Customer Reviews

Mahler: Symphonies Nos. 1-9; Adagio [Box Set]

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

 

 

Michael Gielen is one of the leading contemporary interpreters of Mahler's music. Following the tradition of Scherchen and Rosbaud, his interpretations emphasize the radical, modernist aspects of Mahler's works, which yields very interesting results. In short, Gielen's Mahler is never dull and not sentimental at all. What we get instead is dark tragedy, detailed structure, and irony. Moreover, Gielen's orchestra is the outstanding SWF Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden and Freiburg, which has a fine Mahler tradition (Rosbaud).
Some comments on each symphony.

#1. A very clear, detailed interpretation, in excellent sound. I would place it as the finest contemporary account, not far behind the classic recordings of Kubelik (DG and Audite), Walter (SONY), and Horenstein (Unicorn).

#2. Gielen's modernist outlook emphasizes the dramatic aspects of the work, as well as the extreme orchestral effects. I find his approach less convincing here. To compare, Klemperer (EMI), Walter (SONY), and even Scherchen (Westminster-Universal, Japan) offer more passion than drama, which I think is essential for this work.

#3. One of the best interpretations ever of this symphony. It ranks beside Kubelik's (DG and Audite) and Barbirolli's (BBC), balancing its raw power with the lyrical aspects.

#4. The weak spot of the set. Gielen goes apparently for irony rather than childish wit in the last movement. I would not include this interpretation among the five best. I hold Barbirolli (BBC) and Horenstein (EMI) to be the best recordings.

#5. Again, an outstanding interpretation, which is in the league of Walter (SONY), Barbirolli (EMI), Schwartz (Everest), and Barshai (Brilliant Classics). Excellent playing and a superb, swift adagietto.

#6. Surpricingly, this interpretation is Gielen's most traditional. Compared with Barbirolli (EMI) and Horenstein (Unicorn), Gielen avoids the extremes and emphasizes the lyrical qualities. Excellent recording and fine hammerblows.

#7. A desert island disc, no less. I place this recording only after Kubelik seminal recordings (DG and Audite). Gielen's modernist approach fits here like hand in glove. Fine orchestral playing and a superb recording.

#8. Similar to Chailly (Decca), Gielen's conception of this symphony emphasizes its chamber-like textures, not the grandeur. It is an interpretation which is exactly the opposite of Solti's high-octane, operatic view (Decca). Though I do not think it even challenges Kubelik (Audite), Mitropoulos (Orfeo), and Horenstein (BBC), it is nonetheless an interesting view.

#9. A very dark, tragic conception of a tragic work. This masterly interpretation ranks clearly, in my view, beside, say, Klemperer (EMI), Walter (SONY), and Ancerl (Supraphon). Technically, it is a sonic triumph, and the orchestral playing is outstanding.

In sum, a warmly recommended set if one wants a contemporary cycle in excellent digital sound. It is a far more accurate and inspired set than, for example, Chailly's on Decca. The only real drawback is the price.

Unfortunately, as with most other sets with Mahler's symphonies, the box does not include Das Lied von der Erde (one exception of this is Bertini on EMI). Hopefully Gielen will record this song-cycle symphony soon. Nor does it include Gielen's recently recorded interpretation of the complete Cooke Mahler 10 (see my review), in contrast to Chailly.

Despite my praise, however, I like to say that I recommend Kubelik's set (DG) as the first choice, if you look for one boxed set only.

Mahler's time has now surely come. His symphonies, rare in performance and rarer on record until a half century after his death, have become a glut in the age of compact discs, with multiple complete cycles vying for attention. Even so, a true Mahler aficionado has to wade through a minefield of duds to find a near-ideal performance of any one of them, let alone the holy grail of a totally recommendable cycle by any one conductor. This is so despite Mahler's care in meticulously marking dynamics in his scores as well as his subjective extra-musical characterizations of themes and effects to show his intentions. But all music relies on interpreters, and each conductor has his own ideas about how a score should be interpreted. Therefore no single point of view suffices over this vast canvas that is Mahler's nine numbered symphonies.

Some conductors are good with Maher's early "Wunderhorn" style, all but the first involving the human voice, others are better with his spare, later chamber-like style. Few at all have solved the central mystery of the three purely orchestral ones. Now comes Michael Gielen's thought provoking cycle that on repeated hearings convinces he has, if not produced a perfect cycle, mastered Mahler's music as well as any one mortal might within his own interpretive latitude, and he sheds much new light on each work in turn.

His accounts of symphonies 5 and 7 are simply the finest accounts of each ever put down on CD, and his 6 is not far behind. Yet his touch in the early works is different, yet equally deft, and the late works are exposed as never before as the greatly innovative, forward-looking and influential works they are. Throughout each of these masterworks, Gielen's infinite attention to every detail and the Southwest German Radio Orchestra's ability to deliver exactly what he asks leaves the listener gasping at Mahler's absolute understanding and complete control of instrumental color and orchestral sonority.

Some commentators have described Gielen's Mahler as cool and austere. Nothing could be further from the truth. These are very passionate performances, though shorn of worthless sentimentality. Nor does Gielen ever play it safe. He takes every chance in attempting to deliver what he believes are Mahler's wishes, even executing the controversial "Hinaufziehen" instruction to the oboist in the solo vocal movement of Symphony No. 3, producing an upward glissando that sounds something like the cry of a peacock. And why not? Here Mahler marked this figure "the night bird!"

Not only is the playing of Gielen's orchestra utterly idiomatic and fabulously virtuosic throughout, the vocal contributions are as good or better than anything on disc. The choral singing in 2 is crisp and the diction crystal clear, the soloists in 2,3,4, all stand comparision with any competition. If there is a weak spot in the cycle, it might be 8, where the choral weight sounds nothing like half a thousand, and the organ lacks oomph, but Gielen reveals much that has previously gone unnoticed in the Forest Scene that opens part II.

There are so many great things here that only hearing them will suffice, but a few could be mentioned: the upturn of the soprano's voice at the end of the Chorus Mysticus in 8 that sends a chill right down the back; the exquisite pacing of the tempo shifts in the great Adagio of 3; the heartbreaking solo violin at the end of the first movement of 9; all of 7. The insights are endless. Even if you thought you had memorized every note of your Mahler, this set is a must for anyone who really loves this music and seeks a deeper understanding of it and the soul of the man it contains.

Schoenberg once wrote to Mahler after he heard him conduct a performance of one of his symphonies, "I saw your soul, naked." If you are not afraid to look, now you can see it as well, through the work of the mind, heart and hands of Michael Gielen.

Mahler famously said a symphony should contain the world, and so a Mahler symphonic cycle is a world of worlds. This Gielen cycle of "Mahler's worlds" is an obvious case where the 5 stars do not come close to fully signifying the value.

I only recently finally heard all the Mahler symphonies, collecting my first complete cycle from a variety of conductors:

1 -- Kubelik (Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra),
2 -- Mehta (Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra),
3 -- Chailly (Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam),
4, 5 & 6 -- Bernstein (Royal Concertgebouw & Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras),
6 & 7 -- Abbado (Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra):
8 -- Solti (Chicago Symphony Orchestra),
9 -- Abbado (Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra):

and having "converted to Mahler" after some early doubts, I decided I should hear this Gielen cycle before it went out of print, particularly as it is on the small, independent German Hanssler label.

Compared to the other Mahler recordings I have heard, I am initially most impressed with Gielen's Nos. 1, 3, and 7, but they are all strong interpretations and performances. Gielen's readings with the Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra may underwhelm those who prefer a hot Bernsteinian style, but anyone else should seriously consider this Hanssler box.

Thanks to Michael Gielen I am ready now to settle in for serious Mahler listening that should last a lifetime.

I'll not comment on the Gielen performances, which I like
very much.

However, buyers of the mp3 download will get an unpleasant surprise.
The first movement of the Resurrection Symphony is missing its first
half. It begins well beyond the halfway point, so that a 25 minute
movement takes 10:29.

Aside from the absence of documentation in the Amazon downloads, the
production is often slipshod. Too bad.

I have no argument against the notion that Michael Gielen is a very fine, very serious musician. What I have a problem with, is the position by many that this is the best choice out there for a complete Mahler symphonies box. It isn't. It's overpriced, and Haenssler didn't bother to include Gielen's highly expressionistic account of the standard Deryck Cooke 10th. Regardless of the interpretive merits of Gielen's complete cycle, the sound isn't as consistantly good as it is on either the Gary Bertini box (EMI), or the Chailly box on Decca (which does include a complete 10th). Aside from their obvious display of fine musicianship, symphonies 2 and 8 are somewhat underwhelming in the final analysis. Compare the last several minutes of the 8th to the Bertini - little or no comparison in my book. Symphonies 5 and 9 sound like afterthoughts, which they almost were. As with so many recordings of the Mahler 9th, the first movement is outstanding, but everything that happens after that sounds anticlimactic. It almost makes one wish that Mahler had finished the 10th instead (I said almost). Both the Bertini and Chailly Mahler 9ths stand up better over the long haul. Gielen is excellent over the first four movements of the 7th, but his finale is a tad sluggish and dour. It's a pity that Haenssler didn't opt to include one of Gielen's live performances of the 7th instead, where the finale clocks in a full minute faster! Gielen's 4th is pretty decent over the first three movements, but his soprano isn't terribly competitive in the Wunderhorn song. Barbara Bonney is excellent on the Chailly 4th. To my mind, the one outstanding performance from Gielen is the 6th. Here, Gielen gets to showcase his expertise in an expressionistic sound world that's usually reserved for Shoenberg, Berg, and Webern. And, as a matter of fact, it's better to get Gielen's 6th individually, which is coupled with an equally fine performance of Alban Berg's "Three Pieces For Orchestra". In summary, it's better to pick and choose with Gielen. In fact, it's really better to pick and choose with all the Mahler symphonies. But if the convenience of a box set is what you're after, I'd say go for the Bertini box on EMI, which includes a very fine "Das Lied von der Erde". The first Bernstein cycle - now out on Sony Classical - shouldn't be overlooked either. While less consistant from an interpretive standpoint, Chailly does include his very fine 10th in the Cooke version.

This Gielen Mahler cycle is downright costly, but in every regard worth the price as no combined and few singular performances surpass these priceless renditions. I have many mahler symphonies-over 20 discs and records of each symphony and overall-this is the best complete(no tenth) on the market and in the cases of symphony's 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, the best there is or equal to the best. My two favourite Mahler symph's are 3 & 9 and I rank the third above Bernstein's earlier account, Rattle's BCSO, and equal, if not slightly better than Chailley's recent decca release, which previous to this I had considered the best along with the Rattle. For the ninth, I have changed over the years from Karajan and Walter(VPo) to Ancerl and beyond, but this version has everything. It has the depth of Karajan's outer movements and the macabre of Ancerl's inner ones-there is no finer version available.
There is also no finer version of number one than here. I adore Kubelik and Bernstein and walter (and would not want to be without either) but this is basically a perfect performance.
Number two is excellent, far superior to Gilbert Kaplan's, Boulez, and Abbado's. One of the best around which is saying something in such a crowded field.
The third is a miracle. This may be the most difficult symphony to pull off-in terms of music worthy of pulling off- (along with number seven but for much different reasons) and is in my opinion the quintessential reading. I have long believed Chailley's to be almost unsurpassable but after passing through pastoral sweetness of horn solo, a real post-horn I might add (which is usually substituted for a trumpet, cornet, or Fugalhorn) I realized I needed to start the work over and really listen. Best ever.
The fourth is good but not exalted, a very, very good version but not quite on par with Levi's, Walter's or Bernstein's second recording, but is better than Chailley's and Abbado's and Karajan's, and is somewhat equal to Boulez(a man I cant stand)
The fifth is also very good though not quite at the best of all time level.
The sixth is done very well, though slightly slow in the beginning. The adagio is terrific(I would recommend Witt's version on Naxos for one of the best along with MTT and the San Fran.
Now to the seventh--one of my favourite symphonies of all time and one seriously in need of a conductor who believes in the works greatness. This version could not be bettered(though Barenboim's recent account is also very good). I absolutley adore the conviction of this performance which reveals a symphony that is not the pesky stepchild of 5 and 6 but an entire world unto its own. This symphony has always fascinated me in its confessional and completely unique place in Mahler's oevre. You cant do any better.
The eighth is fantastic though intentionally not as supercharged as Solti's. It reminds me more of Kubelik's and, as in Gielen;'s first account released on Sony, truly shows this conductor;s grasp of every nuance of Mahler's vast arsenal.
As mentioned in other reviews, the tenth is not included beyond the adagio which is unfortunate considering it is the best version of the tenth yet to be released-beyond Rattles. The tenth is worthy to Mahler fans though event he adagio is unfinished(Mahler surely would have altered the score after hearing it played live-think the fifth symphony's premiere)-Either way it is worth hearing.
Overall you cant do better than this and if I was asked if there were one Mahler cycle to buy-I would recomennd this one without hesitation. There is no weak link and individually is rarely bettered.
Best List
1. Gielen---------Kubelik-------Walter
2. Gielen-Walter
3. Gielen------------Rattle-----------Bernstein(sony)
4. Levi-----------Walter---------Bernstein---Klemperer
5. Karajan-Bernstein(DG)
6. Witt----------Mtt-------Bernstein-DG
7. Gielen-----------Bernstein(both)--Barenboim
8. Solti-----------Gielen---------Kubelik
9. Gielen----Karajan(DG\2)----Ancerl-----
10. Gielen---Rattle
Cycle-Gielen----------Bernstein(Sony\DG)----------Bertini
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