Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn (Great Recordings of the Century)

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (Artist), Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Artist), Gustav Mahler (Composer), George Szell (Conductor), London Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra
• Conductor: George Szell
• Composer: Gustav Mahler
• Audio CD (March 14, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B00004R8TP
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #245,179 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Outstanding Mahler CD By Outstanding Mahlerians!, February 12, 2004

By 

Paul Rossi "Paul Rossi" (Walla Walla, WA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn (Great Recordings of the Century) (Audio CD)

I bought this CD about four years ago, and I had to sell it to pay off a debt. I listened to it some before I sold it, but then relistened to it later on record at a university I attended as a music student. The amazing performances of Fischer-Dieskau and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf are not to be missed. Neither is the superb, expressive conducting of George Szell.

The CD is amazing. Fischer-Dieskau's rendition of "Revelge" is most impressive and leaves a powerful impression on the listener. He sings mournfully at times, and he also sings with ferocity and cynicism at times as well, his voice with its rich, golden tone. The orchestra plays with razor-sharp edges and precision for a most chilling effect. One can almost see the battlefield and the fallen soldiers.

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf also delivers wonderfully. She sings with great expression, tenderness, mourning, and power. The "Mutter, Ach, Mutter" is very chilling. Schwarzkopf does an excellent job changing her tonal qualities to match the voices of the comforting mother and starving child.

I really enjoy the piece where Fischer-Dieskau and Schwarzkopf have a discourse about a woman's silly, mindless, flirtatious advances towards an ambivalent, annoyed young man. The drama they bring to the piece is very effective and convincing.

Overall, I highly recommend this CD, and I must respectfully disagree with the other Paul who said that this music is not interpreted correctly. "Des Knaben Wunderhorn" may have children as its subject matter and content, but this is MAHLER! He was a man of extreme sensitivity, neurotic tensions, megalomania, insecurity, probing insights, and philosophical ponderings. Mahler may have written music about children, but he didn't write music that should be performed for children in a child-like manner. Mahler is a bit rough around the edges at times, and this music communicates his extreme moods and contrasts very well. I highly recommend this CD. George Szell and the orchestra provide outstanding accompaniments.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still Definitive Recording of Mahler's "Knaben Wunderhorn", July 25, 2003

By 

John Kwok (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn (Great Recordings of the Century) (Audio CD)

George Szell has been underrated as a splendid Mahler interpreter, but this magnificient recording as well as those of the 4th and 6th symphonies with the Cleveland Orchestra demonstrate how well he understood the composer's music. He was a devout champion, offering passionate, dramatic performances of Mahler's scores without being too bombastic. Here he elicits graceful, lyrical, often passionate, playing from the London Symphony Orchestra, without overshadowing the vocal talents of the soloists. Both Fischer-Dieskau and Schwartzkopf are absolutely splendid in their singing, even if they tend occasionally to being a bit too melodramatic. Still I find both to be emotionally stirring, even when their singing may be a bit too intense. It's no wonder that this is still regarded as the definitive version of Mahler's song cycle in the Penguin Guide to Classical Music. EMI's latest reissue is yet another sonic wonder in its great recording series, taking advantage of the latest in studio recording technology.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Definitive Recording, July 25, 2005

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Joel Marcus Johnson "chesapeakebishop" (Easton, MD United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn (Great Recordings of the Century) (Audio CD)

You recall the fine old recordings with Erich Kunz, that phenomenal bass-baritone, of German university songs? These are not those. Mahler certainly did not have in mind a sentimental re-visit of these tunes. These are not analogous to Britten's English folk songs. You could say these are a hybridization by Mahler of a genre of folk music, his vision of them. As one reviewer complains of the exaggeration of the singers - well, understand Mahler. I'll grant you there are moments when demands are made of Fisher-Dieskau to match the melodic range of Madame Schwarzkopf. Don't blame that on Fidi! Blame it on Mahler and his demands on vocalists. For that matter, who could have recorded it better? Can anyone remember a baritone with Fidi's range? It's only too bad that Szell is not conducting his Cleveland Orchestra in this recording. True, the London Symphony was a fine pick-up orchestra. They did more than all right. But the focus was on the soloists, with Szell as an inimicable compatriot. Anyhow, have you heard any better recording lately of this work?