Customer Reviews

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although I realize that this is putting the cart before the horse, I must begin by praising the sonic quality of this recording. It is so clear, open and detailed that I felt as though the music was being revealed to me for the first time. Especially in "der Abschied," the interweaving of instruments and voices seems absolutely transparent. Beyond this, far beyond, is the magnificent playing of the Minnesota Orchestra and the heartfelt singing of the vocal soloists. Overall, this is my favorite recording of "Das Lied," and I now own four.

I heard the Minnesota Orchestra play this live back on Valentines Day in 1999 and it was one of the best performances I have ever heard. Truly fulfilling musically and spiritually. The playing and singing on this disc recaptures that magic perfectly. The recorded sound in unparalled, the singing strong and inspired from both soloists, and the orchestra in top form. The Minnesota Orchestra is regarded as the best orchestra in the U.S. right now in some circles. Don't believe me? Give some of their other CD's a listen and you will hear ample evidence.

How wonderful it is to have an audiophile recording company such as Reference Recordings releasing a disk of such convincing musical importance. Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde ("The Song of the Earth") is a musical masterpiece that achieves a rare synthesis of form, sonority, and poetry by blending together orchestra and voice into over an hour of intense musical expression that is unique in the annals of music. Keith Johnson has recorded this performance in state-of-the-art sound, the end result being a disk that is a must-have for all Mahler fans. In terms of performance, it may not be quite as dramatically expressive as the Klemperer recording on EMI; however, as good as the Klemperer disk sounds, it cannot match the sheer sonic majesty of this new version.

My first choice in terms of performance remains Klemperer, but this new disk will retain a space on my shelf and get played often. As a complement to Klemperer's EMI disk, then, this new recording from Reference Recordings earns my highest recommendation; as I said above, for Mahler fans, this is simply a must-have recording.

What an amazing recording..it's difficult to ask for much more than this. The recording quality is crystal clear, allowing the listener to hear the fantastic colors in this piece. Just as important, the orchestra and the soloist do a brilliant job, particularly Michelle DeYoung. I saw them perform this live 2 days before they recorded it as well (one of the best performances I've ever seen!) - this recording reminds me of that spectacular evening of music. The performers capture the brilliance of Mahler, and clearly show that his music was a bridge between the 19th and 20th centuries.

What an amazing recording..it's difficult to ask for much more than this. The recording quality is crystal clear, allowing the listener to hear the fantastic colors in this piece. Just as important, the orchestra and the soloist do a brilliant job, particularly Michelle DeYoung. I saw them perform this live 2 days before they recorded it as well (one of the best performances I've ever seen!) - this recording reminds me of that spectacular evening of music. The performers capture the brilliance of Mahler, and clearly show that his music was a bridge between the 19th and 20th centuries.

While this version isn't as close to perfect as Haitink, Michelle DeYoung is a worthy understudy to Janet Baker and Christa Ludwig (Klemperer). It could use a tad more passion...esp. in 'Der Abschied', but that said I often find Boulez' interpretations of Mahler very well done. Highly recommended.

Oue is hardly a masterful Mahler conductor, but he does his best here, and Michelle DeYoung, caught rather early in her rising career, has a lovely voice if not a tremendous insight into Mahler's world. Overall, the reason to buy this disc is the audiophile-qaulity sound from Reference. They camped out in Minnesota for a while and made spectacular recordings under the rathre lackluster Oue before he quickly departed.

The melancholy of Mahler is often misinterpreted. To classify him as a late-Romantic composer does not do credit to his inventiveness as predecessor of Ravel and even Schoenberg. On this recording Mr. Oue and the Minnesota Orchestra excel in humility towards the singers. The contribution of the orchestra is punctual but somewhat lacking of depth. Jon Villars has a beautiful voice, but not deep enough to point out the drama of a drunken man. Especially in the higher regions he lacks purity. Michelle DeYoung has a wonderful voice too, her German is acceptable and her lyricism is quite thrilling. She saves the record in Der Abscheid.