Customer Reviews

Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor "Resurrection" / Symphony No. 10 in F sharp minor (incomplete) (2 CD Set)

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

 

 

I was blessed to have performed this piece with Levi and Atlanta in the early 90's. The chorus was prepared by Shaw, and we wound up performing it at Avery Fisher Hall as well, with enthusiastic response. I left Atlanta in 1994, and, though I knew the orchestra was really stepping up to the plate with Levi in command, I had no idea they had reached this level! I received this recording as a gift today, though I have had my eye on it for a while. In two words -- absolutely astounding! I guess what we did early in the last decade was merely an early dress rehearsal for what is captured on this CD. There is none of the tentativeness in the brass and strings that was often present in earlier recordings, and thankfully, the chorus is as sharp as ever -- a concern of mine after the passing of Maestro Shaw. Norman MacKenzie is absolutely astounding -- aside from Mr. Shaw, one of the most amazing musicians I have ever met. We did (do) not call him "Stormin' Norman" for nothing...

Although I have heard many recordings of this piece, the only other that I own is the other Telarc offering by the St. Louis Symphony. It is a great recording. This one, however, blows it away. There was lots of talk years ago about when the orchestra was actually going to reach the performance level of the chorus. Oh happy day! It has happened! What a pleasure to listen to a performance and recording which is almost impossible to find fault with. If you want "bang for your buck," and even if you don't, you simply MUST experience this recording. Enjoy!

Mahler's symphonies seems to be THE symphonies to record these days, and all of them are incredible masterpieces. That goes without saying. Yoel Levi and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra have been adding to this late trend by recording many of Mahler's symphonies for Telarc. This newest release is Mahler's 2nd Symphony, which is one of his longest, yet most rewarding, and the reward comes throughout the work with many sub-climaxes. If you don't know the work, I highly encourage you to become familiar with it. It truly has the power to change your whole outlook on your day. My recommendation for this recording is without hesitation. The sonics of this recording are nothing short of superb, a trademark of Telarc. Especially in this recording, the strings glow with a wonderfully warm rich sound. The brass is blazing and the tympani and bass drums will knock you in the chest if you have the stereo to reproduce what has been captured by Telarc. Also, listen to how beautifully the triangle playing is captured--truly an audiophile delight.

Beyond the wonderfully captured sound, the performance is nothing short of spectacular. While I admit, I haven't been enthralled with all of the Mahler recordings done by Levi and Atlanta, this performance is one of heart and understanding by both the conductor and players. Tempi are well chosen throughout the symphony, but the true genious in this performance is Levi's direction of the building of dramatic tension. Granted, in a Mahler symphony, tension is already written in, but it takes a conductor with a solid understanding of the work to really wring out all of the available potential. Now here is where you have to ask yourself a question: Do you like "over-the-top" performances ala Leonard Bernstein's Mahler, or do you like the level-headedness approach of say a Pierre Boulez? For me the best approach to Mahler is an emotional approach. Mahler was quite a dramatic person, and I feel that a performance must represent who the composer was and what the composer composed. With this performance, you get emotion, and if you stay focused throughout the work, I can't help but suggest you will feel spiritually recharged afterwards which is the very essence of this work. Now buy this CD and take part in a small resurrection of your own.

A wondurous achievement is not an understatement for this performance, nor for this recording either. If you want goosebumps, if you want to feel the emotion of Mahler, if you want a truly classic interpretation of this magnificient work, buy this cd. From one of Levi's last performances with the Atlanta Symphony, it is certainly one, if not the, best I've heard.

Klemperer would admire Levi's deeply felt, noble acount of Resurrection. Had Karajan conducted it, would it sound better than this?

Very few things go wrong here, which is extremely rare in this gigantic work. No vulgar distortion of tempi, Maximum impact of every earth-shattering bang, the sense of awe in the calm, breath taking subtlety in pianissimo, masterfully measured building-up toward the massive climax, and more to discover. Most admirable thing about Levi's interpretation is that everything he does is governed, not by analytical mind, but by emotional and spiritual intensity, unlike so many of our generation of cool conductors whoes music comes, not from heart, but from head.

My only complaint is the stiff solists who sing their part like R.Strauss Opera area towards the end, and too brightly lit sound, but of course that's matter of personal taste.

While the overall performance of this entire work was spectacular, I felt that there were a few places that was just a little too studied. These spots had an uncharacteristic feel of being a bit mechanical and of lacking emotion; something that I found to be unusual for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.

Amazing performance. Yes, there is definitely too rehersed feeling into it but nontheless this is a serious, cautious and heart-felt performance. You can feel that how determined Levi was. Unfortunately, I can't say the same thing about some of his other Mahler recordings, especically M5. Nontheless, this performance is the real deal. When I am playing CD, I can almost see Mahler himself and hear him talking (more of yelling) to me. In short, this is my favorite performance of my favorite piece of music. Give it a try.

I am not really qualified to compare this cd to others with regard to musical interpretation, skill of playing, etc., but I do have a revealing stereo system and it tells me immediately when a recording is well done.

I have Barbirolli's Mahler 9 and Eschenbach's Mahler 2 also, and the sonics of this cd far surpass those. Also, I have about 85 classical cd's purchased in the recent past, from DG to EMI to Sony to Naxos to Philips, and Telarc Digital is far and away the best label I have found for warm, rich, detailed sound. The recent remasters from Philips, DG, et. al. are less digital sounding, so the early cd sound has been corrected, but analog masters appear to not have the fine detail that recent digital recordings have, when done right-- and Telarc gets it right.

I have had high hopes for this one considering the many enthusiastic "reviews" it got, but not so...

I can bring myself to agree with most of the "hoopsalla/gimpsalla" endowed on this recording, and truly, it starts on the right feet (so to speak), the recording begins to show itself as a true mature Telarc with the almost feel that you are witnessing something that is heading to greatness - all is well until you turn to the second CD, to the last two movements.

All of a sudden you become aware that the sound is getting congested, darkened, mechanical, "gestossen", even saturated...

The multi-drum group is not impressive in its attack as it is on other recording (Decca VPO/Mehta- "the Mesada concert" live recording by ISO/Mehta).

There is a problem with the inserted "piu" (more) forces; the choir and the soloists added to the full symphony orchestra.

I have heard that sort of saturation-congestion in live performance where the hall was somewhat too limited

in volume to contain large forces playing at full tilt. This is the case here too.

On the other hand it might be that Telarc microphones could not cope with the multiple signal coming at them from all directions (back-side too where it somehow dictates the size of the hall).

The sound is just un-moving, too closed-in and missing the Grandeur of the score.

Moreover:

The entry of the soprano voice singing pianissimo and "opening it up" so that the voice carries above the choir - and KEEPING IT IN PITCH - is quite a difficult spot for any soprano; Unfortunately at those seconds of sublime importance and spirituality Barbara Bonney does not deliver; Her voice does not punch-in straight into the center of the note so as to hold the PITCH on the pianissimo entry, (the pitch is a bit off when it needs to match the choir pitch; it is not controlled and it is too "thick" - it is not ethereal.

This, totally ruins this sublime moment and it is an indicator of things that from this point on goes down-hill:

The chorus sound become too homogeneous, too glued together, without a sound-stage dimension spread, the choir bass line that should supply the foundations are inaudible. It is as though the choir is standing with their back pressed against the wall behind them, or that they are standing in an alcove and not spread on a balcony high above the orchestra.

One has to turn to the VPO/Mehta for that passage (with the superb pitched Ileana Cortubas - soprano) or to the superb Mesada live concert with yet the best soprano entry line on record carried by Sylvia Greenberg. Greenberg has the most accurate PITCH and possesses a cultured voice capable of carrying a most crystalline passage.

(as a side remark: the two female soloists in the Mesada live concert joins the choir even to the end climax, that of the chorus and the orchestra...a unique experience...)

Farther: the Levi reading of the last two chapters pales in comparison with either of the THREE Mehtha reading (the VPO, The Mesada IPO live concert, the ISO recorded at the Mann auditorium in Tel Aviv).

It all goes to suggest that no matter how good the recording team with their top technology (Telarc) - yet - there is the human factor to consider; the conductor, the orchestra, the choir and the soloists.

No matter that by now Levi recorded almost all of the Mahler symphonies with the Atlanta SY.Orchestra; the recording at hand still does not posses the know-how, the spirituality, the ability to move the listener into a higher domain beyond that of the sonic impression (Telarc).

One just wonder what Levi might achieve in a recording with a WORLD-CLASS ORCHESTRA and with better equipped soloists. And one just know that for a great performance of Mahler the orchestra has to have a Mahler-ian tradition, experience and something called "soul" to bring it to a higher than mediocre plateau evenif it means that the orchestra has to be a European orchestra in a caliber of the Concertgebouw, the Berlin, the VPO, the IPO...

As things are right now; my recommendation would be the Mehta Mesada live concert that has the breath, the excitement, the appreciation of the historic moment and the spirituality.

Sorry, the Telarc effort does not reach the heights expected.

Mahler is one of those composers who for me is difficult to embrace fully.

Keeping the orchestra focused during the marathon length of the full work is a herclean task.

Mahler's works are long, tedious, and full of difficult music to perform.

His Second Symphony in its attempt to mix strictly orchestral playing with choral and solo singing is an intriguing masterpiece that has its flaws.

Combining all of the elements and keeping the pace moving is a difficult task for any conductor.

Levi and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus bring it off about as well as anyone. The playing is exceptional and the ASO chorus ever since its inception under the gifted Robert Shaw has been one of America's foremost singing ensembles. The soloists both have lovely voices and handle the music very well.

If you want a Mahler 2nd Symphony, this is a very good one to have.