Mahler: Symphony No.8

Gustav Mahler (Composer), Bernard Haitink (Conductor), Amsterdam Collegium Musicum (Performer), Amsterdam De Stem des Volks (Performer), Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (Orchestra), Kees De Wijs (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Amsterdam Collegium Musicum, Amsterdam De Stem des Volks, Kees De Wijs
• Orchestra: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
• Conductor: Bernard Haitink
• Composer: Gustav Mahler
• Audio CD (August 15, 1995)
• SPARS Code: ADD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Philips
• ASIN: B0000041C3
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #279,454 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Symphony No. 8 In E Flat: First Part: Hymnus 'Veni, creator spiritus' - Veni, creator spiritus

2. Symphony No. 8 In E Flat: First Part: Hymnus 'Veni, creator spiritus' - Imple superna gratia

3. Symphony No. 8 In E Flat: First Part: Hymnus 'Veni, creator spiritus' - Infirma nostri corporis

4. Symphony No. 8 In E Flat: First Part: Hymnus 'Veni, creator spiritus' - Infirma nostri corporis

5. Symphony No. 8 In E Flat: First Part: Hymnus 'Veni, creator spiritus' - Accende lumen sensibus

6. Symphony No. 8 In E Flat: First Part: Hymnus 'Veni, creator spiritus' - Qui Paraclitus diceris

7. Symphony No. 8 In E Flat: First Part: Hymnus 'Veni, creator spiritus' - Gloria Patri Domino

8. Symphony No. 8 In E Flat: Second Part: Final Scene From 'Faust II' - Poco adagio

9. Symphony No. 8 In E Flat: Second Part: Final Scene From 'Faust II' - Piu mosso. Allegro moderato

10. Symphony No. 8 In E Flat: Second Part: Final Scene From 'Faust II' - Waldung, sie schwenkt heran

11. Symphony No. 8 In E Flat: Second Part: Final Scene From 'Faust II' - Ewiger Wonnebrand

12. Symphony No. 8 In E Flat: Second Part: Final Scene From 'Faust II' - Wie Felsenabgrund

13. Symphony No. 8 In E Flat: Second Part: Final Scene From 'Faust II' - Gerettet ist das edle Glied

14. Symphony No. 8 In E Flat: Second Part: Final Scene From 'Faust II' - Jene Rosen, aus den Handen

15. Symphony No. 8 In E Flat: Second Part: Final Scene From 'Faust II' - Uns bleibt ein Erdenrest

16. Symphony No. 8 In E Flat: Second Part: Final Scene From 'Faust II' - Ich spur' soeben

17. Symphony No. 8 In E Flat: Second Part: Final Scene From 'Faust II' - Dir, der Unberuhrbaren

18. Symphony No. 8 In E Flat: Second Part: Final Scene From 'Faust II' - Bei der Liebe

19. Symphony No. 8 In E Flat: Second Part: Final Scene From 'Faust II' - Er uberwachst uns schon

20. Symphony No. 8 In E Flat: Second Part: Final Scene From 'Faust II' - Blicket auf zum Retterblick

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A vastly underrated Mahler 8th, June 25, 2004

By 

madamemusico "madamemusico" (Cincinnati, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mahler: Symphony No.8 (Audio CD)

I'm not sure who "Jo Juda" or "Keis de Wijs" are. The actual soloists on this superb Mahler 8th are Ileana Cotrubas, Heather Harper and Haneke van Bork (the finest trio of ladies since the early Solti version), mezzos Birgit Finnila and Marianne Dieleman, tenor William Cochran, baritone Hermann Prey and bass Hans Sotin, all in excellent voice. In addition, Haitink "pulls together" the disparate elements of this somewhat rambling work in such a way that it makes musical sense, and he is fully dramatic without producing the often harsh sounds one hears on the Horenstein and Solti recordings. In short, this is my favorite Mahler 8th, surpassing my previous favorite (Klaus Tennstedt) by a fairly wide margin!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful, very musical performance, but..., September 17, 2005

By 

Santa Fe Listener (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mahler: Symphony No.8 (Audio CD)

..you have to put up with a very poor tenor soloist whose bawlung voice ruins long stretches of Part II. Otherwise, Haitink conducts an understated reading that brings out the subtler beauties of Mahler's writing. "Understated" is usally a code word for dull, but Haitink isn't: he's just the temperamental opposite of the vulgar, luridly hectic Solti, whose often-reissued version on Decca tramples the score.

It must be admitted, to, that Philips' sonics are not much above average. The Mahler Eighth is extremely difficult to record for the same reasons as the Beethoven Ninth - how do you give the orchestra, soloists, and chorus a believable shared soundstage? - with the problems magnified by Mahler's massive forces. Restraint and musicality go a long way, although the great Eighth that I know, the live account under Tennstedt on the London Phil.'s house label, manages to sustain dramatic tension at every moment. Haitink doesn't, but if you want a Mahler Eighth without screaming choruses, this one is a beauty.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An intimate Mahler 8, August 31, 2011

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T. Fisher - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Mahler: Symphony No.8 (Audio CD)

Mahler's 8th Symphony can be a little overwhelming, with such an immense orchestration calling for up to 1,000 musicians and singers, and strange thematic texts in a mix of Latin and German. The nickname the "Symphony of a Thousand", which Mahler himself disliked, doesn't help much. Indeed, one televised performance I have seen (Paris Symphony) had so many performers arranged in various regiments and cohorts that the conductor (Eschenbach) seemed more like a general commanding several phalanxes.

All the more remarkable, then, is the intimacy that Bernard Haitink manages to bring out in this beautiful recording, which is certainly one of the finest Mahler 8ths I have heard. Some of the best moments of the work are achingly simple, with a tenor or soprano accompanied by muted instrumentation, dominated just by a solo violin or flute. Haitink is outstanding at bringing out not only these moments, but a feeling of warmth and intimacy that runs throughout the work.

This is a Mahler 8th that does not overpower -- this inhumanly large-scale work has been brought to a perfect human scale. I'm sure much of the credit goes to the engineers, and not just to Haitink. I hate to think what it must be like to microphone a performance of this symphony. An outstanding job and a wonderful recording, warmly recommended.