Customer Reviews

Mahler: Symphony No. 6 Tragic - Benjamin Zander / Philharmonia Orchestra

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I don't believe there exists such a thing as a bad recording of Mahler 6. This work, arguably the most structurally and stylistically cogent and coherent of the nine (ten, eleven), seems always to draw the very best from its performers; or maybe it simply is so good that it can be performed in many different ways without ever falling flat. Thus I cherish Chailly's rugged and sumptuous reading as much as the coolly detached analysis by Boulez. However, Bernstein's final recording on DG has been an easy and unchallenged winner ever since its appearance a decade and a half ago. To my surprise this recording under Zander does not change that. Surprise, because I was (and am) completely blown of my feet by Zander's recording of Mahler's Ninth. I had expected something equally stunning here, especially after raving press reviews of the concert performances - but I didn't find it. This is simply a perfectly good recording of the work, with some very good highlights, but nothing much to set it apart from, let alone place it above, the best of the existing recordings. The first movement is the least involving. There is too little dynamic contrast, and many of the myriad shadings of foreboding and horror that suffuse this movement are leveled out. Listen to bar 379 and compare that to Bernstein: HE understands the horrible implications of this plunge down from the bliss and ecstasy of love straight back into the abyss, where the obnoxious marching theme rears it ugly head once more. With Zander it is just a passing moment without much special significance, and even the violent outburst a few bars later has no shock-value. It's simply too polite and too cultivated; with Bernstein it is an assault.
Things get a lot better in the middle movements. At the start of the Scherzo the aggressive cross-accents from the very clearly recorded timpani and double basses immediately create the unsettling feeling of the music teetering on the brink of disintegration. Why wasn't this tone and sound adopted for the first movement as well? There seems to be a difference in the recorded sound itself too: as if it opens up. Instrumental attack is bitingly clear now, and inner voices register beautifully. The left-right placement of first and second violins is a great help too - it is incomprehensible to me why this layout is adopted by so few conductors!
The andante is the high point of this reading: it is played very quietly and tenderly indeed, with the few passionate outbursts all the more gripping for it. The playing of horn and woodwind soloists is ravishingly beautiful. The general effect is one of sweet serenity rather than of mystery, though: for that, again, Bernstein is matchless.
Zander offers no less than two full readings of the finale, one of them reinstating the third hammer blow and the original instrumentation surrounding it. I must say I found this original version highly effective. The third blow has extra impact because of its unfamiliarity, and because it falls at another point than where the listener expects it. It truly has the effect of a death-blow, with the cavernous brass dirge (and those heart-rending falling eights in the trombones and horns!) following it as a logical consequence. After hearing this I could imagine something of Mahler's own superstitious fear of what he had created. This recording and Chailly's are, by the way, the only ones in which the hammer blows register with anything approaching the sheer violence of their effect in a concert performance.
That said, Zander's finales suffer from some of the same drawbacks as the first movement. I was bothered by a sudden 'glazing over' of the sound in the development towards the first hammer stroke, almost as if the microphones are slowly being turned away from the orchestra (maybe the recording engineers feared damage to their equipment...?). And not only the sound, the reading itself seems aloof here, mainly a study in terrific orchestration and no match for Bernstein's red-blooded traversal of this amazing symphonic structure. I know there are those who think Bernstein's interpretations eccentric, excessive, hysterical even. However, it seems to me that these are characteristics very well suited to Mahler's no less eccentric, excessive and hysterical personality. You can hardly go over the top with a work like this, that is in itself already completely over the top in every possible way! Playing it with no holds barred pays dividends, which is why Bernstein remains the most compelling champion of this most impressive of symphonies, with all due respect to Zander and his team. Their set, it should be added in fairness, is nevertheless a true bargain and by no means a bad one. If you want to sample the 3-hammerblow version of the finale, I would certainly recommend this disc over Rattle's, which is overwrought and fussy, as most of his Mahler recordings are. Moreover, Zander's illustrated lecture on the third disc is a worthwhile and entertaining bonus.

I pre-ordered a copy of the Telarc/Zander/Philharmonia Mahler 6th, and it
arrived today. I would like to share my first impressions. I will need to
listen to it at least once more to fully gauge my reaction.

First, a bit about the release. It's three CD's for the price of one. The
first three movements are on disk one. The second disk has the final
movement twice. The first track is the original version that has all three
hammer blows. The second track has the published version which has only two
hammer blows and a partially reduced score where the deleted third hammer
blow originally was. The final disk is Zander discussing the Mahler 6th and
lasts nearly eighty minutes.

I have only two performances of the Mahler 6th in my collection, the
Solti/CSO and the Horenstein. I admire much of the Solti especially the 1st
and 3rd movements, but have never connected fully with his 4th movement.
Possibly one problem I have had with the Solti 4th movement is by the time I
have finished the 3rd movement I have no further emotional energy to expend
for the 4th. I rarely listen to the Horenstein because there are simply too
many glaring technical errors in the orchestral playing for me to tolerate.

As for the Zander, I'm not quite certain what to say about it. I did find
it very interesting (sometimes fascinating) to listen to and it held my
attention at all times. In certain places I found it very different than
either the Solti or the Horenstein. Zander is noted for scrupulously
following scores so this performance may give us the closest idea of what
Mahler's original intentions were. Perhaps those who have listened to many
difference performances of the Mahler 6th and know the work and score well
will add some comments here.

While holding my attention and interest (there are all sorts of interesting
details brought out, perhaps too much at times?), I found myself not having
the same emotional response to this performance as the Solti in either the
1st or 3rd movements. I did note one reaction at times while listening to
the 1st movement and that was, for the lack of a better word, terror. I
felt the hair on my arms actually standing on end! That was strange.

The plus side of the relative lack (compared to the Solti) of emotional
reaction to the first three movements was that when the 4th movement came I
wasn't emotionally expended. Zander's 4th movement holds together very well
for me. The final few minutes were unlike anything I have heard before
while listening to this work. That 3rd hammer blow is crucial to the work,
IMHO. At the end I was emotionally wrecked, exactly the reaction I have
always thought I should have had, but through 25+ years of listening to this
work have never had until today.

The recording quality is good but not across the board exceptional IMO. For
example, at times the French Horns seem to be much too distant and soft. At
times the first violins seem to be too loud. I think there may be mixing
problems (DSD multi-track down to two?). The hammer blows are astonishing
though, unlike anything I have ever heard before, and extremely effective.
The performance for the most part is very good, but a bit ragged in spots
and near the end I noted one of the lower pitched instruments was struggling
getting the right pitch, but this is all subtle and does not detract much
from the performance.

Given the three-disks for the price of one, this release certainly seems to
be a good value. I would definitely recommend it to someone who doesn't
have a copy of the work. Due to my lack of experience with other
performances, I have no idea where it stands overall. My current impression
is it is not an across the board improvement over my Solti, but my opinion
may change with additional hearings. The CSO in the early 70's had IMO an
exceptional brass section that may never have been surpassed. The brass get
an incredible workout in the Mahler 6th. That's a nice plus for the Solti.
But much of the time the Philharmonia brass do an excellent job and given
the modern recording, the sound is spectacular at times.

One comment, it is very desirable to listen to this in a very quiet
environment. The dynamic range is wide and some of the passages are
exceptionally quiet. I hope some day to own a SACD player and for this to
be released in that format or alternately for it to make it to DVD-Audio

which I do own. I imagine the sound will be improved in much the same way
as the Rattle Mahler 10th, where I was disappointed with the sound on CD,
but was very pleased with what I heard it on the DVD-Audio version.

George

A lot of details come through in this recording. But Zander's choice of tempo can sometimes disappoint. I prefer the overall headier speeds on Karajan's version (DG label). Still Zander makes a very persuasive argument for placing the Scherzo BEFORE the Andante and for having THREE hammerblows (listen to the bonus discussion CD). I too feel that THREE hammerblows are needed and wish guys like Karajan and Bernstein had conducted the original version of the 4th mvt.

NOW ABOUT ZANDER'S DISCUSSION CD -- Some of his analysis is plain off, even way off, e.g. -

4TH MVT: Zander claims the "Hero" of the symphony reaches an exultant/victorious state right before the third hammer-blow when actually what you hear is the "scarifying" (his own words) music from the start of this mvt. The true way to divide this mvt is by the four appearances of the "scarifying" theme.

1ST MVT: I'm not sure if the "Alma theme" in the 1st mvt was meant to be one of "unbridled" ecstasy and triumph. The theme is actually interrupted halfway by more march music, albeit jovial (something Zander makes no mention of). On Andante.com you can read an analysis by Henri-Louis La Grange, a pre-eminent Mahlerian, who says that this jovial march casts doubt on the "positive nature" of the Alma theme. And in the coda, this theme reaches a "bombastic" crescendo as if the hero was trying to CONVINCE himself of victory, but without really believing it. In other words -- the guy's just trying to psyche himself out. On the Karajan version you can really hear the fake optimism of this theme, especially in the coda. Karajan turns it into a maniacal frenzy. Zander, on the other hand, interprets it in a way that makes it more "positive." But again, I don't believe this was the true intent of Mahler.

I've always looked at this symphony as the portrait of someone going off to "war" even though all signs point to Hell; the guy has to play it out to the end despite knowing he's going to lose. Hence the grim nature of his "march" and the constantly re-occuring "Major-to-Minor" Fate chords. His fate was SEALED from the beginning, from the 1st mvt on.

I've never been a huge fan of Karajan's glossy "blended" sound. I guess others call it "homogenized." But I think his Mahler 6 is one of his better recordings, one in which he achieves a near-perfect balance between "blending" and frenzy. His andante, for example, is outstanding; it's also the only mvt. in which he is slower than Zander. So, if you want to get a completely different picture, one with more bite and might -- try Karajan's (though sadly he has only TWO hammerblows).

CONCLUSION: Zander may not be the final say in Mahler interpretations, but he does bring out some nice details and has awesome HAMMERBLOWS. Just be wary of some of his oversights on the Discussion CD. Still, however way you cut it, this 3-CD set is a bargain and beautifully packaged with excellent liner notes from music critic, Micheal Steinberg (his book, Symphony, A Listener's Guide is great!). In an age where Classical Music has been more marginalized than ever it's heart-warming to see such care put into packaging a Mahler symphony. The CDs are red in color with a beautiful "tragic" font-design.

SO BUY WITHOUT RESERVATION. (Just keep in mind to also get Karajan's for comparison sake and be sure to check out Tony Duggan's list Mahler recordings on musicweb.uk.net Interestingly enough, Tony says Zander's EARLIER recording of the Mahler 6 is one of the finest ever...hmmm...I should get that one too...).

Gosh, I was really hoping that this would be the one - but it isn't. I agree with Amazon critic Dan Davis' assessment of this performance's shortcomings. But I'm not much taken with Davis' suggested alternatives. Gielen strikes me as emotionally constipated, and Levi sounds cold and mechanical. And I just can't get past Bernstein's typically stagey "Look Ma, I'm Emoting!" theatrics.

Zander's Mahler is just a bit TOO civilized. I only wish his performances of Mahler were even HALFWAY as interesting as the lecture discs that accompany them. Very frustrating. As with Bruckner's, the spacious sound world of Mahler just screams for good stereo. I do have a very high tolerance for old mono recordings, largely because of my belief that the "Golden Age" of great conducting (with a few exceptions) ended sometime around 1970.

Until now, my favorite stereo 6th has been the Barbirolli, which offers a tremendously exciting finale. But like Zander, only more so, Barbirolli opts for a first mvt. tempo that is just TOO slow. At least he doesn't take the repeat: otherwise, it would have been the sort of "epic in bloat" that was Celibidache's specialty (fortunately, the Romanian conductor disliked Mahler and left no recordings).

My favorite 6ths are thus all in mono: the extraordinarily neurotic Mitropoulos (available only as part of the NY Phil. 10-disc Mahler broadcast set), the dementia-laden Scherchen/Leipzig (with some grievous cuts, on Tahra), the work's very first recording, by Mahler protegee F. Charles Adler (old sound but tremendous insights, imperfectly realized by subpar playing, on SPA LPs - it was issued in England on Conifer CDs in a miserable transfer), and the 1961 SW German Radio reading by Hans Rosbaud (Rococco LP). The latter is probably closest to my personal view of the work: Rosbaud offers a 20th Century modernist perspective (like Gielen), but with some wonderful traces of old world charm (unlike Gielen).

So, my search for a great stereo Mahler 6th goes on. Maybe I should give the Thomas Sanderling a try - it is highly regarded by British critic Tony Duggan. Incidentally, if you are not familiar with Duggan's writings, be sure to visit musicweb.uk.net and view his Mahler Symphony Survey. He is the most knowledgable, thoughtful, and perceptive Mahler critic I have ever encountered.

The quest continues: where is the Inn of the "6th" Happiness?

One could go on for many pages about the fine performance offered by the Philharmonia Orchestra on these discs, but there is much more here. The third disc, in which Mr. Zander offers a detailed explanation about the symphony, is worth much more than the price of all the discs. It is rare that we get to hear a conductor's explanation about the interpretation of a piece, especially a complex piece such as this one. It would be difficult to quantify the monetary value of the lessons offered here by Zander. Zander's explanation sheds a brilliant light on this piece, answering many questions, and making the terror of this symphony more understandable.
Thanks to Gustav Mahler for enriching our lives, and to Mr. Zander for contributing to that enrichment.

How do you choose one musical performance over another? Isn't it all just subjective--my perferences and yours or hers?

In the first place, it's hard to describe in words, what Mahler was describing in complex combinations of musical notes.

I have liked something about ALL the performances I've heard of Mahler's Sixth. Some are played faster, some softer, some clearer, some emphasize the strings, some just use cowbells, or a hammerschlag instrument that are more to my liking.

Fortunately, this particular CD set has something that sets it apart: a third CD with 80 minutes of comments on Mahler's Sixth by conductor Benjamin Zander.

Ben Zander provides insight into the symphony by providing biographical information about what was going on in Mahler's life at that time. For instance, he suggests that the three "hammer blows" in the symphony's last movement may refer to Mahler's losing his position at Vienna because of rampant anti-Semitism, his young daughter's untimely death, and his doctor's prognosis that Mahler had an incurable heart infection.

Zander also illuminates the Sixth's "Classical" form, and things such as what kind of sound Mahler desired for the "Hammerschlag" sounds and the various bells in the score.

You probably wouldn't still be reading this if you are not one who enjoys Mahler, so I will tell you simply that since you like Mahler, you'll find Zander's many comments a joy which will help you appreciate Mahler even more.

How do you choose one musical performance over another? Isn't it all just subjective--my perferences and yours or hers?

In the first place, it's hard to describe in words, what Mahler was describing in complex combinations of musical notes.

I have liked something about ALL the performances I've heard of Mahler's Sixth. Some are played faster, some softer, some clearer, some emphasize the strings, some just use cowbells, or a hammerschlag instrument that are more to my liking.

Fortunately, this particular CD set has something that sets it apart: a third CD with 80 minutes of comments on Mahler's Sixth by conductor Benjamin Zander.

Ben Zander provides insight into the symphony by providing biographical information about what was going on in Mahler's life at that time. For instance, he suggests that the three "hammer blows" in the symphony's last movement may refer to Mahler's losing his position at Vienna because of rampant anti-Semitism, his young daughter's untimely death, and his doctor's prognosis that Mahler had an incurable heart infection.

Zander also illuminates the Sixth's "Classical" form, and things such as what kind of sound Mahler desired for the "Hammerschlag" sounds and the various bells in the score.

You probably wouldn't still be reading this if you are not one who enjoys Mahler, so I will tell you simply that since you like Mahler, you'll find Zander's many comments a joy which will help you appreciate Mahler even more.

I currently have ten different recordings of this symphony. It has been my favorite Mahler symphony since I first heard a magnificent live BBC performance by Norman Del Mar at Royal Albert Hall in 1962. I also have the original Zander performance with the Boston Philharmonic, and considering the semi-professional status of the performers, that performance remains electrifying, and a benchmark in my opinion. Like this studio recording, the hammer blows are shattering. I've also heard several live performances in person. For many years now, I've had a real feel for this symphony, almost instinctively knowing how it should sound, especially the first movement. In this recording, Zander comes close to perfection in the first movement, although some of his tempos in the middle sections of the first movement seem just a tad bit slow, and it lacks a certain lightness of touch I believe should be there in the Alma theme. But the coda is as thrilling as any performance I've ever heard, with the fast tempo being just right. The best performance of the first movement I have on disk is a little known recording by Evgeni Svetlanov and the USSR Academic Symphony Orchestra. I remember the review appearing in American Record Guide, where the reviewer wondered what a Russian was doing turning out one of the best performances of the Mahler 6th ever recorded.

I'm not going to say anything more about this latest Zander performance, but would like to make a couple comments on the recording and Zander's opinion on the merits of the revised last movement. Unlike a previous reviewer who thought he heard several flaws in this recording, I have only one complaint about it. There seems to be a peculiar turning down of the sound level of the orchestra just before the first hammer blow, in both the original and the revised versions, which Zander blesses us with on the second disk. The orchestral volume level is magically back to "normal" just after the hammer blow. Perhaps this gradual lowering of the volume was done to achieve a more dramatic contrast when the hammer does finally hit, or perhaps there was a fear of overmodulating the disk. But this latter explanation doesn't fly, because on the third disk, when Zander demonstrates this part, there IS no lowering of the volume and it sounds much more dramatic. Anyhow, maybe I'm hearing things, but I listened to this three times in both versions, and my sense that the volume is being turned down just before the hammer strikes just won't go away. Note that this lowering of the orchestral level (which is at fortissimo at the time) only occurs just before the FIRST hammer blow.

Then, as for Zander's opinion that Mahler was "correct" in his first version and compromised in the removal of the third hammer blow and thinning of the orchestration in the revised version, I personally am not so sure. Maybe it's because I've rarely heard the original version, but I think I like the cleaner textures of the revised version. I'm going to go along with Mahler's final thoughts on this one, at least until I get to know the original version better. It's interesting that Zander's timing of the two versions differs by only one second.

In addition to the bonus commentary disc, which runs just shy of 80 minutes, this performance includes alternate versions of the final movement, with and without the third hammerblow, and the related changes in orchestration. This brings the total time of this recording to almost 3 hours and 19 minutes. Although the notes and commentary do not make this point unambiguously, it appears the orchestra recorded both versions of the last movement in their entireties, rather than trying to edit in the alterations.

The Maestro devotes considerable discussion time to the order of the second and third movements, and I concur with his choice of placing the andante third. Given the sheer violence of the final movement, I think having to hear the scherzo immediately prior to it would make the work unlistenable. Truth be told, I was exhausted after listening to the first two movements, and literally breathed a sigh of relief when the andante mercifully got under way. As for the third blow, I again with the conductor's view that it belongs in the score. Its excision in the alternate version literally does sound anticlimactic. The Maestro also gives excellent advice to the listener on how to approach this rather daunting work, to focus on its classical structure. I agree that the repeat in the first movement is helpful. The only point of exegetical disagreement I have with him, and another reviewer astutely touched upon this, is that I do not find the work very positive in tone, becoming tragic only in the closing pages. I find most of the piece to be harsh, brusque, aggressive, and loud - but brilliant throughout. The positive mood at the end of the first movement is very short lived.

The reviewers of the Penguin Guide remarked that Karajan's reading of this symphony with the BPO, with his care for tonal coloring, brought out its similarity with the sound of Wagner's Ring. In this recording, there is a stretch about halfway in the first movement where the music goes from loud to chilling and downright sinister - and for a moment I was almost expecting Hagen's voice.

The Philharmonia's 117 players go at this piece full throttle - especially the very busy 9 percussionists. Yes the hammerblows are almost painful to listen to - and in the commentary, the Maestro made reference to the musicians being counselled to use earplugs to protect themselves during the recording. The march rhythms are as crisp and incisive as possible. For those who like Mahler full of dramatic tension, or who want to test the limits of their audio equipment, this Telarc release, in superb, detailed sound at every range, will be a very satisfying experience.

Karl Bohm once remarked upon Leonard Bernstein's recording of Wagner's Tristan, words to the effect that someone finally dared to perform it the way it was written. Perhaps one may make such a claim about this release. If this is be the case, it suggests that this symphony, for all its originality and uncompromising vision, may suffer from dramatic overkill. The album notes claim that those who love this composer (especially the New Vienna School) have and continue to gravitate towards this work. I however now find it easier to admire than love.

The performance on the whole is in my view an unqualified success in every respect. As before, the documentation is well written too.

The alternate final movements are on the second CD. I would suggest against playing them together at one sitting. The album offers formidable value for the money. Having said all that, I don't think I want to hear it again for awhile.

Mr Zander has scored successful accolades for his recordings of probably the world's most venerated eccentric composer, Gustav Mahler. Mr Zander's recording of Ninth, Fourth, Fifth, name it and he'd already won reverence and acclaims from Viennese critics, fanatical (not all) Mahlerians and all the hype from Press all over the globe.

Sometimes the hype can be misleading though. The two Finales, one original and another, the "aftermath" in which Mahler deletes the Third hammer blow for superstitious reasons are in fact BOTH revised versions. Yes, my friends. Complaints have been apparent for Mr Zander only played the everything in the CD only the revised parts of Mahler, when the CD cover states otherwise. Both Finales are revised versions with the second Finale having orchestrations considerably thinned. The booklet explains it all and do not be misled if you're misinformed.

The recording is recorded for best effect of using surround speakers, so I recommend absolute purchase and for the hammerblow effects. There is mixed results for other conventional stereo devices. On a monotonous CD player, the hammerblows will sound tame after first listening. I have tested this CD too at some couple of Hi-Fi's and Stereo Speakers, and not all will guarantee satisfactory results. However, I emphasize again that surround speakers will give the fullest impact. And if you are curious what Mr Zander's hammerblows might sound with a headphone, be VERY, VERY cautious!

With other technical aspects and Mr Zander's treatment to Mahler's scores, be warned too even though he is attentive, a devoted Mahlerian will be quick to catch his "eccentricities". There is too much "ma non troppo" in the first movement and lack of deep, shuddering bass for the urgency. Mr Zander's treatment of Finale is not as terrifying as Mr Bernstein's with surprisingly lack of sensitivity of dynamics. You may also notice that some critics may lambast Zander for missing details of the score.

The redeeming features of this CD is a technically stunning Scherzo and a moving Andante Moderato. Mr Zander also redeems with bringing out tiny details you normally wouldn't hear in other Sixth's and capability of Philharmonia to sound "ugly", especially in the Scherzo. Without the lecture CD and the economical value, this CD could only earn 3 and a half stars. But hey, the price is terrific, overall performance is commendable enough, but lacking behind Bernstein and Levi, two most popular Mahler's Sixth to date. An ideal purchase for anyone who have not heard Mahler's Sixth, but purists might reconsider.