Customer Reviews

Mahler: Symphony No. 7

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

 

 

No doubt about it, this is one of the finest Sevenths ever recorded. At no point does it feel like the conductor is simply letting the music go off on its own. Every single phrase has a purpose and is executed with intent. The playing is of course, faboulous. Don't miss out on this one.

Who would have thought that Michael Tilson Thomas and the London Symphony orchestra would produce the best digital recording of Gustav Mahler's difficult 7th symphony. But indeed, MTT has given us here a recording that will stand the test of time.

Mahler's 7th symphony is a difficult work to perform, conduct, and understand. Its length of nearly eighty minutes, the huge orchestral forces needed to carry out the work, and the complexity of the writing all have contributed to this symphony being the least performed and understood of all of Mahler's works. But it need not be. The general move from the E-minor introduction to one of Mahler's brightest finale's in C-major is very striking. The two night pieces, one dark, one light, offer beautiful pastoral sketches of the austrian country side. The menacing scherzo, although difficult, acts as a mysterious vision into the future. The symphony is filled with rich themes and Mahler's most brilliant and inspired orchestration. All in all, the 7th need not be the misunderstood work that it is. It has all of Mahler's hallmarks - rich themes, large climaxes, complex, but logical forms - but seems more modern and enigmatic than his other works.

MTT handles this complex work masterfully. He allows the opening motif on tenor horn to unfold naturally, flowing into the main theme of the allegro. The allegro is wonderfully paced, especially the developmental interludes, which unfurl themselves mysteriously in MTT's hands. The two night pieces are wonderfully played; MTT brings out all the nuances in part writing. The scherzo, the only movement that gives MTT some trouble, is still played convincingly. The finale is powerful, grand, and executed with acute articulation and intelligence. The percussion is lively, the winds crisp, the brass well balanced, and the strings richly thick. Overall, Michael Tilson Thomas gives an extremely intellectual, yet extremely dramatic and pleasing reading of this symphony. Highly recommend. This version is preferable to MTT's recent, disappointing rendition with the San Francisco Symphony which pales in comparison.

This is an excellent performance of Mahler's problematic symphony 7. In fact, Tilson Thomas leads with such forward moving cohesiveness and focus that the problems disappear!

Many conductors have problems integrating the varied movements, producing a 'Concerto for Orchestra' feeling that is episodically rewarding, but no more. Through judicial use of tempo, which Tilson Thomas has really shown himself a master of in Mahler, and mood, the evocative parts become a real whole, and the peformance succeeds in an argument for this as a fully accomplished Mahler work. Technically, the playing is supremely polished and expressive, and the recording is superb, one of the better digital orchestra recordings available. This is as good in conception as the Bernstein Mahler 7 recordings, and better in terms of sound and playing quality. Strongly recommended!

I've heard them all, from Klemperer, Neumann, Abbado and Solti, to Maazel, Inbal, Horenstien, Levine and Boulez. This is excellent. Thomas has brought some real virtuosity and depth to this rendition almost to make one believe that this was recorded at a concert. There is such electricity and passion here but it's conveyed in all the right places, and especially at the right times. The depth of the instrumentation is also very well realized here thanks to the excellent Walthamstow acoustic and the work of BMG engineer Markus Heiland. This is a great, aural opportunity to get to know this symphony and possibly the best recorded 7th in the catalog today!

Perhaps the least loved of Mahler's symphonies, the Seventh gets a fine treatment here from MTT and the London Symphony. While not electrifying or especially dramatic, I find the performace compelling in its simplicity and execution.

The first movement is stately in a way I've not often heard, emphasizing the march-like qualities of the opening rather than creepiness of the strings and tenor horn. (By the by, this is the best tenor horn solo on record. Ian Bousfield plays with a crystal-clear sound that brilliantly invokes the unusual timbre that Mahler wanted.)

As one would expect from the LSO, the middle movements are achievements of craftsmanship, executed in exquisite detail without the overt melancholy that pervades some recordings--which is not to say that the performance is merely perfunctory.

The final movement--almost incongruous with the balance of the symphony in its triumph and cheerfulness--is paced slower than one might expect (especially if you first heard this symphony as I did a la Solti or Levine with Chicago), but I rather like it. The otherwise superb playing is marred somewhat here by poor balance in the brass section toward the end.

While the Horenstein recording is more invigorating, I cannot in good conscience recommend that recording--mainly because the trumpet player misses notes in the fanfare-like opening to the final movement. MTT has done a fine job presenting a coherent, high-quality program with the skillful playing of the London Symphony.

I recommend this recording to anyone who has doubts about Mahler's Seventh. I had my doubts when I heard that it was one of his most controversial works. However, I was more than pleasantly surprised when I first listened to it. I have to admit that I don't care for the middle movements too much, but the first and last movements are incredible. The tenor horn solo is astounding in the first movement and the performer's sound is wonderful. The recording seems to have almost a perfect balance of sound throughout. The last movement is performed with fire and the result is an exciting and joyous conclusion to a wonderful work. I am a big fan of the LSO brass section and they perform with incredible virtuosity in this recording, especially in the finale. When the brass first comes in during the finale, the fullness of sound is pleasing to the ears for any brass player. The french horn section is phenomenal and they pull off the many difficult lines with incredible fire in their playing. For any Mahler fan, this is a must buy.

Even the most ardent devotees of the luxuriously complex music of Gustav Mahler have tended to avoid the Symphony No 7, probably it is so rarely performed. It is long, it can seem unruly, it wanders. But up pops Michael Tilson Thomas with this spaciously recorded performance by the London Symphony Orchestra and the symphony becomes utterly mesmerizing. String lines emerge from brass choirs radiantly, the solos are integral to the fabric, the overall concept is so thoroughly developed that this symphony takes its rightful place in the solid realm of Mahler's output. An extraordinary achievement - technically, sonically, but most important, spiritually. Give in to it!

Yes, Tilson Thomas. Yes, the LSO. A massive undertaking... taking what is perhaps Mahler's most unappreciated work, and transforming it into a dystopian odyssey. The LSO does their finest recorded work here: emotive, responsive, loud when required and holding back when necessary. This recording is nothing less than sublime.

I recently purchased and listened to the Michael Tilson-Thomas Mahler 7th with the London Symphony Orchestra on RCA. I very much looked forward to hearing this performance based on reviews and comments made on this newsgroup, and also because of his exceptionally fine Ives 1st and 4th Symphonies with the CSO. Regretfully, I'm very sad to report that I found this CD, overall, to be unacceptable. I will keep it mostly as an intellectual curiosity and an example of how I think an orchestra should not be recorded.

I don't have many recordings of the 7th. I grew up with the 1971 Solti/CSO on Decca/London. Recently, I added the Masur/Gewandhaus on Brilliant Classics (rapidly proving itself to be the Mahler Best Buy of the century with fine performances, IMHO, of the 3rd, 7th, 8th, and 9th. I haven't listened to the rest so far).

Back to the MTT 7th. First, the sound is definitely not to my liking. It could either be the hall or the engineering but at times the frequency response sounded too bright in the upper midrange. But much worse is the microphone placement seems to be very far away from the stage. The effect of this is to greatly reduce the volume of the strings, which are already overwhelmed too much of the time by an excessively loud brass section. The overall effect is to make this symphony sound like a large brass & percussion ensemble with strings and winds added as an afterthought. The inferior sound is almost enough in itself to reject the performance.

The orchestra itself is okay; although, at times the brass are asked to play so loudly that their tone becomes harsh, especially the trombones. The percussion at times is too dominant, noisy, and unattractive (for example excessive, to the point of distraction, clanging cow bells). The string sound is thin but this is probably due to the mix. A times the orchestra does play 'spectacularly', perhaps too much so.

The interpretation is a mixed bag, while some of MTT's ideas are at least interesting, elsewhere, there are passages that I strongly dislike. The middle three movements work best for me, especially the 4th movement. The first movement often too fast or too slow for my tastes. On the positive side the critical quiet portion of the development section in the 1st movement (I don't have a score so I can't tell you exactly where) is handled very well, as is a similar section in the 4th movement.

Perhaps one summary I can think of is this is a performance of 'great moments in sound'. The effect is episodic. The overall arc and momentum are too often lost.

Tony Duggan compares this interpretation to the Bernstein. Regretfully (or maybe not?), I have heard none of Bernstein's Mahler, but this MTT interpretation reminds me of what I sometimes dislike about Bernstein's interpretations. For me Bernstein sometimes engaged in what I find are very distracting and exaggerated interpretations. Bernstein wants to make certain we hear what he thinks is most interesting in the music at any given time. Individual parts are over-emphasized, in a sense telegraphed. Tempi are exaggerated to call attention to passages that are of especial importance. At times I almost wish I could say "I get it!. You don't have to shout."

I find in the MTT M7, too many of the special effects in the orchestration are overemphasized often to the detriment of the balance and detail. Tempi are sometimes greatly exaggerated. The final movement suffers badly from this. Instead of being either triumphal and celebratory or light-hearted and fun, the MTT becomes loud, harsh, and at times heavy and ponderous. Tempi are so slow at times that the momentum of the music is lost.

Regarding the Solti and the Masur, overall I find the Masur more satisfying, especially in the 2nd and 4th movements. The engineering on the Solti uses a lot of spot miking. This allows the brass to blast away and still be able to hear what some of the strings are doing, but the balance just isn't right and it becomes too much after a while. If you like your Mahler on steroids, the Solti is great. The CSO brass section is amazing, but IMHO the Gewandhaus overall is the better orchestra, especially the strings (which ARE a critical element of this work; although, you might not realize this at times while listening to the MTT interpretation).

While the Solti is too closely miked and the MTT far too distant for my tastes, the Masur is just right. The orchestral balance is wonderful and the strings are clear, rich, and deep. Masur uses overall faster tempi than Solti and MTT, and I think the work benefits from this (but thankfully nowhere as fast as what Boulez sometimes uses which is WAY too fast).

In summary, this MTT M7 is a major disappointment. Extending my Solti and steroids analogy, this performance is like Mahler on angel dust (unpredictable and dangerous to the enjoyment of the music) -grin-. The Masur is like a very fine glass of Rhine wine with a nice body, complex, well-balanced, and a very nice finish. -grin-

Some people find the Mahler 7th as the weakest of the group. I very much disagree with this, but I wonder what MTT thinks. It's almost as if he might believe the music needs vitamin B12 shots or protein drinks to build it up. -grin- I think Mahler knew what he was doing. It may not be his most inspired work, but there is a great deal to enjoy and admire, particularly with repeated listenings. I believe the 7th was the first work of Mahler's that convinced Schoenberg of Mahler's greatness. I don't think Mahler needs MTT's 'help'. Let the music speak for itself without having a running interpretive commentary that needs to point the 'special' features of the music.

If the Bernstein interpretations of Mahler are like this MTT interpretation, I'm glad I have never heard one. Sorry to be so negative, and for my ranting and raving, but this approach to the M7 came as a major shock and disappointment. I hope the rest of MTT's Mahler isn't like this one.

Pleaese feel free to disagree. I won't mind. -smile- I realize that many people think this performance is absolutely fantastic.

George

When I first started listening to this recording, I thought maybe something was amiss in my system, as there seemed to be a quite noticeable channel imbalance, with the sound shifted too much to the right speaker. I checked my settings, but the sound still did not seem correct. I then put on the Levi recording, and the orchestra seemed properly spread from side to side. Ditto for the Boulez recording. This is a strange phenomenon, and I have never heard anything quite like it. I would be interested to hear whether others who have auditioned this recording have noticed anything similar about the channel balance.

Balance questions aside, this is a fine recording. The sound is certainly full-range, with a strong bottom end. At times, the bottom seemed almost too strong, but it was never overbearing. I never got quite the sense of sonic realism that I do from the Levi (Telarc) or Boulez (DG), but except for the rather odd sonic perspective (often shifted too far toward one channel -- the right), I thought the sound served the music well. Tilson Thomas seems to have an affinity for this music, and the orchestra plays with great vigor. Although the Boulez remains my first choice for this work, this new RCA disk is worth checking out by Mahler fans.