Customer Reviews

Mahler - Symphony No. 9 / Claudio Abbado, Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, Accademia Di Santa Cecilia, Rome

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I will admit that I cannot listen to or attend a performance of Mahler's Ninth Symphony too often because it leaves me exhilarated but wrung out. And this DVD of a performance with Claudio Abbado conducting the group he founded in 1986, the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, has had that effect on me. I was so overwhelmed by it that I had to sit in a dark room, near tears, for fifteen minutes after it had finished in order to regain my composure. Certainly that is the effect the music often has on me, but in this instance there were other factors involved. The GMJO is made up young European musicians (plus, strangely, a couple from Cuba) who have gained admittance to the orchestra via auditions in twenty-five cities across the Continent. Their intense involvement with the music-making is fueled at least partly by their youth and enthusiasm as well as the opportunity for many of them to be playing this masterpiece for the first time. Lest one think that their youth and inexperience lowers their competence in this music, let me guarantee you that their instrumental assurance here is astonishing. Their emotional involvement with the music is almost palpable. In the rhythmic passages -- the Ländler and parts of the Rondo-Burleske, for instance -- they almost literally dance in their seats. In the ecstatic passages, and particularly in the closing pages of the symphony, their concentration, their almost religious fervor is visible. The Ninth has numerous instrumental solo passages and every single one of them is taken with musicianship, subtlety and élan. I would particularly single out the solo horn, bassoon, flute, first violin, cello and viola. The very young-appearing first trumpet played like a god.

After a slightly rough edge in the strings in the first movement, the performance settles in and for most of the following 80+ minutes one hears silken, solid ensemble in strings, winds and brass. Abbado, one of the great conductors now working (and looking healthy in this concert recorded in April 2004, after years of appearing gaunt, almost fragile), conducts without score and clearly is in rare communication with his players. He is one of the few conductors I adore watching. Not only are his gestures impressively clear as regards rhythm and articulation, he communicates the pure emotions of the music through his face and gestures. In Mahler, particularly, this is a plus. And he does it without seeming to dance on the podium. One never doubts what he is feeling and conveying to the orchestra. Fortunately we get to see this via a camera trained on him, but without it becoming a vanity project as it was for his predecessor at the Berlin Philharmonic. Television director Bob Coles and producer Paul Smaczny are pros, and they know how to vary the shots without interfering with the music and indeed the camera movement enhances, in most instances, its flow. In the closing pages of the symphony -- which, as you will recall, is a very gradual, ecstatic diminuendo/decrescendo into nothingness -- the lights on the orchestra are ever so subtly lowered so that the symphony ends in almost complete darkness. This could have been a clumsy, melodramatic maneuver but here it is done so unobtrusively as to be almost subliminal. The effect, though, is to emphasize Mahler's rapt final thoughts.

The performance was recorded at a concert in the visually stunning new hall of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome.This is the second Mahler symphony DVD with Abbado. The other, of the Fifth, was with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra (which is made up of principals from all over Europe joining with alumni of the GMJO, an ensemble calling themselves the Mahler Chamber Orchestra). It, too, was outstanding. I look forward to more additions to this series, if series it be. These two DVDs make me keen for more.

Very enthusiastically recommended.

1DVD; Sound: PCM Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1, or DTS 5.1; TT=84mins

Scott Morrison

If ever a composer wrote music for the future, it was Gustav Mahler. While his music is best heard live, it is also extremely enjoyable on CD and even better on DVD, especially when it is played by a great youth orchestra. Too see and hear all these good looking young people play Mahler is a real treat. They play with incredible passion and their virtuosity is simply stunning. I have heard Mahler 9 three times in concert and this performance was the best played. And one of those performances was by George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra, one of the greatest conductor, orchestra cominations of all time. The interpretation by Claudio Abbado is wonderfully conservative. He does not seem interested in draining every ounce of drama out of this great masterpiece. It is a lyrical performance that rises to very great heights. If you love great orchestral music, this DVD is a must.

The orchestra does not sound like a youth orchestra. If they only released this performance on CD, one would never have guessed it was an ensemble of young people. They sound like a professional orchestra. Personally, I think the principal violist is the best, her solos in the Landler are superb. The best part is however at the end when members of the audience go up to Claudio Abbado, shaking his hand and congratulating him. We cannot hear what they are saying, of course, but we don't need to: "Maestro, it is incredible that you could make these young people play like this!"

The best sound and one of the best rehearsed performances I've ever seen on DVD. All eyes are on Abbado: the players almost seem to have the score down by heart. And the conviction with which the youth orchestra plays is awesome. So wonderful to at last have a DVD Mahler #9, and such an outstanding one.

This is one of the most extraordinary discs I have seen. Bernstein's recording of the Mahler Ninth with the Vienna Philharmonic, the one often packaged with his lecture, "Four Ways to Say Farewell," is ultimately the benchmark by which I judge others. The strength of the Bernstein performance is his supreme affinity with Mahler, the passion that he brings to it, and the glorious playing of the Vienna Philharmonic. Thus when I say that this performance comes near to that in almost all respects, I could hardly praise it more. The Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, composed of young musicians from all over the world, but primarily Europe, plays with amazing accuracy and with more enthusiasm than the Vienna Philharmonic or any other world-class ensemble. The commitment and excitement of these young people is palpable and thrilling. To be fair to the more expert ensembles, I would guess that much more rehearsal time was required to bring these relatively inexperienced musicians to this level of achievement; and it really paid off. With the exception of a couple of minor missed cues in the first and last movements, the ensemble playing was impeccable, amazing for a live performance. To refer back to Bernstein, keeping the orchestra precisely together was not a priority for him; he was willing to let things get a little sloppy as he poured all his effort into the most passionate and sympathetic interpretation possible. Abbado and the assistant director who no doubt laid the advance groundwork for him brought these young musicians to a very high level of precision playing while retaining almost as much excitement as the Bernstein. In using the word "almost" I am trying to imagine this performance as a strictly aural experience; however, when I factor in the infectious excitement generated by *seeing* these energized twenty-somethings, I have to say that watching this DVD was the most compelling Mahler experience I have ever had, apart from attending live performances.

Sonically, I think this is the best orchestral recording I have ever heard; and I am a long-time collector of at least 2000 LPs and CDs, and a few DVDs. I have to warn the potential buyer, however, that not only is such a judgment always subjective, it depends a great deal on the kind of speakers used, how they are placed, the acoustics of the listening environment, and, in this case, the choice of surround-sound parameters. I have to acknowledge that my speaker system de-emphasizes the lower mid-range of the audio frequency spectrum, a deliberate choice on my part to avoid avoid any muddiness or tubbiness. This DVD, especially in the DTS 5.1 mode, brings a richness to the inner voices (violas and cellos) that surpasses anything I've previously heard; and it does so without sacrificing one iota of clarity--in fact, the mid-frequency strings come through with superior articulation. For listeners with larger main speakers, which already provide a very warm sound in the lower midrange, *may* find this DVD to sound a little muddy in the DTS mode; however, a little boost in the treble would probably correct the situation. The important thing is that the microphone placement and other aspects of the engineering have insured that all the sonic information is available, and the listener may then balance it to his/her needs. Finally, the wide dynamic range of this recording does full justice to Mahler's extreme fortes and whisper-quiet pianissimos.

This DVD provides the listener with three audio modes: PCM Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1, and DTS 5.1. PCM Stereo is CD quality (just a little higher in theory because of the higher sampling rate on the DVD), and will probably be the favorite of audiophile purists (those who have been able to tear themselves away from vinyl). I, however, prefer surround sound, not just because it dissolves the walls of my listening room into the ambient acoustics of the concert hall, but also because the five discrete channels aid considerably in rendering each section of the orchestra distinct. I believe that this is one reason that the lower midrange sound can be both warm and clear at the same time. As to the choice between Dolby Digital and DTS, I recommend that the reader Google "Dolby Digital versus DTS" to look at the pros and cons of each format. The bottom line seems to be that DTS is the better format in terms of technical measurements and that it tends to push more sound to the rear speakers. Depending on how the engineers originally balance the channels, either format could have an advantage. In the case of this DVD, I found the part about DTS's throwing more sound to the rear to be true; and for my taste and listening environment I found that to be a real advantage. The orchestra sounds broadly spread out in front and a little to the sides, while one gets a pleasant reverberation from the rear of the hall; and for whatever it's worth, I felt as if I were in the audience when there was applause. Some, however, will prefer the Dolby Digital option because it focuses the orchestra more toward the center; it therefore produces a more blended and less analytical sound, and also lightens up on the lower mid-range frequencies. I think it is absolutely marvelous to have a choice of aural perspectives.

I write this review mainly because the other reviews for this DVD are such out and out raves that I felt the need to comment. The Bottom line is that yes, it is filmed beautifully and the orchestra are young, brilliant, attractive, and completely engaged musicians. The effect of this cannot be denied. Watching a young and vibrant group of people play one of the most important masterpieces of the last 200 years conducted by one of its greatest living interpreters is a treat. HOWEVER, and this is a big HOWEVER, the problem is that Claudio Abbado himself has created a standard that is simply not reached by this performance.

The Abbado DVD's with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra (Symphonies 2,3,5,6 and 7) are astonishing performances, each and every one. That is the problem. I grew up on the Bernstein videos which, in some ways, laid the gauntlet down for future Mahler Performances. I never thought they could be bettered. The Abbado/Lucerne performances though will stand for a long time as the essential Mahler on Video. Indeed; though the Bernstein's are essential viewing for anyone interested in Mahler, Abbado's Lucerne accounts are among the greatest performances of the past quarter century.

This performance is just simply not the equal of those. In some ways that doesn't make sense. The basis for the Lucerne group is the Mahler Orchestra here. In Lucerne though, this orchestra is peppered with master musicians like Natalia Gutman, members of the Alban Berg quartet, Sabine Mayer's Wind Ensemble and others from the Berlin Phil.

The difference is palpable and it is a shame that he chose this performance as his official DVD of the 9th. His Berlin audio recording is just magnificent and he is a peerless interpreter of this symphony among living conductors. I dearly hope that he re-records it in Lucerne within the next few years. He is re-taping the Mahler 4 this summer and The Mahler Youth Orchestra did it with him in Vienna for video so hopefully he will re-do this in Lucerne.

Having an Abbado/Mahler 9 with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra would be amazing. This may sound silly but there is a real sense in Lucerne that these musicians, these masters, are getting together with a conductor they absolutely adore and that everyone in the room realizes how rarified the atmosphere is. Questions like- How many more summers will Abbado be with us? & How many times do musicians of this caliber come together in an orchestral setting???- come up. Abbado seems to feed off this.

An example of a moment that would be entirely different in Lucerne I believe is the first 5 pages of the score. 5 of the greatest pages ever written. For some reason Abbado kind of runs through these moments in this DVD and does not make anything of them at all. He has never been a "gild the lily" type like Bernstein. This is one of his greatest strengths (and occasionally a weakness as some performances are just too manicured). However, for some reason the intensity of his Berlin 9th is nowhere to be found here.

I do recommend this disc because the playing is excellent, the interpretation is certainly world class in its way, and they are a beautiful group to watch but that is where it ends. Wait for an Abbado LUCERNE M9. That will be something to behold. R

After what he's been through, you have to believe Mahler's 9th has a special meaning for Claudio Abbado. The conductor who survived stomach cancer (so far, at least--as of this writing, it's alarming that he has just canceled a bunch of upcoming concerts at the advice of his doctors) here gives Mahler's most unflinching look at death a deep interpretation. The work almost seems like a catharsis for Abbado. Or maybe a religious excursion would be more like it. At any rate, this is a Mahler 9 for the ages.

You'd think, listening with eyes closed, that such playing would have to come from a big name orchestra of seasoned players--Berlin, Vienna, Amsterdam--right? But we are hearing the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra, which Mr. Abbado himself founded. These young musicians--some disarmingly young--play like the best of the pros. Their enthusiasm is evident--I also have a superb CD by them of the Mahler 5th and 10th symphonies conducted by Rudolph Barshai, which I have reviewed here. That recording is also a must-own.

This is one stunning performance, with some of the best-defined counterpoint I've ever heard in a Mahler 9th. There are string passages in the heart of the first movement's development that have never made complete sense to me before, until I heard them clarified here. If you want to hear some of these passages, go to YouTube and type in "Mahler Last Symphony." It's a preview of this DVD with samples, and the very first one shows the orchestra in full cry in one of the knottiest sections of the first movement. Hearing that passage alone made me immediately order this DVD.

The rest doesn't disappoint. The second movement has the lovely dance lilt that many of the more lead-footed readings lack. The singing lyricism in the later parts, though, are perhaps done better by Walter (1962) but that's a high bar. And the third movement burlesque doesn't have the sinister bite and out-of-control passions of Lenny, but again, high standards. It *does* have the sweetest plaintive cry in the trumpet of what becomes the finale's main theme that I think I have ever heard, and this really send shivers down my spine. To me this moment has always marked Mahler stopping the glitzy society entertainments to ask to consider what is *really* important in life. The music then rebuffs this plea with a snicker. Really magical, and Abbado makes the most of it. It's deeply felt.

"Deeply felt" doesn't begin to describe the finale. This movement is tricky; it can come off heavy-handed and "full of oneself" if taken the wrong way. Previously I've actually preferred cooler-headed conductors such as Haitink here, but Abbado takes it at full passion and makes it work. Again, although I try not to always read personal lives into performances, since artists, like you and me, often just work their job, I have to believe Abbado poured a lot of his own experiences and thoughts into his approach here. This is powerful stuff, but it never (at least to my ears) topples over into self-pity and wallowing. And although I find stage effects incongruous with serious music, I have to admit the ending, where they gradually dim the lights as the music fades, to be effective and appropriate. It may have even helped the musicians and conductor. The last few bars are silence, and Abbado "conducts" this silence as well as he conducts the notes. A brilliant, brilliant ending to a great classical music DVD.

The picture--anamorphic, 16:9, is crisp and beautiful. It's region-free, so you can play it anywhere, on any player. (I hope this becomes a trend.) I'm watching it on an HDMI DVD player that upscale converts, so that helps somewhat, but still, this is an outstanding DVD. Sound is good and warm and rich, and audience noise is well-suppressed. There's only one annoying flat to me, but it does bear mentioning: the sound and picture are not perfectly synched, so that sound is about three or four frames ahead. This isn't noticible in most ordinary passages, but when the timpaninst solos or the violins pluck, it's evident. What's frustrating is it would have been easy to fix, if only the people who produce this stuff were paying a little closer attention to their work.

Overall, though, this would be a desert island DVD for me, and is a better live Mahler 9th than I've ever experienced live in concert (Haitink in Amsterdam, Rattle in New York, Rattle in Berlin) and better than any live performance CD I have. The youth orchestra--filled with fresh-faced young men and women clearly eager to please their conductor--respond beautifully and give a very nuanced performance. You can't go wrong, so just grab it now--what are you waiting for?

Let's just assume that you love Mahler's Ninth Symphony, and that you are partial to what Claudio Abbado usually achieves when handling this music ...
Then here, on this DVD, right from bar one you feel that Claudio Abbado is 'your man' for Mahler's Ninth Symphony. Like with his magnificent live recording of this symphony with the Berliner Philharmoniker, there is, right from the very first instant, a sense of forward momentum (there are absolutely no agogic hesitations to be found in that arresting, very first 'sighing' theme) that immediately grabs your attention. But at the same time it is Claudio Abbado's genius to leave room for all of the intricate orchestral phrasings and instrumental colorings to register to the full when needed or asked for. This is not a 'hasty' Ninth at all, but it does have quite a sense of 'flow' that keeps things together wonderfully (also the attention of the listener). All events seem to have a well-defined purpose within the 'grand dramatic scheme', or at least, so it feels to me.
At the same time that Claudio Abbado's Mahler is 'purposely forward going', it is, I think, 'under-sentimentalized' Mahler, or Mahler 'afresh' (what others might call 'lyrical'), which is good. As with seemingly all of Claudio Abbado's later (live) recordings of Mahler, there is a superb sense of forward momentum with wonderfully stylish dramatic accents. All instrumentalists are given their chance to shine and 'show off' their unique, fresh talents, and the microphones catch all of the detail and pianissimos (what exquisite last few minutes!) brilliantly, with instruments fairly directly recorded, but at the same time the sound is nicely blended within a beautifully natural soundscape. This is not so much 'dry-eyed' Mahler, it is more a 'purified' or 'rarified' Mahler in the best possible senses of the words. The final few bars have maybe never sounded more like a 'purification of the soul' as right here, without any of the sentiments of deep sadness or utter despair that other performances might convey.
Anyhow, whatever (misguided) qualifying descriptions on my part, I believe Claudio Abbado is as sure-footed and confident a guide through Mahler's eventful and precipitous soulscape as one could ever wish. And also, what joy to be able to see this maestro at work here, with his delicate and graceful but very confident gestures, inspiring these wonderful young and handsome musicians to give their very best, which is all quite something to behold!
With the help of maybe on of the best orchestra's in the world at the moment, and recorded in the best possible digital manner (audio as well as video!), the music of Gustav Mahler has maybe never sounded so fresh and inspired - so utterly and completely truthful and convincing.
A magnificent aural and visual experience. Very highly recommended.

As others have said, no doubt this is a great performance but...as good as it is it doesn't hold a candle to the Lucerne Festival recordings standard. I think this could be due to the recording itself too: its balance doesn't sound great to my ears, strings seem to be placed very forward compared to the rest of the orchestra (which lacks in impact), the sound lacks ambience, at least when listened 2-channels.
I'm quite sure this will be deleted once the Lucerne Ninth comes out (will be recorded at this year's Festival, will be released on 2011). You won't get disappointed with this DVD, but if you're aiming for an Abbado Ninth and you can wait I would suggest to wait for the Lucerne release. Should he keep the standard he kept since 2003, that should be a Ninth for the ages (I'll be there, btw)...

I would like to echo R Mathes's comments on this performance. Despite the excellent playing by this youthful orchestra, the final result does not hold a candle to the Mahler interperetations by Abbado and the Lucerne Festival Orchestra. Realistically, it would be unlikely that such young players would be able to convey the world weariness and profundity of this late Mahler work that more mature and experienced musicians might achieve. I am surprized that so many other reviewers were so impressed by this performance.

A curiosity of this performance is the dimming of the lights during the final movement of the symphony. A first rate performance should not require such a gimmick to create the required atmosphere of calm and resignation that Mahler intended.

I would stick with the Bernstein/Vienna version on DVD and the live Karajan/BPO, Walther/VPO and Bernstein/NYPO (amongst others) on CD. I was pleased that I heard this performance but would not return to it in a hurry.