Customer Reviews

Mahler: Symphony No. 5

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I have recently acquired this version of Mahler's 5th Symphony conducted by Vaclav Neumann and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra in a technically superb remastering of a 1967 performance. My standard of reference for this work is Chailly, Jansons, Gatti, Zander, Rattle (new EMI) and Bertini. My second tier would include Barbirolli, Bernstein (DG) Abbado, Gielen, Solti and Tilson-Thomas. In my opinion, this recording by Neumann is one of the best there is. This work certainly doesn't stand or fall by the quality of the opening trumpet; there is so much else happening in this symphony, and Neumann has it all under control with chamber-like clarity: a superb 2nd movement, a truly fascinating and slightly mysterious scherzo, warm ambience where needed in the adagietto and gentle triumph in the finale. This is a performance you can listen to over and over again and it's just as good and fresh each time. A real sleeper, given the stiff competition.

[from Classical WETA's Mahler Survey]

In any good performance [of a Mahler Fifth], no matter the sound quality, there should be moments where the symphony takes you by the lapels and forces your concentration for at least moments, if not the duration of the entire work. You'll find plenty of those in Václav Neumann's 1967 recording with the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester. At a wonderfully unsentimental clip Neumann finishes in under 66 minutes and the recording is exemplary for its natural style, colorful woodwinds, and driven passion. The Adagietto (9:40) is uncommonly beautiful and not cloying in the least. A dark horse Fifth-of-Choice. And, if by personal whim, my top choice.

Also available via Berlin Classics.

This is with no doubt one of the true crown's jewels in M5 performances
history. Vaclav Neumann was a great mahlerian and his Gewandhaus concerts
on this composer were authentic revelations. Regarding this Neumann's M5,
i dont care about silly comments on trumpet`s sound and keys and i would
better pay attention to many other things to enjoy in this swift, sharply
focused performance. The opening funeral march may lack a bit of atmosphere
and density, but the turbulent second movement finds the Gewandhaus playing
with surprising and compelling ferocity. The scherzo is excellently paced,
the Adagietto, is perfectly judged and balanced, with a beautiful sound from
the strings. The finale is wonderful and moving, with awesome and powerful orchestral tutti and an unforgettable coda. With no doubt this recording
is among the very best of this symphony and an absolute recommendation.

This bargain CD incarnates a classic recording: Václav Neumann, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, 1967 - Gustav Mahler, Symphony no. 5.

Václav Neumann recorded Mahler's fifth symphony twice (as he also did with the seventh, sixth, and ninth symphonies ). The present edition from Brilliant Classics is yet another incarnation of his 1967 recording, with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig (the same performance is also available from Berlin Classics, in their "Basics" series (see Sym 5). Now Neumann recorded the fifth a second time in 1977, for Supraphon. While that performance also has its merits, it is no match for the present outstanding recording.

First, Neumann's interpretation is of higher voltage in this earlier Leipzig recording. This is especially evident in the adagietto, a beautiful, intense, and flowing performance, which stops at 9.40. But, of course, the other movements are also stunning. Second, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig 1967 is superior to Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in their 1977 incarnation. Third, this recording is technically superior, with its spacious and warm analogue sound, in contrast to the sterile sound Supraphon produced in 1977.

I want to rank the 1967 Neumann among the finest Mahler fifths on record. I think it needs to be rediscovered - as also is the case with his other early Mahler recordings (the seventh and ninth in particular, which are both outstanding).

Strongly recommended!

(NB: the trumpet is NOT out of tune/playing the wrong key, as another reviewer here claims. It is just a case of a less than perfect instrument, typical for the orchestras behind the Iron Curtain during the time of this recording.)

1966: these were still the days of the early pioneers. It's hard to think, now when Peter Fülöp's stupendous and indispensable Mahler Discography lists, as of April 2010, 176 different recordings, DVDs included, that Vaclav Neumann's was only the 6th published recording of the symphony, after those of Walter (1947, Mahler: Symphony No. 5), Scherchen (1953, Westminster, Mahler: Symphony No. 5 in C Sharp Minor), Schwarz (Everest, 1958, Mahler: Symphony No. 5 ~ Schwarz), Bernstein and Leinsdorf (both 1963, Mahler: Symphony No. 5 and Symphony 5). Neumann would later, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, record the complete cycle for Supraphon with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra (Gustav Mahler: Symphonies [Box Set]), and again a near-complete cycle (only the 8th and the adagio of the 10th were missing) with the same orchestra for Canyon Classics in the early 1990s (I've found listings on this website only for 1, 2, 4 & 5). This Mahler 5th was recorded in June 1966 during Neumann's tenure with the Gewandhaus Leipzig Orchestra and originally published by the East German label Eterna. Neumann recorded four Mahler symphonies in that series, 5, 6, 7 (in 1968) and 9 (in 1967). Of these, only 5 and 6 were widely available in the West because Philips licensed them in the 1970s and published them in the form of a 3-LP set; the 5th was also released in the US by Vanguard. It is only in the CD era, when all were reissued by Berlin Classics, that I became aware that Neumann had also done 7 and 9 (links to these other Neumann Mahlers in the comments section). It is that Berlin Classics disc, released in 1993 (Mahler: Symphony No. 5 (250 Jahre Gewandhausorchester Leipzig)) that Brilliant has reissued, "straight": no new remastering, the sound is exactly the same.

I don't suppose there was a great Mahler tradition in East-Germany, or even in Czechoslovakia, at that time, and one can wonder if a conductor shapes his vision only from looking at the score, or also from listening to the earlier recordings. This question was raised, because Neumann adopts tempos that are often very close to Bruno Walter's. His first movement march marches on (he reaches the fast section in 4:44, to Walter's 4:41 - compare to Bernstein's 5:09, and to his 6:15 in Vienna in 1987, Mahler: Symphony No. 5), and doesn't linger on the more brooding moments (the "gehaltener" passages, at 1:04 and 2:41). In that first movement Neumann displays a fine sense of architecture, resisting the temptation to rush the faster section (like Scherchen; Walter was even slower, taking the section in 1:56 to Neumann's 1:38), and his trumpet has fine vehemence, and a great Mahlerian sound, not too brilliant like the trumpets from New York or Boston. But where Walter, through various expressive touches, was able to bring out the music's funeral weight despite his brisk tempo (like double-bass pizzcatti standing out to give the feeling of a burdened march at 1:02, or forbiddingly powerful brass utterances - try the horn at 0:54), Neumann remains clean, but lightweight and slick, and ultimately emotionally detached. His great "klagend" climax at 10:07 is rather weak. Adding, paradoxically, to the impression, are Neumann's comfortable stereo sonics, vs Walter's more boxy ones, but with more direct presence.

All those paramaters work to much better effect in the second movement. The first overriding impression is that of clarity: just try the opening cello and double-bass attack, perfectly focused like Leinsdorf's (but less raging than his), where Bernstein in New York was plain mud, or the violin accompanying arpeggios at 0:32 (comparatively even Leisdorf's sound like sonic slit). Not that the clarity comes at the expense of drive and bite: as in the first movement, the approach is brisk and a carbon copy of Walter's (and so was Leinsdorf's): the opening section is tossed off in 1:19, same as Walter and one second slower than Leinsdorf; Bernstein took it in 1:24 (and 1:23 in Vienna). In accord with his first movement tempi, Neumann (again, exactly like Walter) keeps thing very flowing in the slower sections as well. Other listeners might feel that it lacks depth of expression - I did a few years ago when I first heard this recording -, but I now think that it maitains a fine unity and feeling of urgency. Neumann again displays a fine sense of architecture, and while his slower sections tend to be flowing, he never rushes the faster ones (that is, within a basic tempo that is on the fast side), and clearly favors tempo coherence to the instant thrill of frenzy, which I hold in his favor. One tempo choice which does call attention is his very held-back and even pedestrian take on the return of the Tempo I at the end (at 11:44, measure 520): but Mahler writes "somewhat slower than at the beginning" and a few bars later "do not rush" (an indication which recurs three times) - pesante", so there is no taking exception to the way Neumann does it. My only reservation then is that a slightly too distant sonic pick-up of the brass weakens their (and the movement's) impact and bite, especially in comparison to Leinsdorf, in a very similar approach.

The same Bruno-Walterian values of urgency mark Neumann's Scherzo (first section played in 2:20, to Walter's 2:21 and Bernstein's 2:30), lending it a feeling of juvenile joy verging on over-excitement, like kids on Christmas day discovering the wrapped presents around the Christmas tree (guess when I'm writing this). Neumann's Waltz is (again like Walter's) phrased with simplicity, not trying to overdo and even less mock its naïve charm, which again I hold in his favor, although other listeners may feel that it is under-characterized. But I do feel that these Waltzes are indeed too straight and under-characterized upon their returns at 6:19 and 8:48. Although Neumann takes them nothing near the "molto moderato" indicated by Mahler, it is more a question of phrasing than tempo. Walter isn't slower, but just compare the way the Viennese conductor has the first one (Walter's 5:52) phrased with a discreet and marvelous touch of hesitation in the gait, and how much more "schwungvoll" he has in the second (at 8:25), skidding into a giddiness that eludes Neumann, who remains very civilized. The impact of Neumann's Scherzo is also, again, somewhat lessened by the lack of presence and bite of his woodwinds and brass in some spots. Hear for instance how the woodwinds are devoid of any kind of sarcastic pungency at 0:42 (measure 43), just bland. Furthermore, there is always the feeling that Neumann keeps the proceedings just a touch too controlled, especially in those "wild" moments where I longed for more unleashed frenzy: not Playmobils uder the Christmas tree but bottles of Vodka. It is telling that, while their opening tempo was the same, Neumann should take overall a full minute longer than Walter to get through the movement, and it is not only because his slow sections are slower.

That relative emotional understatement, together with the softness and tenderness of the string tone, work better in the Adagietto - at 9:39, it strikes a middle ground between Walter's (7:42) and Bernstein's (11:00) and comes closest to Scherchen's (9:10). Neumann tops it off with a truly excellent finale, one that is rather leisurely in tempo (overall similar to Levine, Mahler: Symphony No. 5, or Bernstein in Vienna rather than to the more urgent Bernstein in New York, Leinsdorf or Walter) but exudes a true sense of insouciant joy, thanks in part to the clarity and pungency of the woodwinds (whiffs of an imaginary Bohemian countryside perhaps) and the crispness of the strings, and Neumann builds it up expertly to a triumphant coda.

I see that other reviewers rate this recording very highly. So did I, more than thirty years ago, when it was the or one of the first Mahler 5th I heard in the LP days and knew much less than today. And sure, I doesn't betray or distort the composition, in the way Scherchen often does (in his live recordings even more than the one made in the studio for Westminster). Still, there are too many passages in the first three movements that are under-characterized to the point of blandness for this version to be considered a great one, especially in view of all those that have been published since. Even in its days, in a similar approach, Leinsdorf was better.

This Vaclav Neumann's conducting of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, in the times of the Iron Curtain, is a superb swift and intense reading that makes a huge contrast with the heavy conducting of Bernstein's (DG), being both approaches valid and enjoyable in their own way. The analogue sound is warm and very well balanced. This recording was first issued by the label Berlin Classics.

This is a top pick for this symphony for Christophe Huss, top reviewer in Classics Today France that simply says that it is "phenomenal" (http://www.classicstodayfrance.com/features/0401-mahler.asp).

If it is your first time with this symphony, this is clearly your best option and it is a quite valuable addition to your collection, even if you have another eleven recordings of this wonderful masterpiece.

This is a case of the trumpet player not being able to hold the note without it going flat. I have listened to this recording at least 30 to 40 times, hoping that I was wrong. But as one trumpet player to another, "you let it go flat man." (I'm talking to the trumpet player in the Leipzig Orchestra). What gives me the right to criticize? Absolutely nothing, besides the fact that I have been playing trumpet since I was 8 years old, and I am 57 now, My Grandfather was a professional trumpet player, and my Father was a conductor, music director his whole life and he has a double Masters in Music from Vandercook College of Music. His instrument major was, go ahead and guess, that's right, trumpet. He taught me how to read music and play trumpet and I have been involved in music my whole life.
I have been an avid music collector all my life and I have 100's of Mahler symphony recordings from just about every major symphony orchestra from 1935 to present. Out of all of the many recordings I own, I have never, that's never, heard a Mahler 5th Symphony intro played the way the trumpet player in the Leipzig Orchestra played it. It was not his "period instrument" as one reviewer states. And it was not the fact that the trumpet was out of tune. It was a simple case of the trumpet player not being able to hold the note in key for the length of time he was suppose to. He could not do it, so it went flat. And if I am correct, why did the engineers, music producers, orchestra conductor and his associates, and everyone else involved in the mastering and production of this recording have the recording completed without correcting the flat note? It's a simple fix, so why not fix it? OK, I'll tell you why...I am also an audio engineer with 27 years of experience in the professional video, film and audio production business. Probably with a very strict budget, time restraints, and many other problems associated with completing a project like this, I feel they pretty much said, "to heck with it, it's not that bad, just let it go". And now the recording is sitting in your den or music room with a flat note that will basically irritate you, surround you, and ruin the entire symphony recording forever, just because of one wrong, or I should say, FLAT NOTE. Believe me, if you listen to this recording over and over, you will soon find that you cannot stand hearing the remainder of the recording that follows the "on-pitch-to-flat note". Hey, this very well could become a collector's item. Get a copy and see what you think. Everyone has a right to their own opinion, and you just read mine. I have edited this review as of 7/14/2011 and upgraded the 1-star to 2-stars. It does not deserve that but 2 or 3 ignorant people have commented on my review just because of their lack of knowledge, or they can't hear the mistakes in this recording. Those of you that just can't take criticism, here you go, a 2-Star recording instead of a 1-star.

The first 30 seconds of this symphony is what I would definitely call amateurish. The trumpet hits a flat/out-of-tune note where it is a glaringly obvious mistake. The rest of the orchestra playing is good, but this does not change the fact that the minute Symphony No. 5 opens the listener is treated to a trumpet solo of a different key.

I would seek another Symphony No. 5. This one has gone flat.