Customer Reviews

Mahler: Symphonies Nos. 1-10

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

 

 

Despite a perplexing lack of attention from the world of classical reviewing, Kubelik's Mahler cycle remains one of the finest and most consistent, as he allows the composer's fine works to speak for themselves, something they are more than capable of doing. The First has always been an aknowledged great performance, but there are delights to be heard throughout this set... The finale of the Second here is one of the most powerful performances ever commited to disc. The third movement of the Third is magical in its atmosphere unlike few others. The strings in the scherzo of the Fourth have an icy, distant, melancholy feel to them totally appropriate to this music. The Fifth remains my favorite performance of this piece, searing in its intensity-the bright sound only making this the more true. The remaining four symphonies are equally compelling, most notably the Seventh, a great performance, cohesively blending the three sections, and making total sense of the final movement for once. This is a set that finally should be placed alongside the other great interpretations.

If you are looking for consistency - the Mahler symphonies as a box set, with one orchestra and one conductor - this DG release is an excellent choice. In my opinion, only Haitink's Concertgebouw cycle is better among the other complete cycles (sadly, this seems to have been deleted, though individual symphonies are still available). Kubelik conducts with flair and excitement, but without the hard-edged theatrics of Solti or the manic tamperings of Bernstein. He takes more interpretative risks than Maazel or Abbado, though he never overdoes things like Tennstedt. Also, he is equally at home with lyrical sections as well as in big climaxes and moments of raw energy. The BRSO plays with competence and enthusiasm; they blow away the NYP of the 60's and play with better tonal allure and blend than does the Chicago Symphony. The Concertgebouw may be more at home with the music on the whole, though the BRSO is most ingratiating. The most notable flaws occur in landler trios (4, 9, etc.), where the dotted rhythms can sound awkward. DG's sound is spacious and charmingly early 70'sish. As with all cycles, not every performance is "definitive." Haitink's RCO 5th is greater, Barbirolli's 6th is searing, and Levine's 9th is to die for. Nonetheless, there are no duds in the Kubelik set, and some of the performances are as good as any ever made:

1 - This performance is good, but strange. The first movement is exciting but affectatious. Oddly, Kubelik takes the repeat here, but avoids the repeat in the Scherzo (he's the only one who does this!). The powerhouse Finale lifts the whole recording onto a higher plane.

2 - The Rolls Royce of the set. Possibly the best ever of this work. Warm and monumental like Walter's but much more exciting. Only Kaplan is competetive.

3 - In contrast, the weakest of the set. Kubelik seems less comfortable here, rushing the tempi in the first two movements and allowing less breathing room throughout. The BRSO is less impressive here than elsewhere. Not a bad performance, but Haitink, Hoernstein, and Levine are way ahead.

4 - A fine reading for those who like it cool, minty, and bracing rather than warm and sentimental. In the Reiner mode, but less objective and detached.

5 - Aside from a sluggish opening in the Scherzo and some strange tempi decisions in the Finale, an excellent Fifth.

6 - Wonderful account, but FAST. Still, within the quick opening tempo, Kubelik coordinates the work well. The slow movement is one of the best ever, competitive with Baribriolli's aching rendition. The BRSO is great again, though the final brass chorale is poor.

7 - Somewhat lightweight, particularly in the first movement. The second Nachtmusik is too fast. But the Finale is a gem, and the whole performance is played with enthusiasm and abandon. A likable reading, especially given the fact that a truly great recording of the Seventh has yet to be made.

8 - Ranks with the Second as one of the best in the cycle. With the exception of a wonderfully hammy Fischer-Dieskau, the singers sing rather than scream. No one tries to outplay or outsing the person next to them (for comparison, try Solti's ear-splitting account). Similarly, Kubelik conducts with humility and power, conceiving the work almost flawlessly. One of the very best Eighths.

9 - A good reading for those who prefer a more objective view. The first movement is particularly well-handled by Kubelik and company. The Rondo Burleske needs more life and the first half of the Finale is a little dry, though the final pages are quite moving.

10 - A serviceable rendition. The dance-like sections have an agreeable lilt while the serene passages are fine, if not quite as richly played as in other performances. The trumpet is overbalanced on his high A in the big climax. Not a bad twenty-two minutes of music, though at this point, you should try Cooke's performance version of the complete work (or any of the others if you are a die-hard.)

This is definitely the most underrated Mahler cycle that exists. People are so blinded by the sentimentality of Tennstedt, the glitz of Solti, and the flair of Bernstein that Kublik is simply forgotten. What a pity. Kubelik's performances are remarkably accurate to the score yet tremendously moving, letting the music speak for itself without the additional heart-tugs of Bernstein. And I could honestly say that Kubelik's First, Second, and Fifth are the best recordings of these works I've ever listened to, while his Fourth, Seventh and Eighth are very, very good. But *everything* is wonderfully interpreted. This is the only complete Mahler cylce I would recommend in its entirety. Besides, the price isn't so bad!

Among the 20th century's most criminally underrated conductors, Rafael Kubelik may also have been the last with an authentic "Mahler connection": His father was concertmaster in Prague in the years when Mahler guest-conducted there.

It's an oversimplification to say that Kubelik, as a Czech, brought out the Bohemian lineage of Mahler's music rather than its Austrian-German traditions (the village in which Mahler was born is now part of the Czech Republic), but that does go some way toward identifying the lyricism, rusticity and naturalness in these performances. You won't exactly mistake this music for that of Dvorak, but neither will it surprise you to know that the conductor was also a great Dvorak interpreter. Throughout, the Bavarian Radio Symphony renders playing of great character and warmth, even if DG's sound doesn't always do it complete justice. Tempi tend to be a little faster overall than some listeners are accustomed to, and that briskness is probably closer to the performing style of conductors in Mahler's own time. (It also means that, except for the Third Symphony, which is simply too long a piece to perform in less than 90 minutes, each symphony fits onto a single CD.)

Lyricism and naturalness don't preclude making a cumulative impact, and Kubelik brings out the mystery and angst in this music as well as its beauty. Along with the Tennstedt series, this box would be my primary recommendation for anyone looking to collect Mahler's symphonic cycle as a complete set. I should add, however, that the two sets aren't interchangeable. Kubelik's straightforwardness is almost a corrective to Tennstedt's Romanticism (or Bernstein's), and if you prefer your Mahler with a little more expressiveness, drama, and lingering over details, Tennstedt's your guy. Kubelik, you might say, tells it like it is.

I am giving the Kubelik cycle the highest recommendation not because it may not be the absolute best in terms of quality but because it offers a consistently very high standard for very modest cost, basically 9 symphonies for the price of 2. Kubelik is not a conductor to play Mahler to the hilt, and for those who find some performances too extroverted - say Solti's 6th for instance - this will fit the bill nicely. The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra's playing is consistently beautiful and the acoustic of the Herkulesaal in Munich gives this fine ensemble wonderful clarity and opulence. The engineering for the 1960s is excellent and the remastering has to be considered a success. Those who might find the 2nd or 8th too light could easily supplement the cycle with individual performances elsewhere, for about the same money,. Recommended with enthusiasm.

All the other reviews are right on, this is one Mahler cycle to be reckoned with. My favorite of the set was the Eighth. The conductor and the performers turn out a very exciting performance. A close second to Kubelik's Eighth, in my opinion, is his "Resurrection" interpretation. Few other performances match this one. I also liked the Fourth and Sixth. Orchestral playing is very fine. One downside to the cycle in my opinion is that the horn playing is often a bit too polite for Mahler. The best example of this is in the third movement of the Ninth, where pure power is needed from the horns and instead we get wimpy playing, which is completely out of character with what Mahler was trying to portray. Kubelik does not always let high points really ring out either, which is sometimes a little disappinting, but other times effective in the whole of the piece. Recording quality is generally excellent, although I thought a better job could have been done with the 1st, 3rd, and 7th symphonies in the way of remastering. In conclusion, this is a great set to own, and a great buy at the price, but there are other performances out there that you should check out also.

The great cycles which have stood the test of time are those in which the conductor and orchestra have humbly and with relative simplicity and love put themselves at the service of the wonderful music and composer. This is the case of Klemperer's Beethoven, of Jochum's Bruckner and especially the case with Kubelik's Mahler, one of the first full cycles of Mahler.No fireworks or thunder, just pure music.

In my opinion-one on one- maybe only the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 7th & 9th can match other top recordings but as a set (and no serious music lover can be without a full set of Mahler's symphony's) this is the one to get, especially if your buying Mahler for the first time or if your budget is restricted.

First of all the price-INCREDIBLE- I actually bought the set for 40 USD.To tell the truth I would have paid the amount just to hear the incredible coda at the end of the 1st where the violins suddenly "jump out at you". This coda is on a par, maybe even greater than Horenstein's.

There is not one bad performance and as mentioned some very good ones.The sound is very good.One fault-the trumpets at time sound quite "thin".

Buy this set and "beef up" each symphony with the legendary other recordings, e.g-Horensteins 3rd, Barbirolli's 6th, Sherchen's 2nd etc.

You will not be disappointed.

Rafael Kubelik simply was one of the most consistently reliable conductors of the 20th Century. He didn't try to compose Broadway hits and symphonies, rationalize any Nazi party connections, marry millionaire heiresses, smash telephones, camp out in Hollywood, delegitimize twelve-tone music or display overt ruthlessness. Although it is said he didn't like recording, the man sure seemed to put a lot of effort into making his own sound a lot better than many other more famous names over the years. Then again, maybe he was in the right place at the right time, too. On the other hand, timing is everything with conductors. Sometimes, of course, his timing was bad as were his unfortunate tenures as music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in the early 1950s and at England's Covert Garden Opera House in the late 1950s. Although he probably shared some blame for this, it's hard to fight against powerful people who are only using you as a scapegoat for their own personal agendas. That said, Kubelik made some wonderful records in Chicago on Mercury during his stay there and later for EMI in the 1950s. And in the 1960s, he really hit his mark during his tenure as music director of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Munich and as one of Berlin Philarmonic's most popular guest conductors. Fortunately for us, DG recorded him quite extensively through the 1970s and so did Columbia in the 1980s as well. His superb recorded legacy will live on long after his enemies are forgotten. Turning now to this Mahler boxed set, we find another supreme example of Kubelik's consistent and passionate approach. Basically, this set is a wonderful and economic way for someone who is just starting to become interested in Mahler to have all the symphonies at their disposal. Stylistically, Kubelik uses comparatively fast tempos and doesn't really care to linger on some of Mahler's more gentle moments. Yet all the excitement and orchestral mastery of Mahler's genius are there. Bruno Walter to the contrary, one is almost tempted to feel that this is how Mahler might have conducted his own symphonies. I love Bernstein (Jewish angst and prophetic doom), Solti (ear-splitting sonics), Horenstein (rage against the machine), Walter (warm Wiener Blut) and Klemperer (amoralistic architecture) when it comes to Mahler. Abbado, Haitink, Rattle, Karajan, Szell and Giulini have their moments in certain symphonies as well. But for those who like to hear Mahler without all the speculative neuroses and meanings, not to mention a great price, Kubelik's set is wonderful to listen to. Consistency and adaptablity were the hallmarks of Kubelik's musical career as his recordings from Mozart to Schoenberg show. To me, they are also the two hallmarks of any Mahler performance.

This set is an enjoyable one because of the 1st (truly remarkable) the 6th and 8th symphonies and a very mysterious 2nd. The problems lie with the recorded sound which at times is strikingly two dimensional. Bland basses and screeching, distorted winds and brass somewhat overwhelm Kubelik's work. This is strange because his recording of Smetana's 'Ma Vlast' with the Boston Symphony was impeccable and was DG as well.

The interpretations in this set are fine. The vocal work in the 8th is first class as well as in the 3rd but the 7th suffers enormously from a very banal reading and terrible engineering. The 4th movement is quite dull. The 5th, 6th, 9th and 10th (adagio) though not up to snuff as far as Bernstein's or Boulez' discs, definitely stand on their own.

The real triumph of the set though is the 1st. There is so much color and vitality here and thanks to DG, one can by this disc separately from the set. The 1st is one of Kubelik's greatest recordings.

Although economical, one might fair better with sets from Solti or Bernstein in the interpretive sense.

Excellent performances of Symphonies 1, 2, 3, 5, 6,and 10. The 9th is very good with the second movement being the best played. The Finale is good, but I don't like some of Kubelik's tempos. Passionate playing in the "Adagio" movement of Symphony No. 10