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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Revelation in Style and Sound,
By
This review is from: Mahler: Symphony No. 1 (Audio CD)
This has been one of my favorite Mahler symphonies ever since my teenage years, when I got an RCA Dynagroove LP of Leinsdorf doing it with the Boston Symphony. (Remember Dynagroove? Remember Leinsdorf?). I've heard many good performance since then, both live and recorded. So I was not prepared to be swept away by MTT's version; I figured it could hardly top Bernstein I and II, among others.
Well, be glad that music doesn't have to be judged like some sort of athletic event. There can be lots of winners, numberless first places. This new reading of Mahler's First doesn't displace Bernstein or Horenstein or whoever, it just adds a new and enormously vital interpretation to the list. Michael Tilson Thomas's performance with the SF Symphony, taken from a series of live performances, might be placed in the "unsentimental" category -- but it's certainly not one of Boulez's bloodless affairs. Rather Thomas has taken a visceral, dynamic approach that seems to reveal Mahler's view of this drama through musical structure itself. The work unfolds naturally, without forcing, but with plenty of expressive power. You can listen to it again and again and still enjoy the narrative's relentless arc. The SF Symphony sounds great, and SACD recording adds tremendous wallop. Not only do strings sound "stringier," horn and clarinet brassier and woodier, etc., but things like bass-drum thwacks and triangles really shock you with their astonishing dynamics and quickness. I haven't had the opportunity yet to hear the multichannel tracks -- my surround equipment is in storage -- but the stereo is terrific.
10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Almost,
By
This review is from: Mahler: Symphony No. 1 (Audio CD)
Michael Tilson Thomas is a phenomenal music director. He inherited the San Francisco Symphony in 1995 and has, since then, turned the band, which was already quite accomplished under Herbert Blomstedt's tutelage, into a world class ensemble in the truest since. Despite its few (but glaring) weakness - bad flutes and violins that tend towards thinness - the San Francisco Symphony boasts consistently fine playing and musically intelligent contributions from the soloists - droll clarinets, boisterous bassoons, a horn section second to none, beautiful lower strings, and rich, big toned lower brass. Listening to this ensemble - an ensemble in the truest sense of the word - is always a joy. But good playing only accounts for so much, and in Mahler, the competition is fierce. Thomas delivers here a very good Mahler 1st that is shy of great entirely because of the annoyingly tiresome rubatto that smothers the performance.
Objectively looking at Michael Tilson Thomas's ongoing Mahler cycle has been increasingly difficult for me mainly because, the more familiar I become with Thomas's conducting style, the more egregious the apparent faults become. Thomas's penchant for rubatto and mannered stylization started off as an interesting, if unnecessary, detail in the 6th and 1st symphonies. It became a bit more problematic in the 3rd. And finally, it became irritatingly obnoxious in the 7th and 5th symphonies. Thomas's insistence on smothering his interpretations with a thick coat of decorative frosting and fussy, mannered detail leaves a fluffy, decadent, at times even saccharine aftertaste which belies the often overwhelmingly high-level of musical nourishment these recordings offer. Indeed, nearly every other musical choice Thomas makes is a good one - it's just a shame he cannot discern between the good and bad. Simply put, the first movement never takes off. Although the opening is rapt with tension, Thomas's tempo is just a bit too slow, which causes the tension to snag by the entrance of the allegro proper, which receives a somewhat faceless reading. True, this is not the unbridled frenzy of the 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th symphonies' opening allegros, but so much of the energy and rustic charm of this music is conspicuously absent in Thomas's micro-managing hands. The orchestral sound has been polished to excesses, delivering opulence at the expense of musical character and a true idiomatic Mahler sound. The exposition comes off well enough (repeat observed) but the development section is just painfully slow, dragging where it should flow. It's really not until the climactic fanfare and coda that there seems to be any urgency or energy, but even then the brass sounds underplayed and the orchestra seems stubbornly in check by Thomas. The scherzo, however, is spectacular. Thomas really has a handle on Mahler's scherzo movements, for nearly all the scherzos throughout the cycle (perhaps with the exception of the 3rd) have been uniformly spectacular. Right away, things just seem right as the lower strings don't just dig into their parts, they attack the music with vigorous rustic energy. The winds of the symphony have never sounded more characterful than they do here, delivering some really magical solo and ensemble moments. The violins contribute greatly as well, reaching vertiginous heights in the dizzying transitional passages. Brass blazes, horns shine, and the whole proceeding has an infectious energy. The trio is excellently paced, framed within the context of the music like the picturesque dance that it is. The return of the scherzo features some thrilling horn work that leads to a particularly exhilarating close. The third movement goes well enough despite some atrocious flute playing. The various klezmer episodes are appropriately sleazy without sounding vulgar and the march is fittingly mordant and idiomatic. Which makes the Wunderhorn episode all the more wonderful, here receiving a lovely, sensitive reading. The finale opens with tremendous energy, immediately building tension. The strings clearly articulate their parts, the brass is ominous without becoming gratuitous, and the heavy presence from the percussion adds to the vehemence of this music. Although Bernstein (either on Sony or DG) growls a bit more as the music transitions into the doleful second subject, Thomas has more than enough of a bite to sustain tension. The second subject features wonderful string playing and (as typical with Thomas) predictable moments of heavy mannered rubbato, but this music can sustain a heavier interpretive hand much more so than late-Mahler and, thus, comes across well enough. The vehement return of the opening music is quite frightening, due in large part to the wonderfully present percussive effects that really rattle the bones. The fanfares in major and subsequent cadence are appropriately bombastic without becoming over-the-top featuring some wonderful playing from the brass. The nostalgic reappearance of the music of the first movement is pastoral and well paced, interrupted by spectacularly full-bodied viola playing and some prickly sounding strings. The coda blazes in with the necessary pomp and circumstance, a bit on the slow side as Thomas predictably milks this triumphant music for all it is worth, but again, this music can sustain the heavy, mannered touch. A huge drum roll brings the symphony to an appropriate close. On a side note, I think it is important to discuss the nature of the sound of the San Francisco Symphony in these recordings. The winds are quite lively, playful, and at times even coquettish. The brass is rich, powerful, but never overbearing. The percussion, while excellent as a section, has never been captured faithfully by the engineers - only in forte does the timpani cut through the texture with any real acuity. The strings are rich, plush and bright. Again, the orchestra itself really is something, and, as far as orchestral perfection goes, the San Francisco Symphony delivers a near perfect performance, despite its bright sheen. Overall, Michael Tilson Thomas is quite well versed in Mahler and there is, despite all the shortcomings, a profundity of incite here. The playing is top notch, the contributions from the soloists are wonderful, and many of Thomas choices are good. However, his insistence on micro-managing every aspect of the score prevents his orchestra from creating a true idiomatic Mahler sound. The first movement never really takes off and thus, the tension falls flat, Thomas's tight grip keeping the orchestra stubbornly earthbound. And while the march and scherzo especially are quite exciting, the finale, as good as it is, still doesn't quite reach the heights of the competition - Bernstein and Kubelik being the front-runners. It is frustrating, really, when everything is perfect on paper but fails in reality. There is something missing in this performance. Perhaps Thomas needs to learn how to let go when the music demands explosive energy rather than preventing his orchestra from building the energy necessary for this music's success. Frustrating.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best Mahler First Symphony ...,
By Pater Ecstaticus (Norway) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Mahler: Symphony No. 1 (Audio CD)
... along with maybe Chailly and the Royal Concergebouw Orchestra (Decca). But possibly, this performance is even better. Anyhow, ensemble of playing is simply INCREDIBLE here (as in the whole of this SFSO/Michael Tilson Thomas Mahler Cycle actually), this conductor completely in charge of every detail and nuance, making this Mahler First sound very much alive and fresh. The recorded sound-stage is wide and very natural, with plenty of 'air' around the instruments (I am only able to listen to this CD in two channel stereo format, but it all does sound great).
About the individual movements. The first movement starts out atmospheric and fresh, with crisp fanfares. The whole movement is charged with youthful energy and has a nice 'spring' to it. The floodgates are really opened at the very end with one of the most exultantly energetic perorations one ever heard! The country dance of the second movement is beautifully and powerfully characterized; with nice slides here and there, enhancing the jauntines. Brass is appropriately piercing here as well (as everywhere). In the trio, Mr. Tilson Thomas makes wonderfully tasteful use of rubato. Everything is delightfully characterized. Just savor the beauty of the delightful descending string figure at the very end of the trio, just before the horn again picks up the main theme of the scherzo ... In the third movement, the there is a beautiful characterization of the original klezmer-dance influences in the 'village band episode': exquisitely tasteful use of slides and rubato here as well! This music really dances along here, with flowing legato lines, but with an appropriate amount of nostalgia and melancholy as well. The quotation from the last of the Songs of a Wayfarer ('Die Zwei Blauen Augen', at the moment where the hero lies down under the linden tree and for the first time finds rest of the soul ...) is as perfectly characterized as can be, Mahler indicating it should be played 'sehr einfach und sehr schlicht wie eine Volksweise' ('Very simple and very slight like a folktune'): exactly as is done here ... The final movement comes crashing in strongly, really sounding like the 'outcry of a wounded heart' Mahler describes, setting the tone for the ensuing row of fierce battles against Fate. The first chorale is ardent and full of hope, leading to a truly astoundingly beautifully played moment of reflection and repose at 'Sehr langsam' ('Very slow'), with beautifully characterized 'free' flute figures (anticipating the later Mahler)! After this, there is an energetic build-up towards the final triumphant chorale, Mr. Tilson Thomas whipping up every possible ounce of strength from the orchestra, while staying in complete charge over the proceedings. All in all, to me, this recording has the best of all possible worlds: extreme beauty of playing, freshness and truthfulness of vision, and a conductor who keeps tight rein on all of the orchestral forces. Like so many of Tilson Thomas' new San Francisco Symphony Mahler recordings - and (up to now) especially the Sixth, Seventh and Ninth Symphony - the beauty and crispness of playing combined with intelligent and stylish conducting never ceases to amaze me! Truly invigorating! IMHO, this truly is THE one Mahler First Symphony to own (beside just a few others)!
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