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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
96 of 106 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
More thoughts on a superb and importance set,
By
This review is from: Mahler: The Complete Symphonies ~ Bernstein (Audio CD)
I'd like to add to my initial review of this Mahler set, now that I've listened to everything closely several times, and in comparison to other Mahler recordings. This is still not only the best Mahler set in terms of price, but in terms of consistency of the recordings as well and has to be essential for any Mahler lover. A quick run-down:Symphony 1: A good recording, points the way to Lenny's later DG recording which is the best. The second movement is highly Romantic and Viennese, the opposite of the minuet-trio style that seems more popular now. The third movement is Lenny at his best, and the opening bass solo is one where it is *finally* played the way Mahler intended. Symphony 2: A very willful performance in the Bernstein manner, teetering at the brink of indulgence, but he pulls it off. Very good. Symphony 3: This is a famous performance, and in general it is the very finest I have ever heard of this piece. Simply incredible, expressive and concentrated to the nth degree. Symphony 4: The only misstep. It's okay, but the forward flow, which is so important, comes out as episodic, and Reri Grist is not the right singer for the last movement. Symphony 5: Very good, like #1 a real precursor to what Lenny would do later with the VPO. This is a good example of what a conductor I know remarked, that it just took time for Lenny to develop that marvelous legato phrasing that still conveyed a forward pulse even if the phrase seems to be slow. He wasn't quite there at this point, but a fine performance nonetheless. Symphony 6: Another famous recording, one of the very best of this piece. Syphony 7: Fantastic, even better than Lenny's later one. The only performance I've heard that makes this sound like a real symphony, rather than a episodic pastiche. It's magic the way he pulls it off. Symphony 8: Famed again, and one of the very best. Symphony 9: Incredible. There are many great recordings of #9 and this is one of them. Very different than Lenny's later ones and from any other I know - he takes a very savage, dark view of the first movement, not much misterioso flavor, and pulls it off. Which sets the incredibly played, expressive last movement in an even great light. The New York Philharmonic was a great orchestra at this time with a great sound for Mahler. String playing, especially in the lower strings, is superb, as are the woodwinds, and the low brass are fantastic. On an inferior system the low brass will probably overpower other sections. The only real weakness are the trumpets, which are sour-sounding and seem to lack physical strength, but this is not enough to mar the whole of this set, which is priceless. Enjoy.
47 of 56 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just About Perfect!,
By
This review is from: Mahler: The Complete Symphonies ~ Bernstein (Audio CD)
You can't call yourself culturally literate in music unless you have digested the Mahler symphony cycle. Mahler has gone from a little performed late-romantic to an almost ubiquitous presence on the concert stage. It is a rare symphony orchestra that doesn't program at least one Mahler symphony a season. While you might argue that other late romantics deserve recognition too, you can't argue that Mahler was probably the most important of 20th century symphonists. His influence can be found in most large orchestral music down to the present day. The Bernstein cycle was the first complete Mahler cycle recorded and, for my money, it's still the best. Though I might like other conductors a little better in idividual symphonies (Tennstadt in the 5th, Kubelik or Klemperer in the 2nd, Walter in the 9th) this is still the greatest overall cycle on record. Bernstein understands Mahler better than just about any other conductor. Perhaps because Bernstein himself is a Mahlerian mix of high philosophy, vulgarity and popular sentiment. As a result, Mahler's unusual stylistic juxtapositions sound less mannered and more organic in Bernstein. I won't break down the set by symphonies but highlights include a marvelous reading of the 4th that really captures the childlike nature of the work; a heaven storming reading of the last movement of the 2nd; A sonically spectacular 8th symphony, and one of the most moving performances of the final movement of the 9th that I've ever heard. This 25 minute, long unbroken line is very hard to pull off in performance but Bernstein matches Walter for forward momentum. The extra material on this disc is also wonderful. Particularly revered is the recording of Kindertotenlieder with the marvelous Dame Janet Baker. This is a classic performance. Over and above the great performances, the price is unbeatable. You will never get a comparable reading of so much Mahler at such a cheap price. Get this CD, now!
32 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Clear First Choice,
By
This review is from: Mahler: The Complete Symphonies ~ Bernstein (Audio CD)
Finally, Sony has given us the complete Mahler box of Bernstein's first cycle, recorded through the 1960s mostly with the NY Philharmonic. Historically, this marked a major and important point, since it served to start the surge in Mahler's popularity that continues today.There are other Mahler boxes out there, including Bernstein's second cycle on DG, Tennstedt, Solti, etc., but none can now beat the combination of fine music-making and price that comes together in this one. Overall, these earlier recordings are better than his later ones, save for Symphony #5 and perhaps #1. This early cycle contains arguably the finest ever recordings of Symphonies 3, 6, 8 and 9, and, unlike other Mahler sets, there is nothing here that is of questionable quality. Those familiar with Bernstein know his emotional approach to this music, his pushing at the boundaries of expression, but he never reaches the self-indulgent points that are riddled throughout his later cycle. This is the finest combination of expression and concentration in any Mahler cycle. And there's more; the Kindertotenlieder with Janet Baker, a selection of Ruckert songs, and the live recordings of the first part of Symphony 8 for the opening of Lincoln Center and the Adagietto performed for the funeral of Bobby Kennedy. Glorious moments. Hard-core completists may be disappointed that only the Adagio from Symphony 10 is here, but Bernstein never considered the various completed version valid. The recorded sound is improved, but not superb. It has greater transparency, range, and richness though, peculiarly, not a lot of depth. But it is still fine. The NY Phil at this time had a nice, dark sound, which at times turns toward the sour, especially in the brass, and the horns don't have the beauty of tone heard on the later cycle, but these are minor points. The music is great. I would urge anyone looking for the complete Mahler symphonies to buy this set - it's not only one of the best-priced, but it is simply the best music.
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