Customer Reviews

Mahler: Symphony No. 1

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This, Leonard Bernstein's second official recording of Mahler's witty First Symphony, has often been called a reference edition by many, but I've always thought that the whole was better than the sum of its parts. The first and fourth movements as performed here are indeed tremendous. In the former, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (exquisite all throughout) help bring Mahler's burgeoning spring to vivid life, and its conclusion is powerfully joyful. In the latter, Bernstein lets rip with his typically acute sense of drama, with every expressive nuance conveyed, and the coda never fails to exhilarate.

That may be enough for some listeners to agree with the hype surrounding this recording. Still, for me, the inner movements have always been problematic, interpretation-wise. I've never been convinced by Bernstein's reading of the second movement Landler, just too slow and heavy-footed for my taste. And as for the third movement... This is one of Mahler's wittiest creations, a parodistic funeral march to the tune of "Frere Jacques," with elements of a Jewish cafe band thrown into the mix, as well as a beautiful pastoral section in the middle of it all. In this performance, Bernstein decides on an opening tempo for this movement that hardly suggests a funeral march at all, and while I recognize his attempt to accentuate the parody element that Mahler calls for, the fast tempo kinda destroys what is so witty and delightful about the movement in the first place. Other readings---Kubelik's, for example, in his 1968 DG recording---are more subtle with the humor of this third movement, and thus much closer to Mahler's intentions.

Ok, so the second & third movements don't quite convince---but since the performances of the first & fourth movements here are so good, I think this oft-acclaimed Bernstein reading of Mahler's First Symphony is worthy of the four stars I'm giving it here. I still find it uneven, but even the unsuccessful elements are not necessarily without reason. Maybe you just have to get used to them.

Bernstein's recording of Mahler's 1st and most easily-accessible symphony is one of the best recordings available today. Though Bernstein was in the twilight of his career, especially with idiyosyncratic performances of core works, his affinity with this symphony shines perfectly here. This time he has the charges of the Concertgebouw Orchestra, who play as if they have the music in their blood, having recorded this work twice with Haitink for Philips during the stereo era, and the DG recording is excellent on every level, with every minute detail keenly captured and a sense of atmosphere well-felt.

From the first bars of Wagnerian spaciousness, one is totally spellbound by the music-making. Bernstein cunjores up the atmosphere of an early morning in natural surroundings, with far-off fanfares and bird-calls well-brought out. The tempo quickens with the sonata-form allegro section, which is extremely sunny, and depicts the wayferer's early-morning walk well. The Scherzo sounds extremely rustic, and the landler middle section sounds neatly charming. The gaitey of the first two movements are abruptly halted by the third movement, which has never sounded more menacing or foreboding, and the funerial march parody is enough to shock many a liatener at the world-premiere. But in the finale, Bernstein really lets all hell break loose for the stormy, fierce, tempestuous primary theme, but makes the secondary theme wildy romantic. The frission-raising coda crowns the performance, and a hair-raising performance of this work at the same time

Overall, if there was one CD of Mahler's 1st symphony that you should buy, this should be a clear first-choice. It deserves more than the customary three stars from the Penguin Guide, but a Rosette as well.

This is one of the finest recordings I own of Mahler's first symphony; not only is the sound quality superb, but the performance itself is simply stunning. Bernstein leads the Concertgebouw Orchestra in an exhilirating performance of Mahler's most accessible symphony. I am simply amazed by the brilliant warm playing from the Concertgebouw's string, wind and horn sections, though the brass sound terrific too. Critics contend that Bernstein's conducting was "mannered" towards the end of the career, but with respect to Mahler, Bernstein always followed his instructions with absolute fidelity. Hence, this performance more closely adheres to Mahler's intentions for the score than many other celebrated accounts. The sound is enhanced by the warm, atmospheric accoustics of the Concertgebouw Hall, and is as vivid as any studio recording. Those in search of a definitive performance of Mahler's 1st Symphony should look no further.

Almost universally accepted as one of the great Mahler recordings of all time, Leonard Bernstein's mid-1980s recording of the Mahler 1st Symphony (known quite rightly as the "Titan") with the world-famous Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam is a prime example of Bernstein at his best late in life. The eerie, sustained strings that open this piece, depicting dawn as it had never quite been depicted before in music, give us a taste for how big in size and scope this work is. The celebrated rustic scherzo, as big as anything Bruckner came up with, follows. And then we get into the very darkest recesses of the symphony with the notorious D-minor Funeral March, with its ominous double-bass and timpani motif, a distortion of "Frere Jacques."

It is in the final movement, however, that Bernstein and the Concertgebouw Orchestra let it really explode. Granted, this is a live recording, but that crashing cymbal chord at the beginning is still one of the most shocking moments in history, as it leads into a musical movement that many liken to a blazing firestorm and a final chorale sounding very much like Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus." Bernstein gives us 56 minutes of high-tension music-making with a composer that was always close to his heart; and he gets incredible help from what is perhaps the most Mahler-friendly orchestra in the world. Strongly recommended for Mahler fans, of course, but it is not to be missed by the casual music lover either.

This is simply a wonderful CD. The piece is complex, stormy, and long, but Bernstein's conducting makes it unequivocally powerful, balanced, and elegant. Perhaps I have a limited imagination, but it is difficult to conceive that there could be a better recording of this anywhere in the world. The music is nuanced and powerful, the sound quality is superb, and even the liner notes are great. A must-have!

Simply put, this is the best recording of Mahler's First available. I've seen a lot of praise for this recording, and some others who are rather critical of Bernstein's approach. My response to the criticism is to ignore it. This is Bernstein conducting the Concertgebouw performing Mahler. There is no greater combination. The first movement under Bernstein is absolutely riveting from the first bar to the last. The strings sound absolutely mystical, and the sharp attack they achieve in the build-up to the climax is breathtaking. There is so much energy here it is unreal. The second movement, with its leisurely pace, is wonderful in its display of all the colors Mahler uses in his score. The woodwinds especially come through well, and the lower strings have a real heft to them. The third movement also swaggers in a macabre way, as Bernstein's pace is a bit quicker than most. Still, it is a haunting performance and leads magnificently into the finale. And what a finale it is. The fourth movement under Bernstein is electrifying. Again, there so much energy on display here that one can readily visualize the contorted, orgasmic look on Bernstein's face as he conducted it. The bass drum in this recording has an earth-shattering impact, and the finale will blow you out of the room. The final bass drum strike, Bernstein's own addition to the score, gives the last bar a finality like no other. How could one expect an encore after such a performance? Some other versions may be a tad more transparent in the details (Chailly, Boulez, Tilson Thomas) but none can match the manic energy of the great maestro, and in my opinion that is what Mahler's music demands above all else.

When I first purchased this recording four years ago, I was simply amazed at its intensity. One thing that this performance does not lack is drive. If one wishes to purchase a performance of Mahler's 1st for an adreneline rush, then this is the recording. However, it is not without flaws. In the 1st movement, the strings are simply not bright enough. Overall, this seems to be a major difference in the conducting of Berstein in the 50s and 60s and his conducting in the 80s and early 90s before his death. In his later years, he seemed to focus on the brass at the expense of the strings. This may be due in part to recording differences between Sony (formerly CBS)and DG. Nevertheless, the strings, which should play a predominate role in the 1st movement, seem too restrained, especially when compared to performances by Abbado and Tennstedt. The 2nd and 3rd movements are unremarkable. For a 3rd movement with irony and wit, one should turn to Kubelik's performance. The 4th movement is as much Berstein's as it is Mahler's. This can be both good and bad. When I first heard this CD, I fell in love with this movement. It is large and exciting, bombastic and exhilirating. Yet, looking back, it is hard to ignore the ritards that Berstein puts into several sections of the beginning of the 4th movement and the accelerando that he adds to the end. It is true that this is characteristic of Berstein. However, Abbado with the Berlin Philharmonic is able to bring about a sense of excitement in this movement without massively altering the score. Therefore, although this is a truly exciting recording, I cannot give it the highest endorsement.

It's hard to sit here and contemplate as to why this recording is the best there is of the Mahler's First Symphony. The funeral march (the third movement) displays an incredible orchestra. The basses and clarinet are superb in this movement. The final movement is just down right incredible. There is so much power and pent up energy in the orchestra and Bernstein lets them get it all out. He drives the tempo in this movement and forces the orchestra to give everything they have got. At the end of the symphony, if you've paid attention and listened and allowed yourself to be moved, you'll be in one of two states. You'll either be crying or you'll be leaping out of your chair yelling "Yes! Yes! Bravo! "

While I am not claiming that this is the sole best version of Mahler's first in the catalogue, at least I don't think there are many equally satisfying accounts, not even the conductor's earlier version. At least this one scores many points by having the most wonderful first movement I have heard. It opens atmospherically, with distant calls and fanfares sounding from a distance over a dreamlike, misty landscape. From there on the music is never overly sentimental, but full of detail and a wide expressive range; without any feeling of discontinuity it changes from the innocent to the ominous - the beginning of the development section is particularly effective, and it builds to a powerful climax, driving the movement home with all the electricity and momentum one could hope for.

The Scherzo is good, somewhat slower and with a little more punch than on most recordings. Some listeners may object to Bernstein's handling of the trio (I have seen commentators claim that he is overdoing it by far); it is, indeed, idiosyncratic in the sense that Bernstein really stamps his own personality on the music, but I found it overall convincing. The third movement is quite brisk, perhaps a little too brisk for some, but it is nevertheless strangely effective (I see people disagree here as well, however).

The fourth movement is riveting, however, and played with an urgency, surge and smoldering power that have few or no equals. The second theme is beautifully delivered nonetheless (with the transition from the stormy opening to the relative serenity of the second theme sounding surprisingly natural). The subsequent memories of the opening movement are wonderfully handled, the following climax is heaven-storming and the coda is gorgeous. Now, there may be equally convincing approaches to this work out there, but Bernstein also has the Concertgebouw at hand, and it isn't for nothing that a recent Gramophone feature placed them at the very top among the world's orchestras. The playing is simply stunning throughout and the sound is excellent. Recommended with all possible enthusiasm.

Sometimes the later Bernstein significantly revised the ideas of the earlier Bernstein, but this isn't the case here. Bernstein recorded the Mahler First early on in his NY cycle. His 1960 version, coupled with a magnficient 1975 reading of the Adagio from the Tenth Sym., is virtually identical to the later live performance with the Concertgebouw released by DG in 1989.

In both cases the first movement is fairly deliberate--it slows down by over a minute in Amsterdam--and the nature painting of the hushed forest is enchantingly done. In its delicacy and musicalaity this could be the best movement in both interpretations. Contrary to some reviewers here, there is little exagerration or over-emphasis. The NY Phil. plays beautifully but without that special European stylishness which the Concertgebouw demonstrates. The later Bernstein also took more care to make the solo birdcalls and other nature sounds be more distinct.

In both readings the second movement is slow, deliberate, and heavy--a clog dance stamping on the earth--and Bernstein slows down even further for the trio sections. The third movement, with its parody of Frere Jacques as a funeral march, is not as satiric in either performance as one might anticipate. Certianly it isn't mannered in any way. Bernstein doesn't comically underline the Jewishness of the band which accompanies the dead to his grave (this movement was inspired by a comic engraving of forest animals acting as a solemn funeral procession for a fallen hunter). In both readings the last movmenet is a cosmic explosion, all stops out. It is as recklessly exciting as anything Bernstien ever found in Mahler. Perhaps the Concertgebouw is more unleashed, but it's close.

Reviewers have commented on the excellent digital sound of the DG release, which is true, but in 1960 CBS also gave Bernstein large-scale sound with great detail and imapct. Anyone will recognize these readings as extremely dramatic and committed, though not pushed and pulled around. The fact that the NY version contains such a powerfullly tragic reading of the Mahler Tenth Adagio, and comes at mid-price, may sway a buying decision in its favor. Otherwise, I found little to choose between them.