Customer Reviews

Mahler: Resurrection Symphony

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

 

 

Just needed to post this to get this recording out of one-star hell. It exists precisely because it is of historical interest and for those who buy these gems, the sound quality is secondary. Many feel it's one of the best performances of this symphony ever committed to record--this is Klemperer, with the near-flawless mid-Fifties Concertgebouw, and Kathleen Ferrier. All in all the perfect combo for this symphony.

I think it's sad that here on Amazon, dilettantes, upset that their bargain purchase of a classic archival recording didn't yield a stereo blockbuster, have to show disrespect to great artists with inappropriate bad reviews. It's seen too often (I'm seeing it more often, actually) and it's vaguely like giving a bad review to a Buster Keaton movie because it doesn't have enough funny dialogue.

If you are looking for a recording of this symphony (or any other classical music) and don't have much experience picking recordings pay close attention to recording dates and read reviews of older recordings to understand why so many people treasure them, even if they don't have state-of-the-art sound.

This is not a classic performance. This is the greatest performance ever recorded of the Ressurrection Symphony. Yep, the sound quality is awful, taken from a recording of a radio broadcast, but that's not the point. The point is that Klemperer, the orchestra, and Ferrier are all in top form, and that is something out of this world.

Most critics stress Ferrier's superb contribution as the high point, but I prefer the first movement. The name Mahler gave the first movement of the symphony translates "as the passage of the dead", usually said as "the march of the dead" as it is in march tempo. A reviewer of the original performance described as 'you could see the shrouded dead marching down the fog bound deserted streets of the city.' Last time I counted, I had 15 recordings of this symphony, and there is nothing like Otto's first movement.

You really need two recording s of this work, a good modern digital one (Chailly on Decca or Boulez on DGG or Tilson-Thomas on SFO) to here how it sounds, and this one by Otto to hear how it ought to be done.

Back to sound quality, the lp from 25-30 years ago is smoother, definitely preferable to the transfer to CD, but good luck finding a copy.

I agree totally with WTA. This recording, like many others, can be fully appreciated and enjoyed despite the limitations of the recording technology of its time. It is a great performance.

Klemperer's seminal Concertgebouw 1951 performance is legally available on various open source domains on the web. However the source tapes of the performance are less than ideal so if you appreciate the performance I would recommend some of the commercial remasters as they offer improved sound quality.

This Guild 2005 edition of Klemperer's 1951 Concertgebouworkest is taken from a "new" source which includes Ovations and the broadcast commentary. The Guild source and remaster rightly boast improved sonic range compared to the Decca release. However I personally find my Decca vinyl rip provides a more satisfactory listening experience. The rapturous applause rounds of the sense of occasion of this very special performance. The Guild team have lavished care and attention on presentation. The sleeve notes are extensive and bearably impassioned about their subject.

I would have given this product 5 stars but for the fact that in 2010 Archipel released this performance in their Desert Island Collection. To my ears Archipel (Who only provide the most rudimentary written documentation)offer the best sound, managing to eek out the greatest range and clarity from any of the versions I have listened to.

I ordered this album after attending a live performance of the work by the St Louis Symphony. This is probably one of Mahler's finest works and this performance may have been a great one but it was never captured sonically. The noise and distortion from the original 1951 recording process is unbearable.

If you are interested in a history of performances like this, you may be happy with the album. For me, it serves no other purpose.