it.

The major disappointment here is the Knaben Wunderhorn cycle with Norman and Shirley-Quirk. She is in glorious voice but sounds too staid and self-involved, while he has no proper German style--one keeps thinking that an English gentleman is trying not very hard to impersonate the brash, tragic, strutting soldiers that are the chief characters in the male songs. Overall, even at a bargain price I would look elsewhere for all these pieces. In particular, try the live Das Lied under Kubelik on the Audite label, which features Baker in much better voice seven years earlier.

This Philips compilation of Mahler song cycles seemed like a promising endeavor at first. The Royal Concertgebouw, Dame Janet Baker, Jessye Norman, Bernard Haitink, this 2-CD package has enough star power to make heads turn. Unfortunately, the result gives us nothing to get too worked up over...

Das Lied von der Erde is perhaps the strongest element. Well-judged tempi, good soloists and excellent execution from the Councertgebouw. On the whole though, it is perhaps a tad too elegant and individual movements could have afforded more character. James King is a decent choice. He's characterful and the opening Das Trinklied vom Jammer der Erde is fully satisfying. He, on the other hand, has the unpleasant habit of reaching high notes from underneath, with a slight portamento, making them sound out of his reach and his tone certainly lacks the color and confidence of a Wunderlich. He loses even more feathers when paired with the likes of Janet Baker, an accomplished Mahlerian. She outshines him with her wonderfully atmospheric tone and diction and her insightful mastery of the poetry. These came a bit late in her career and her pitch is not as focused as it once was, sometimes hindered by a too-opulent vibrato, but she remains a fascinating and accomplished musician and her Abschied is to die for.

It is good to have the Kindertotenlieder performed by a man, as it was intended to be. Hermann Prey is appropriately dark. His tone is not altogether unpleasant but rather somewhat unexciting and too laid back for such gut-wrenching songs. In diesem Wetter is indeed especially lukewarm. His Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen is equally decent but, in the end, unmemorable.

Des Knaben Wunderhorn is the weakest link. Jessye Norman is in glorious voice, as always, but the humor and playfulness required from these pages find her too refined and uninvolved. Much of the same could be said about John Shirley-Quirk whose color and emotional palette doesn't go far beyond using staccati for playful passages. His voice is powerful but his vibrato is often pushed and uneven. Fischer-Dieskau and Schwarzkopf's recording, playful, characterful and poignant, is wildly more involving and both soloists totally eclipse the present pair.

Haitink and the Concertgebouw offer a spotless, polished, refined and elegant execution, where ruggedness, character and excitement would have been required. This is especially true in Des Knaben Wunderhorn which sounds especially dainty. The sound is not helping either. The orchestra (especially the brass) sounds a mile away from the microphones and any attempt at creating a soundstage is nowhere to be heard.

All in all, these are wholly acceptable, but unmemorable performances that could please those looking for an affordable way to get most of Mahler's orchestral songs. For more picky enthusiasts, be sure to check out Janet Baker and John Barbirolli's song cycles and George Szell's Des Knaben Wunderhorn with Schwarzkopf and Fischer-Dieskau or even Abbado's with Anne Sofie von Otter and Thomas Quasthoff.

I bought this omnibus of Mahler's 'Das Lied von Der Erde', 'Kindertotenlieder', 'Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen', and 'Des Knaben Wunderhorn' AFTER I bought the Phillips 432 279-2 of just 'Das Lied von Der Erde', which is the identical performance as the one on the less expensive and fuller two CD set. This 'Das Lied...' is every bit as good as when I reviewed alone, and it is by far the most interesting collection on the two CDs. I was never a big fan of 'Kindertotenlieder', given its subject, but I love listening to 'Des Knaben Wunderhorn' as it is by far the most gloriously simple borrowing of traditional German popular folk music of the 19th century into a classical interpretation. one can literally hear the oompah bands doing the works from which this was adapted. I love it to pieces.

Having learned some of these cycles with the help of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau recordings,I thought I'd like to hear another interpretation by Herr Prey after reading his memories in First Night Fever. His interpretn is much different than DFD's but very likeable. I've also heard Thomas Hampson's and I still think Dieter isthe most superb.

This is a very good set, good to be in every collection. It's undoubtable that the crown of the collection is the "Song". Baker is in the Ferrier league and Haitink draws some amazing playing from the Concertgebouw Orchestra. James King is very good also and as a matter of fact I prefer his singing over that of Julius Patzak in the Walter/Ferrier/VPO account for Decca. The sound is also much better than the mono of Decca though the new remastering has worked miracles there.I would place this performance up there with the Ferrier account. The other pieces in the collection are first class too, but there are so many great performances out there.... Hermann Prey is excellent in the Kindertotenlieder but can't match Ferrier's account for EMI. As for the Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen nothing can match the combination Furtwangler/Fischer-Dieskau on Orfeo.

This is a fantastic economical recording to have in one's collection. This is a great orchestra, conductor and set of singers, my favorite being the Kindertotenlieder (especially Wenn dein Mütterlein) with Hermann Prey.

"Already the wine beckons in the golden goblet..."
"Autumn mists float blue over the lake..."
"In the middle of the little pool/Stands a
pavillion of green..."
"Young maidens pick flowers..."
"If life were only a dream, Why then trouble
and care?"
"The sun departs behind the mountains..."
These are English translations of the German
text to 6 Chinese poems that were translated into
German by Hans Bethege in -Die chinesische Flote-
[The Chinese Flute], a collection of free
translations of Chinese poetry. The 6 poems,
sung in German, with orchestral accompaniment
by the composer Gustav Mahler, form the wondrous
content of the song cycle, "Das Lied von der
Erde" [The Song of the Earth]. The titles of
the 6 songs in English are: (1) "The Drinking Song
of Earth's Sorrow", sung by tenor James King;
(2) "Autumn Sorrow", sung by mezzo-soprano Janet
Baker; (3) "Youth", sung by James King; (4) "Beauty",
sung by Janet Baker; (5)"Wine in Spring", sung by
James King; (6) "The Farewell", sung by Janet Baker.
The orchestra for all of the song cycles on this double
CD is the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and the
conductor is Bernard Haitink.
The 2nd song group is "Kindertotenlieder" (Songs
on the Death of Children). There are 5 songs in
the group based on poems by Friedrich Ruckert.
The songs are sung by Hermann Prey, baritone.
According to the liner notes by Michael Kennedy,
these poems "struck a poignant chord with Mahler,
who had seen several of his brothers die in childhood.
For each poem Mahler finds the exact musical response,
with extraordinarily graphic and telling orchestration,
refined, subtle, amost bare."
The 3rd song group is "Lieder eines fahrenden
Gesellen" (Songs of a Wayfarer). The music is
set "to the texts of four poems he [Mahler] wrote
himself. *** They were inspired by an unhappy love
affair ... for the wanderer in these poems...sees
his world collapse during the beauty of spring."
The singer is Hermann Prey, baritone.
The 4th song group is titled "Lieder aus Des
Knaben Wunderhorn" and contains texts gained
from an "anthology of German folk poetry published
in two volumes between 1805 and 1808." There are
12 of the 14 "Wunderhorn" settings which Mahler
composed on the 2nd disc in this set. The songs
cover "soldiers, and soldiers' ghosts, their
sweethearts and their fate" *** "a harrowing tale
of a starving child", "a parable of a song contest
between a cuckoo and a nightingale judged by a
donkey", and St. Anthony preaching to the fishes,
who all listen but never change their ways."
These songs are sung by Jessye Norman, soprano
and James Shirley-Quirk, bass.
This is an excellent collection of all of these
song cycles on one source, with exceptional
artists, and inspired playing and conducting.
-- Robert Kilgore.