Customer Reviews

Mahler: Symphony No.7 ~ Abbado

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This outstanding new Mahler 7th is a testament not only to the piece itself - one of the most difficult of Mahler's symphonies to bring off - but to one of our greatest living conductors. Abbado's earlier version with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was excellent, but this live recording is really very special. From the opening measures of the sober march, to the riotously exciting pages of the finale, the performance seems to cohere in a way that lesser conductors can only imagine.

In between, Abbado directs possibly the spookiest sounding "Scherzo" I have ever heard, sharply articulating the bizarre sound effects, and the two shorter "Nachtmusik" sections are lovely. The final "Rondo," however is the section that I will replay most often. Somehow this movement never quite seems to be the climactic ending that it should be, but not with Abbado. As in the rest of the symphony, he takes it at quite a clip; perhaps for this particular work, faster is better. And "fast" only begins to describe the richness on display. This is utterly thrilling music - as wild and Mahlerian as it gets - and the ending is capped by a long ovation from an obviously enthralled audience.

With the Berlin Philharmonic in cracking form, this is a magnificent document and a superb example of live recording at its best.

In my opinion, this is the pick of the lot among the latest series of live Mahler performances (the other two being the 3rd and 9th, both of which I find to be distinctly underwhelming, the 9th more so, compared to the best) by Abbado and the Berlin Phil. Here, Abbado's effectiveness in bringing out voicings and textures, together with his sensitivity to the Wunderhorn qualities of this music, impart both a lyric grace and beauty to the two Nachmusik movements, and a spiky spookiness to the Scherzo, that make both Bernstein-Sony and Solti sound rather plain by comparison. Moreover, Abbado also surpasses both of them in achieving a grandeur in the closing pages of the final movement, which, to me, renders it a truer climax for the whole work. The only criticisms of this recording I would make is that the epic first movement in Abbado's hands just sort of lays there, lacking either Bernstein's emotional intensity or Solti's muscular rhythmic drive, and the recording is somewhat lacking by current standards in both dynamic range and upper octave extension. Nevertheless, this is one of the best performances I have heard on CD.

Listeners have for some time been told that the 7th is Mahler's toughest nut to crack, that conductors bravely recording their way through their cycle of Mahler symphonies seem to always founder when confronted with this score. And indeed, I can think of a few outings that were less than stellar.

Fortunate for us, then, that the Mahler 7th has evolved into something of an Abbado specialty. His earlier recording with the Chicago Symphony has been a catalog mainstay for years, and still sounds quite well. So, what is there to say anew in this 2001 live performance with the Berlin Philharmonic? As luck would have it, plenty. This is simply one of the most brilliant, incisive, thrusting, and supremely artful performances of a Mahler symphony that I've ever heard.

Pacing is a bit on the brisk side. From the opening string figures, tenor horn solo, and wind accents, it's quite evident that Abbado is building momentum. And, it's achieved without any neglect of any of the ur-Mahlerian color and instrumental effects that lend his music the ability to conjure nightmare and ecstasy in the same phrase. The second and fourth movement Nachtmusik interludes are completely magical, with time standing still one minute--trademark cowbells and distant solo voices at their spookiest--and then twirling forward in gossamer fashion. Guitar and mandolin in the fourth movement "andante amoroso" are splendidly caught, enhancing the chamber-like moment.

The fifth movement "rondo finale" soon arrives, generously recapitulating all that has gone before. Here, as they have indeed in each preceding movement, Abbado and the Berliners emphasize the classic symphonic structure that lies just below Mahler's rich late-romantic palette. One senses the spectre of Karajan in the Berlin orchestra's commitment to presenting the musical architecture with characteristic vigor, but it is enhanced by a mercurial quality, an ingredient with which Abbado seems to imbue almost every live recording--not only with this orchestra, but others (his recent outings with the reconstituted Lucerne Festival Orchestra come strongly to mind). It truly is a musical magic spell that has been woven here, with Abbado's wand deftly applied to this, Mahler's most magical score.

No matter whose Mahler 7th you're personally devoted to, you really need to hear this.

I hardly thought I would love the 7th as much as I had loved Mahler's other symphonies such as 5th or 9th. Recently, however, it has become my very favorite. I am now fascinated by its exotic micro-cosmos, colorful sonic spectrum and exotic instrumentation. I am enchanted by its dreamy qualities, nightmarishness and all. Most of all, it's an immensely entertaining piece of music that never shoves any sort of purposefulness in your face. As of now this is my most favorite of all Mahler symphonies.

The three recordings I've been enjoying recently are Abbado's with Berlin Phil, Chailly's for Decca, and Bernstein's DG recording.

The most distinct quality of Abbado's is the dark, veiled sonority of the Berlin Phil. It conveys the mysteriousness that is so characteristic of this piece. As far as the interpretation goes, Abbado doesn't linger on very much. But he does conjure up all the nuances in the music through exquisite phrasing and subtle rubati. The details have been illuminated with utmost craftsmanship but Abbado never loses sight of the representative mood of each movement. However, I would say the unique orchestral color is the main attraction here more so than the interpretative decisions.

The one word that might summarize Chailly's version is detachment - and that's not necessarily a bad thing for this music. His rendition sounds as if you are looking at a series of surreal events from a distance. You're not the person who is dreaming all these bizarre moments. Instead you're watching someone who is. A part of it may be due to the fairly far-mic'ed recording. But it's also because of Chailly's choices in phrasing and tempi. You won't find any trace of rhetorical gestures here. Chailly's is the embodiment of coolness. He and his Concertgebouw crew play up the details as much as Abbado and Berlin Phil do but they sound more like careful observations than involvements. Although this is not the most engrossing kind of performance, it contains some fascinating interpretative insights plus truly shattering climaxes with the percussions captured in full range. The ending is particularly impressive.

Predictably, Bernstein offers the most personalized vision. Here every note matters, which can never be said in Chailly's case. Bernstein injects his personal emotion (and sometimes opinion) into every bar. Lyrical moments are bittersweet. Nightmares are terrifying. The last movement is full of rhetoric that you would have a hard time finding in other performances. This is the version that most fullly exploited this enigmatic work. The downside is, well, it doesn't sound like an enigma anymore after being presented in such a specific way. Everything is stated and nothing is implied. There's little room for listener's own interpretations of the music. Still, it's a small price to pay for arguably the most gripping account of the 7th.

Then what's the choice? If you had read my comparison reviews on Beethoven's late piano sonatas (Brendel vs. Rosen) or Haydn's London symphonies (Jochum vs. Davis) you should be able to guess my recommendation. I wouldn't want to live without any of the three. But if I am forced to choose one, I would go with Bernstein's. As shown in many of the Mahler recordings he made, he simply loved this music more than others did.

While I have some favorite recordings of this symphony - I think of (quite different) performances from Michael Tilson Thomas [2005 (live) as well as his quite different approach from 1997], Bernard Haitink [1981 & 1985 (live)], Simon Rattle [1991 (live)], Eliahu Inbal (1986) -, this truly magnificent Mahler 7 surely fits within that high rank of best recorded performances.

Aside from the precision and beauty of playing, which is magnificent, I believe that the very special quality of this performance (and maybe in Claudio Abbado's conducting in general?) lies in the way that Claudio Abbado manages to sustain notes and melodies, 'energy', over the longest possible arcs, never lingering, providing the music with a sense of coherence - a feeling of the music continually moving ('flowing', 'singing') on deliberately and purposefully - almost unheard of; a dramatical, almost operatical approach. It must be this feeling of sustained flow and energy - its dramatic purposefulness -, combined of course with extremely beautiful and disciplined playing, that lifts this performance into those regions of greatness that is inhabited by only a few others. In this sense of dramatic tautness, I feel it is even better than his 1984 recording with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Also, to my ears there is a nice sense of occasion in this Berlin live performance. Anyhow, Maestro Abbado's Mahler Symphony No. 7 with the Berliner Philharmoniker sounds as tightly coherent, as highly convincing and as beautiful as one might ever wish. And all of the same is true, by the way, for his magnificent Mahler 9, recorded two years earlier, with the same orchestra on the same label. (And also be sure not to miss his wonderful dramatically sustained and at the same time almost lyrical Des Knaben Wunderhorn with Anne Sofie von Otter and Thomas Quasthoff as well!)

Claudio Abbado's Mahler, taken as a whole, as well as in any specific performance, is as consistently rewarding as can ever be wished for, I believe. And this particular recording of Mahler's 7th Symphony can IMHO be as highly recommended as any other great recording of this symphony.

The astounding concentration of the playing in this live Mahler Seventh couldn't be achieved without hours of rehearsal. Yet every bar sounds extremely free, as if each player was guided by inspiration of the moment. More than anything else, this gives the whole reading a sense of inner life that its illustrious precedessors can't match, even the always vibrant Bernstein. There's a carefree "shall we dance?" air about things that's unique. You would never guess that the Seventh is usually heavy-footed.

Sigificantly, this concert in the Philharmonie dates from 2001, culminating a decade of collaboration between Abbado and his musicians, only a fraction of whom played under Karajan. Hence the uncanny sympathy between podium and players, something I've never heard to this degree. The sonics are open and natural, but since we are listening from about mid-hall, there's a certain distance also--until one of the multi-mikes zooms in on a particular flute, harp, or trumpet.

Abbado asks for extreme contrasts in color and mood, amking the spectral moments eerier than ever before, the cowbells and alpine echoes haunting, the dance music other-worldly. This "Song of the Night" is more nocturnal than any of its forebears. I cannot imagine a better Seventh and hardly a better Mahler performance of any kind. As of now we have Sym. 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 9 in Abbado's live cycle, all but #2 with the BPO. I fervently hope we get the rest soon. (And why has he never recorded Das Lied?)

Hearing the new Berlin/Abbado version of Mahler's Seventh Symphony was like hearing this music for the first time. The 7th symphony deservedly earns it's repuation as the weakest contructed of the Mahler symphonic canon, however Abbado and the BPO have managed to illuminate each nuance with a subtlety and precision that allows every musical idea and melody to flow together naturally. The second movement (the first of two "Nachtmusicks") is quite magical with the "echo effect" of the opening horns a suprising and charming interpretive surprise. The ensemble playing throughout the movement (and the entire symphony) is peerless and exactly what we have come to expect from the magnificent Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

The recording was taken from a live performance from 2001 at the Philharmonie and is quite excellent if not quite as "perfect" as the best digital studio recordings. However, the performance is really in a league of its own. Compare this recording with the "critically acclaimed" Cleveland/Boulez version (also from DG) and you can hear the difference between playing all the notes and "Playing the Music". This is truly a performance that you will want to play over and over again.

Even if you have other performances, you are going to want to own this one.

I find this to be one of the best recordings of this work of all time. The Berlin Philharmonic is (as usual) on great form and I perfer this version to Abbado's earlier version with the CSO. This is now one of the top 3 or 4 recordings of this work. Other than Haitink's recording with the Berlin Philharmonic, playing wise this is the best I have heard and Abbado has a clear understand of this work. The last movement which is hard to control and keep clear, is done wonderfully by Abbado. I hope he records Mahler 6 with the BPO this June.

This is simply one of the most incredible performances of any Mahler symphony on disc, and who would have thought it would have been of the least popular of all Mahler symphonies. I was at first compelled to go with Gielen's recording of this work, which is brilliantly recorded and flawlessly executed. But Abbado's live version here with the Berlin Philharmonic (an orchestra that never seems to disappoint me) is infinitely more searching and altogether more compelling.

If you want a recording of this work that is the most likely to convince you that this is a great symphony, then this is it. Where does Abbado find beauty in this bizarre score that lacks the tear-jerking Adagios of its predecessors? In quite a few places, notably in the first two movements. In the first movement, Abbado finds profound eloquence in the slow B-Major section that highlights the middle of the movement (a sharp change in color from the introduction of the piece, the darkest I have ever heard on record), not mushy sentiment, but Mahlerian fantasy, charm, and lyricism, that comes across as very natural. You have to remind yourself that this is an unpopular symphony when you hear this section.

The first nocturne has never sounded more majestic and stately than in Mahler's hands (it often sounds depressing in other recordings). As one reviewer put it, there is an air of "shall we dance?" that marks this recording, most particularly in this movement.

The spectral scherzo is wonderfully done. The feeling is that ghosts are coming out to play, although this movement always struck me as playful rather than sinister. Abbado seems to agree, and again there is a certain charm and joy that Abbado finds, particularly in the closing passages, which is not to say they he makes this movement lightweight. These are friendly ghosts that you may want to dance with!

The second nocturne is in many ways the weirdest, as it seems to try to be romantic with its use of guitar and mandolin and classical flourishes, but there are those bizarre unexpected dissonances. Abbado gives this movement some Italian flavor as the guitars are in the front. The dissonances don't sound quite as stark here; Abbado aims for warmth and classical lines.

The finale is simply brilliant. The main brass theme is treated almost as a sacred hymn (consistent with Abbado's showcasing of the works memorable melodies), but at the same time he has a crashing, smashing good time with some the climactic tuttis ripe with tubular bells and Mahlerian excess.

Whatever you may think of Abbado's interpretation, this is unquestionably a great performance in terms of the playing and the conducting. The sound quality of this disc is at least in the category of "very good" if not quite the audiophile standard. In most of the movements, you can hear quite a lot of detail in the orchestration and the bass is good. Only in certain parts of the first movement (about 10% of it) does the reverberant acoustic blur some of the detail, although the effect is satisfyingly spooky for me in the murky opening bars of the first movement.

A wonderful disc. A spell-binding performance that feels as "live" as it must of been to be in the audience...

I like very much Abbado directing Mahler's 7th. The velvety sound of this recording makes adds to the impression of night indeed, and I could of course have rated this one with the five stars, but the velvety sound can also be described as haze, it is not clear, and this aspect it shares with the Abbado/Berlin 9th and 6th.

Abbado's earlier recording of the 7th with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra - amazon-search: B000001GNE - feels much deeper and urgent to me, more inspired. Chicago played as good as, if not better, the Berlins, and most important: the recorded sound is clearer. I got this Abbado/Berlin before I purchased the Chicago, so this is not a matter of habit. I have many great Mahler 7th, Kubelik (DGG), Kondrashin, Bernstein (Sony), Gielen and these two by Abbado - I don't mention the not so great. My deserted island pick for this symphony would be either Bernstein/New York (Sony) or Abbado/Chicago (DGG), in spite of the superior clarity of Gielen's 7th.