Customer Reviews

Mahler - The Symphonies / Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Unlike many of the people who have weighed in on this set, I absolutely love these recordings. Unlike most who review on this site, I have actually performed many of these works (my being a classical violist). I know these symphonies like the back of my hand. Solti's interpretation is masterful in every aspect, he in fact, is the only conductor who has ever made the Rondo-Finale of the symphony no. 5 make sense as a cohesive movement. The CSO plays absolutely brilliantly, as always, so there is nothing to criticize there. I just think that most who listen to these recordings have been caught up in the over-dramaticized versions recorded by Bernstein, not to say that his recordings don't also have merit. To any one looking for a complete Mahler set, I recommend this one above any other.

This set is not really worth buying, but if only someone would release a set combining Solti's *first* recording of every Mahler symphony, that would be a very competitive set. I've never held with the idea that Solti was too "brutal" for Mahler -- first of all, he's not much more brutal than Bernstein or anyone else, and second, Mahler *is* brutal. But you'll get a better picture of Solti as a Mahlerian if you buy his best Mahler performances individually and skip the dull digital remakes that infest this Chicago set. The best Mahler performances Solti recorded in Chicago are: the eighth, which is available separately on an excellent single-disc rematering; the sixth, a great performance, available (from England and elsewhere) on a single disc; and the fifth, which is available on a twofer (from England and Canada and France) coupled with Solti's first Mahler recording, a fine and beautifully recorded 4th with the Concertgebouw that beats the pants off the terrible Chicago remake with Te Kanawa. Also available from England and Canada is a twofer with Solti's fine London Symphony Orchestra performances of the first and second symphonies; not only are these better than the Chicago remakes, they have better sound too (Decca engineers never could get a really good sound out of Chicago halls, which is one of the reasons why the 8th was recorded in Vienna). Finally, Solti's excellent 9th with the London Symphony has never even been on CD; one hopes that will be rectified someday.

In short, don't go for the big box. If you want Solti in Mahler, get his best recordings individually, and skip the pointless remakes.

Let me start off by saying the playing on this set is nothing short of phenomenal. The ensemble and quality of performance is far higher in general than any other set out there, including Bernstien's, Inbal's, and Haitnik's. There are some downsides, however. Solti's interpetations can be a little shallow at times. The only symphony he really misses the mark on is the third, where despite amazing work from the orchestra, the conductor seems to be on the warpath, stopping for nothing. The result is very colorless and unfeeling. The other symphonies, however, are very well done. Don't let these versions be your only hearings of these works, but you won't be let down by them either.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra would have to be the best Mahler orchestra imaginable. However, Sir Georg Solti, the famous multi-grammy award winning conductor of the CSO, ruins some aspects of Mahler's most important symphonies.

For an instance, pay attention to a couple of the first few movements of Symphony No. 1. Weak right? Then we arrive at the beginning of the fourth movement. BOOM BOOM BOOM! One can obviously tell, in listening to Solti's interpretations, that he really doesn't seem to pay enough attention to the sensitive more emotional themes. When it comes to anger or some dark form of behavior, Solti takes advantage and plays his part with his powerful orchestra.

Some other aspects are way too obvious to include. Listen for yourself as an experimental experience. The best here is Symphony No. 8. I am glad Solti took major advantage over this piece. He could've done better with Symphony No. 3, but it's one of the best out there, I love it. Symphony No. 7 is perfect. The rest you find out for yourself. Give this box set a try at the bargain price so worthy of purchase.

The recent tenth anniversary of Solti's death has prompted me to renew my acquaintance with this conductor's work. Over a period of several months I have been listening to recordings from various phases of Solti's career of diverse repertoire from Bach to Bartok. As a result of this effort, I have come to a new estimation of an artist of whose work I had previously a fairly low regard. This estimation was, I believe, based more on the received opinions of record reviewers than my own perceptions. I had always believed Solti to be a "high-voltage" sensationalist who tended to brutalize the standard repertoire. That assessment, however, misses both the abiding accomplishments of Solti's career as well as the many ways in which his interpretive proclivities matured over the years.

The set under review here presents Solti's work with the CSO over a span of about fifteen years. Earlier versions of certain symphonies with other orchestras, and in some cases later versions with the same orchestra, have been passed over for the sake of presenting a maximally coherent interpretive profile. In some cases, the compilers' decisions concerning which versions to include were regrettable, though overall one can derive from this set an accurate estimation of Solti's approach to this composer, with its characteristic virtues and vices. What is most striking about these performances, perhaps, is the sheer virtuosity Solti evokes from the band with which he was associated for such a large portion of his career. They respond instinctively and with remarkable unanimity to his every gesture. This is playing that, in purely technical terms, approaches perfection. Another virtue is Solti's ability to balance detail and structure in unfolding Mahler's densely contrapuntal textures and sometimes convoluted symphonic arguments. Like his fellow Hungarians Fritz Reiner and George Szell, Solti combines intellectual brilliance with a consummate understanding of orchestral sonority at every level. But unlike them, his approach to Mahler (and other composers) is warmer, more affectionate, and ultimately more compelling. Indeed, the very intensity of his involvement with this music can be disturbing, and may account for the impression of sensationalism that has worried many reviewers over the years.

However, no single conductor can interpret every work within a composer's symphonic output with equal insight or enthusiasm; and so Solti's Mahler cycle is predictably uneven--though no more so perhaps than Bernstein's, Kubelik's or Abbado's (to name just a few).

Here is a brief run-down of my (mostly positive) impressions of each performance in this set:

No. 1: Solti's earlier version of this symphony with the LSO is a riveting account, justly praised for its brilliance. The later CSO version, included here, is warmer, more evocative, and also more hazily recorded (early digital). The introduction to the first movement is quite magical, but thereafter the tension begins to flag, and despite some gorgeous playing, the overall impression is one of fits and starts. My own preference would be for the superbly remastered LSO version, or better yet for Horenstein.

No. 2: Solti also recorded this with the LSO in the early Sixties. The later version may lack the grip of the earlier, but it is more sensitive to nuance and atmosphere, particularly in the long Finale. I prefer the soloists in the LSO version, but otherise the later performance is to be preferred; it conveys a greater sense of occasion. On the other hand, Solti doesn't begin to convey the spiritual depths of the work as searchingly as Klemperer, Walter or Bernstein.

No. 3: I have not heard Solti's earlier, LSO version of this work, but it was almost universally regarded by critics as unsympathetic. The later version conveys a welcome cogency in a work that can seem to ramble, but otherwise this is one of the less impressive performances in Solti's Mahler Cycle. Solti doesn't seem entirely in sympathy with the work's evocation of cosmic forces in the first movement, or pastoral epiphanies in the second and third. The fourth movement with its Nietzsche setting manages to convey a haunting quality, and the Morning Bells of the fifth are exuberant enough. But then in the finale, Solti fails to convey a sense of rapt contemplation; the dynamics are marginally too loud, and there is a certain nervous quality that militates against any sense of spiritual exaltatio. For that, go to Horenstein or Bernstein/Sony.

No. 4: Solti's earlier recording of this work, with the Concertgebouw (and Sylvia Stahlman as soloist) was more rambunctious and less well controlled than the one under consideration here. Though the earlier version arguably has more character, many will find the later, digital version preferable. Solti's interpretation had evidently "settled" in the interval between the two recordings. The latter is more of a "mainstream" or consensus account which effectively conveys this work's nostalgia and whimsy. Dame Kiri is a splendid soloist in the finale. In the end, however, I would opt for Walter, Reiner, Kubelik or Kletzki in this work.

No. 5: An unpleasantly hard-edged, even hard-nosed interpretation, though that impression may be partly due to poor engineering (as many critics have opined over the years--including Solti himself!). Solti's later CSO recording, done live on tour in 1991 is far more effective in conveying the work's agonies and ecstasies--and the sound falls far more pleasingly on the ear..

No. 6: A thrilling performance--maybe not a profound as Bernstein, but superbly played and vividly recorded, with devastating cumulative effect. One of the better sixths around, in my estimation. Far better than the overpraised Karajan.

No. 7: Bernstein evokes a more haunting atmosphere in movments 1-3, but Solti's incisiveness is also welcome. Solti is surprisingly seductive in the fourth-movement serenade, and second to none in his ability to hold the ramshackle finale together. Overall, a compelling account, and once again the CSO cover themselves in glory.

No. 8: Arguably Solti's most famous recording, and justly so. A performance of a problematic work that successfully combines rigor with sensitivity. No imporant detail escapes Solti's attention, yet he has the measure of Mahler's "cosmic" vision. Tennstedt conveys the work's religious ardor more effectively, and Bernstein is uniquely propulsive in the first movment; but Solti's grasp of the work's architecture is so complete that everything proceeds with a sense of dramatic inevitability. The solo and choral singing are first rate--indeed, unsurpassed on record.

No. 9: Solti would not seem to be an ideal expositor of this elusive, death-haunted work, and indeed his earlier LSO version could be accused of exposing every dark corner of the piece with a searchlight brilliance. The later CSO account, however, reveals how much Solti matured as a Mahler interpreter. It conveys the hushed intensity as well as the tragic import that were lacking the first time around. Solti's is a dark, turbulent vision of the work--no easy consolations here. Even the second movement--which is often given as "comic relief" in the midst of overpowering tragedy--is dark and menacing here, thanks to a slowish tempo and heavy accents. Throughout the CSO revel in Mahler's kaleidoscopic scoring. A superb Ninth, in my estimation--though it doesn't quite achieve the catharsis of Bernstein or Karajan.

In sum, then, the prospective purchaser would probably do better to acquire individual versions of each symphony rather than opting for an integral set under one conductor. However, if the idea of a modestly priced box appeals to you, and if you are open to Solti's intensely dramatic and hyper-virtuosic style of interpretation, then I wouldn't hesitate to acquire what is ultimately one of the better Mahler cycles around.

UPDATE: As part of their "Masters" series, RCA/Sony have just reissued in a ridiculously inexpensive bargain box all of James Levine's Mahler recordings made made for RCA during the '70's and early '80's, with three orchestras --the LSO, Chicago and Philadelphia. Though Levine, regrettably, never got around to recording 2 & 8 (was expense a factor?), his incomplete cycle does include all of the remaining symphonies plus the revised Cooke completion of no. 10. Since single-issue bargain editions of 2 & 8 are readily available, and since Levine remains unsurpassed (in my estimation) among recent Mahler interpreters (warmer than Solti, more disciplined than Bernstein/CBS or DG, to name just two), I would not hesitate to recommend this newly-reissued set as a "starter collection" for neophytes, or an add-on for Mahler aficionados. As for the two "missing" symphonies in Levine's cycle, I would recommend Solti for both: his classic LSO account of the "Resurrection" has recently been reissued on a single Decca CD in stunning 24-bit remastered sound (and it always *did* sound great); his equally classic Chicago recording of the Eighth is also available on a single CD in the same series.

Was Solti an exuberant, dramatic conductor in this Mahler set and elsewhere? Sure. But the maestro was more than capable of fine sensitivity in his music-making, too. Anyone who's listened to a lot of his work knows that the caricature of him as some soulless conductor obsessed with whipping music into a frenzy is hardly the case.

You'll hear both drama and sensitivity here, coupled with the predictably glorious playing of the Chicago Symphony. It's true that the early digital sound on some of these recordings will strike some ears as too brightly lit, but it's certainly crystal clear. It's true, too, that Solti often emphasizes the extremes in Mahler's music, particularly the aggression, but Mahler's music _is_ extreme: in emotional range and shifts, in orchestration, in dynamics, in length. This isn't Debussy or Delius.

Because Mahler's music is often so intense and complex and larger-than-life, few conductors ever seem to capture it all, but with this set, Solti does an admirable job capturing a lot of it with passion, precision, and high drama (even if quiet introspection is sometimes downplayed in the process). When taken as a whole, these interpretations aren't dramatically better or worse than others I've heard, but merely different. Mahler spoke of his symphonies being like worlds unto themselves. Solti makes a great guide into those unforgettable sound worlds.

Sorry folks, but as much as I love Solti, and I agree that the Chicago Symphony is the greatest orchestra in the world, I can't really recommend this set, even at the bargain price. Yes, Solti does deserve his spot among the great Mahlerians; his Mahler's Eighth is arguably the best available, and I do get a guilty pleasure from his Second. Still, Solti only captures half of Mahler's world at best; he has little sensitivity for the reflective and delicate emotional aspects of Mahler's music. In all fairness, no single boxed-set of Mahler's symphonies by any one conductor adequately captures the whole of Mahler's music; perhaps Kubelik's comes closest. At any rate, before you declare yourself a Solti/Mahler die-hard, give a listen to Horenstein's Third, Barbirolli's Fifth, and Bernstein's Ninth with the Berlin Philharmonic (not the Vienna Philharmonic). You owe yourself a listen to the very best of Mahler.

So many Mahler performances, both in concert and on record, are mannered to the extent that one senses a conductor trying to convey the impression that it is his personal suffering, not the composer's vision, which is producing such beautiful music.
Not Solti's. He and his incredibly virtuosic orchestra let Mahler do the talking. The 5th, 6th and 7th especially lend themselves to Solti's approach, while the 8th benefits from his
long, successful career in the pit. Though Karajan, Walter, Guilini and others have recorded great 9ths, I defy anyone to find a better played one than this. Solti gives us the orchestral tours de force that are the Mahler Symphonies and which, I believe, explain why "my(his)time will(has) come."

I am a devout Mahler fan and Georg Solti's cycle is my favourite. I think that the performance of the second symphony is gorgeous. It might be faster than how other conductors take it, but the energy level is enough to excite me whenever I hear it. Mahler's music is long enough anyway so there is no reason drag it out even more. The only complaint I have is with the fifth symphony, and although it is a good performance, I wish that it would have been possible to use the 1991 recording. The Chicago Symphony is in my opinion the best orchestra in America and maybe even the world. A tremendous buy!

I have had this box set for years. Mahler mentioned that he wanted his symphonies conducted fast. He was frightened that after his death, conductors would go for slow tempo's. Solti being a Jew and having had a difficult time in his early life, could relate to Mahler. Therefore, his speeds are just what the master wanted. Bernstein could relate to Mahler deeply. He is another side of the coin as it were.Bernstein is better seen on DVD. So I can recommend to you both sets.

Of course those looking at these reviews for guidance, will only become confused. A review is only an opinion, or a matter of taste. Solti is accused in these reviews of being superficial. Actually,the world that Mahler created at times, could be cynical,poking fun at superficiality. Mahlers trumpet sounds, coming out of the blue,are memories of when he was a child, living near a army barracks. His cheap dance tunes, he also heard as a child. He would run out of the house when his parents were arguing,hearing the popular music played by an organ grinder. Hense,a beautiful or serious tune, is suddenly interupted by a banal dance. Look at some of the earlier symphonies as music patterns placed one on top of the other. Each interwoven with the other, then going off into another direction. To understand Mahlers symphonies,you must read about his life.This is the case for Wagner. Other composers you do not really have to understand, just listen. If you are looking for deep answers in these symphonies, you will not find them. For Mahler was asking the same questions as you. Who are we? Why are we here. Why do we suffer. Look at the inanities we face in our daily life. That is why he appeals to modern audiences, who on the whole have no answers, only questions. Why can life be so trival. Is there something more. Mahler wanted his music played fast, because then the emotion,tension and themes come to the forefront, as in Wagner whose music he admired. In conclusion buy this set, then think about the Bernsteins DVD's.