Customer Reviews

Mahler: Symphony No. 9

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

 

 

I've been teetering as to whether this rate this 4 or 5 stars. What pushed me on to five stars, was the simple fact that EMI is selling this as a "twofer" - two discs for the price of one. Sorry to base it upon such a practical issue, but I'm afraid that it really did come down to that for me. As for the performance itself, my feelings lie somewhere between Tony Duggan's "stand up and cheer" rave review at The Mahler-list, and Dave Hurwitz's 7/7 dismissal at Classicstoday.com. That said, I too noticed the same exact drawbacks as Mr. Hurwitz did. I just don't feel that these shortcomings are severe enough to denigrate the recording as whole. Then again, I'm rarely thrilled with the sound on these Rattle/Berlin ventures. In this case, the sound strikes me as being a bit better than usual from this team. As for specific drawbacks, I see mainly two.

In the first movement, as Hurwitz points out, the main climax needs stronger low brass, as well as a stronger whack on the big gong. Karajan gets the gong part right (as well as the "flames of hell" rising from the dissonant low "A" in the ((french)) horns), while Giulini gets his Chicago low brass to hammer the movement's main rhythmic motif with the greatest possible force - just as Mahler indicates. Other than that, Rattle's first movement strikes me as being far superior to his earlier Vienna one - a badly balanced recording in general. My other complaint has to do with the Rondo-Burlesque.

As Hurwitz again pointed out, the R-B's contrasting central episode is quick to the point of rushing. But more bothersome to my ears, is the fact that Rattle's initial tempo for the R-B isn't that much quicker. In other words, there isn't a lot of contrast - tempo wise - between the main body, and the much need respite of that central interlude. For me, a wee sense of tedium sets in just before the central episode comes to its rescue. Perhaps that was Rattle's point from the start, I don't know. Regardless, I certainly have no complaints about the string playing in the finale, made better by Rattle's natural flow for the bulk of it.

That said, I too noticed the two very same small shortcomings that Hurwitz points out: the violas are a tad too loud with their final triplet figure near the end of the symphony, and Rattle begins to fade before the harmony is fully resolved at the end. These are small points, to be sure - but noticeable.

Coming back to the big picture, here's the bottom line: if you're strongly curious, get it - EMI priced it as one disc. If you already own one of the Berlin Phil.'s many fine recordings of the Mahler 9th - the one Mahler symphony that they ALWAYS do very well - you really don't need to jump ship. I think that Karajan does a better job of nailing the major climaxes in the two outer movements. But Rattle is better in a number of smaller details, in spite of the negative ones pointed out. The Abbado one is perfectly fine for those who prefer their Mahler 9th to fit on one disc. And let's not forget an old favorite: the Barbirolli M9 from the middle 60's (it always struck me as a bit too soft-edged for this particular work, but it's fine none the less). As for EMI, I simply can't understand why they didn't want to hold off issuing their Simon Rattle complete Mahler symphonies box set, in order to include this obviously superior performance and recording. Go figure!

Everyone has her or his own personal favorite recordings of Mahler's Ninth Symphony, stemming from expectations of how the music 'should' be played or what 'emotions' one should experience when listening to this music (even aside from the matter of staying as 'true to the score' as possible). I, for one, am very much in favour of a great deal of raw emotionality with this music, even if that means that sometimes the balances are becoming 'askew' as a result. But of course the balances don't have to be askew to get raw emotionality: I personally love Benjamin Zander's fantastically 'lean' and fresh but deeply inspired (and deeply inspiring) recording for Telarc, which is balanced in such a way as to subtely accentuate all of the different instrument groups. But I am also in favour of the wild abandon and 'gigantic' sound of Sir Simon Rattle's first commercial recording with Wiener Philharmoniker, however 'askew' (rather deep, resonant bass, and on the whole sounding rather distantly recorded) the balances may be. (Well, so much for personal tastes; I hope the reader is not too much offended by mine, which may be a bit eclectic.)

The following are my thoughts about this new recording by Rattle c.s. after listening to it for the first one or two times (and also taking into account the remarks by other reviewers, and testing them to what I have heard myself). This new recording of Mahler's Ninth Symphony is, to my ears, characterized by finely balanced playing and recorded sound, exquisitely virtuosic, generally more 'comfortable' to the ears than Sir Simon Rattle's recording with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. (But what does 'comfort' mean with this music, when the effect of this music on the listener is surely meant to be absolutely uncomfortable most of the time?) I, unlike other reviewers, am personally not much discomforted by the more balanced sound of the climax of the first movement - it does fit within the conception/sound of this performance as a whole, I believe: the low brass and the tam-tam are evenly balanced with the rest of the instruments, so that when they are played with the greatest possible force, the effect of the forces combined is more of a 'wave of sound' (and a rather 'refined', not too overwhelming soundwave at that) than of an 'attack': the 'edge' is taken off somewhat. In that sense, to my ears there is a resemblance between Sir Simon Rattle's and Michael Tilson Thomas' stance to this music: they both take, I believe, a (small) step back from the 'raw emotionality' of the music that other conductors sometimes like to stress, lifting it somewhat above the direct emotionality and and adding to it an air of nobility. (Some would feel this as 'emotionally detached', maybe.)

When listening to this particular performance, I find I am especially drawn into listening to the detailed and virtuoso playing of all the orchestra members, witnessing the infinitely varied instrumentation, where different instrumensts are often playing their own wi(l)dely different tunes. The same effect is taken to the best possible result, I believe, by Benjamin Zander with the Philharmonia Orchestra on Telarc. But where Mr. Zander creates more tension with his tasteful rubato and legato (and also the result of a greater range between fortissimos and pianissimos), and therefore - to the ears of this particular listener - more room for emotions, Mr. Rattle and the Berliner Philharmoniker sound, not so much 'emotionally detached', as more 'well-behaved' and 'held in check'. But that could also have to do with the recorded sound, which is more evenly balanced and close (is that why the violas in the coda sound 'too loud'?) than either the recording by Zander or by Rattle/Wiener Philharmoniker.

I very much like the way in which Sir Simon Rattle in this performance 'moulds' the orchestral lines into a beautiful 'organic whole'. The conductor at the same time takes delicate care that all the orchestral lines can be ascertained within the whole gigantic structure, thanks to a fine balancing of the instruments and instrument groups. If there is not the greatest amount of tension (compared with, for example, Benjamin Zander and the Philharmonia Orchestra) there certainly is grace, nobility and power. The power is not as raw or as fiercely intense as some might maybe wish sometimes. The power is, to my ears at least, rather 'contained' by the strong will of a conductor keeping tight rein on the proceedings. Ultimately, one might want to go for more abandon in this music, but there are recordings for that as well. Anyhow, one could of course never do with just one recording of this music. Although this recording does not in itself set an 'ideal standard' (which Zander in its own unique way maybe does), it is comparable to other great recordings of this work, if only because of the great virtuosity of playing, balance and ensemble.

The sound Sir Simon pulls out of the Berliner strings is so heart-achingly passionate, the climaxes are so grand. The overall power and clarity of this recording is enough for it to be my single most favorite recording of Mahler 9. The sound quality is amazing, and overall, this is a great performance. Sir Rattle's got it right when it comes to tempo and phrasing, and the best part about this recording are all the details you hear, making a listening very refreshing, each time you hear it, compared to maybe Bruno Walter's 1938 recording with the Vienna Philharmonic, regarded by some to be the benchmark recording of this symphony. I find the phrasing strikingly similar, with the added bonus of extra clear sound, and the presence of details never before heard.

Simon Rattle's recording of Gustav Mahler's Ninth Symphony has received a lot of acclaim and, clearly, there is much to like in this reading. It is at once apparent that Simon Rattle has plumbed the depths of emotion with the strings of the Berlin Philharmonic being particularly expressive. Tempi are taken broadly giving space to the reflective but not somber mood. The orchestra builds quickly, with a lot of excitement, to the first climax of the movement. The passion builds with each of the successive climaxes; the music never seems to plod along. The second movement has all of the dance-like charm of the Landlers that Mahler based his music on, and they are played in a suitably rustic fashion. The Rondo-Burleske seems a bit underpowered until the end of the movement.

The Adagio, like the first movement is superbly played with great expression, particularly by the strings. For me, the expression of consolation is very well expressed and we are left as the music closes with a sense of quietude and peace.

I think that Simon Rattles' reading of the first and last movements equals the very best performances of Mahler's Ninth. The middle movements, while well played, come off a bit better in Claudio Abbado's recording from 2002 with the Berlin Philharmonic. It is a matter of taste and certainly, Maestro Rattles' reading remains a powerful one.

This recording of Gustav Mahler's Ninth Symphony with the Berlin Philharmonic under Sir Simon Rattle is one of the best (if not the best) recordings of Mahler's Ninth I have ever heard. The recording is a close-up, so every little detail is noticeable. But this is not a bad thing; the Berlin Philharmonic play beautifully, as one would expect.
The beginning of the first movement under Rattle is one of the finest openings I have ever heard, helped, I am sure, by the close-in recording balance. The second violins (placed to the right) play with tenderness; it is hard to imagine that the story will turn to the unpleasant areas of life so quickly. At the first climax of the movement, Rattle makes it clear that something big is happening--that "farewell" is looming--but does not over-exaggerate it; this is evidenced most clearly in the restraint found in the timpanist's playing. This was a good decision; for when the third and biggest climax comes, it has all of the poison and horrific power you could want. I can only imagine what the crashing timpani would have sounded like in the concert hall.
Mahler gives the listener a sense of peace shortly after the final climax, with the return of the main melody; the unpleasant, earthy texture of the music is replaced by warmer melodies that lead back to the simple--but yet so powerful--main "Farewell" theme.
It is only after listening to the first movement in its entirety that I can conclude that this movement tells of a basic love for life, even during times of trial. There are dark portions--and plenty of them--but warmth and love does prevail. And that is as it should be.
The second movement under Sir Simon Rattle is again one of the best performances I have heard yet. While Sir John Barbirolli's recording does come close, Rattle still takes the top spot. In an interview that Rattle gave on this work, he described this movement as "everything Mahler hated about the countryside." And it certainly does have that folksy feel to it; the violins again open the main melody with a crunch and some of the best marcato playing this young Mahlerite has ever heard.
This movement's first theme is sometimes played as a smooth dance, totally missing out on the harsh, awkward feeling that Mahler calls for--Lorin Maazel's recent recording with the New York Philharmonic is a classic example--but not under Sir Simon. The first two themes--and their subsequent reappearances throughout the movement--are rough and extremely brash, but the playing always maintains a polished excellence. This movement gives the listener a sense of both love and hate; some good, some bad.
The third movement Rondo-Burleske is harsh like the previous movement, but in a different way. Simon Rattle described this movement as "everything Mahler hated about the city," and his interpretation fits that description perfectly. The movement is a lot heavier on brass than the Landler; that takes away the somewhat nostalgic feeling portrayed in the second movement, but it is okay. Things get right down to business from the outset; you know instantly that it is going to be a wild ride. Of interest are the fantastic crunching sounds the principal violinist makes in the solo passage a little way into the movement; the music is not pretty, and Rattle seems determined that that point be driven home. Only at one point in the movement does the melody become uplifting, but it is quickly swept into the musical tornado that is soon to come. After relative calm for a time, the music suddenly plunges off the deep end. And here, as the movement comes to a close, does Rattle begin to speed the orchestra up--like a car that is out of control. The movement ends with a crash and a sense of desperation that leaves the listener thinking, "What just happened?" It is a movement that offers little consolation; there is not much of a silver lining. If I could describe the movement in four words, my description would be thus: "reality put to music."
The opening of the valedictory final movement of the Ninth is, like the rest of this work, one of the best I have ever heard. It fits perfectly with what one would expect from this recording; the string melody--the "Abide with Me" theme--at the beginning is incredibly lush and detailed, digging deep. For that matter, the entire movement under Sir Simon is heartbreaking in its honest, simple portrayal of leave-taking and the emotions surrounding it. It offers no easy answers, that is true; but neither does it lead to depression or speak too strongly of one specific emotion when the subject at hand can encompass so many. While to some extent the first and especially the two inner movements lacked warmth, this movement most certainly does not. It is as if all of Mahler's feelings of anger and dislike about the world are gone; there is pain and unpleasantness a plenty, but it is of a different--more profound--nature.
I have heard it said that it is at a time of parting from someone we care for that we tend to remember only the good, and I think that that was Mahler's idea in this movement. Rattle does not hold on desperately to every note the way some other conductors do; he leads his orchestra through the movement in a gentle, straightforward manner that suggests a noble resignation to the inevitable farewell that must take place.
I know there are a lot of recordings of Mahler's Ninth out there, and a lot of them very good in their own ways. I have heard a few of them, and I have heard enough to know that Rattle's Berlin recording of this work is the most satisfying overall. Highly recommended.

Recordings can't help but shrink the stupendous virtuosity and dynamic range of the Berlin Phil. as experienced in concert. Lamentable as that may be, it's a given, so this EMI CD doesn't capture the overwhelming impact of the Berliners' Mahler Ninth this winter in Carnegie Hall. Rattle must also follow in the wake of earlier, world-class recordings of this symphony from Berlin, including two by Karajan, a live account under Bernstein that many consider unrivaled, as well as estimable versions from Abbado and Barbirolli -- the latter introduced the Ninth to Berlin in the late Sixties.

How does Rattle stack up? In terms of sound quality and execution, his Mahler Ninth isn't all that different from Abbado's -- both are ultra-detailed, technically assured, and controlled. However, compared to the Karajan era, the Berliners sound more flexible and emotionally nuanced. One isn't hit continuously with a wall of string sound but rather a mosaic of sensitive solo playing. If you want to hear the utmost variety of color and nuance, both Abbado and Rattle will do very well.

But I'm not sure about the overall emotional result. Should a volcano be attached to a control valve? The effect in the first movement is still overwhelming as pure sound, but one is engulfed in slow motion, as it were. Rattle really captures the two inner movements with exceptional edge -- he said in a Gramophone interview that these two movements represent "everything Mahler hated about the country followed by everything he hated about the city." But the opening movement feels fussed over, the same flaw I find with Tilson Thomas and Benjamin Zander; its spasmodic eruptions sound manageable rather than abandoned. The Adagio finale is executed with astonishing finesse -- the closing pianissimos rival Karajan's ability to call upon dynamic extremes -- yet I miss the thrust of heartfelt emotion. For me to feel devastated, Rattle must feel it first.

In the end, like the preceding reviewer, I find myself fence-sitting. I will keep listenig to Rattle's Ninth along with the classic versions and let time decide the matter.

Rattle has a reputation for being persnickety. Worrying every note.

Personally, I like most of Rattle's work. Impeded flow, I don't think so, but I understand how that reputation was earned. His Mahler 2 and 6 with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, both EMI, are among my favorite versions. These were before he got that over-engineered reputation.

That reputation may no longer fit. This recording with the Berliner Philharmoniker on EMI is simply the best. Hands down. The earlier generation: Walter, Barbirolli and Klemperer in particular, put out excellent versions. But Rattle here has it all together. If you are going to own just one Mahler 9, this is it.

This being only the fourth Mahler Ninth that I have heard in full (the others being Walter's 1938 VPO recording, Karajan's 1982 account, and Tennstedt's studio recording from 1980), I don't claim to be an expert on the Ninth, yet there seem to be two factors that make for an excellent one: tight orchestral execution and a willingness to plum the highs and lows of this emotional rollercoaster of a symphony, particularly in the first and last movements. Rattle scores high on the first count and less well on the second.

One featured that seems mannered in this recording is Rattle's handling of ritardandos/fermatas. In the opening movement (which starts off VERY SLOWLY), he holds the first note slightly longer than it would be held in tempo, which isn't as effective emotionally as playing it in time, with no hold. Also, this initial tempo makes the beginning of the movement appear plodding, instead of moving (emotionally). He does the same thing when the theme moves into the higher string registers. On the plus side, the Berlin forces seem more alive to the rhythms and tempo changes here than they do in Karajan's live account. There's more transparency between the instruments (textures aren't as thick), allowing one to hear even more detail than in that celebrated account, and the music seems swifter (after that initial slow beginning), but emotional climaxes aren't always as strong as they could be, due to a lack of tension in the playing, crescendos that don't erupt, and the lower registers not playing as darkly as they could (like that first plunge of despair, 2:19 in--especially when compared with Karajan's handling of it).

His only effective use of a ritardando comes near the beginning of the second movement, when the main theme comes in. Here, the strings really lay into those first four notes, adding an emotional thrust to the beginning of what is, after all, a barn-stomping dance. I wish they had continued to dig into the downbeats to give the movement more of a down and dirty feel, but the playing is too polite for that. Two extreme ritardandos follow at 8:25 to 8:32 and 9:00 to 9:07 (same theme repeated), and again, one wonders what purpose such extreme ritardandos serve.

Rattle's lack of emotional commitment, which doesn't mar the first two movements (though it leaves one wanting more in the first movement), begins to damage this work in the third. Again, the lower strings don't sound rich enough, or dark enough, at the beginning of this movement. In fact, compared to the opening of the third movement in Walter's recording, they sound downright tepid. We finally get some emotional intensity from the horns at the 7:36 through the 8:00 mark, but that's after a nice explosion of cacophony at 3:14 that could've been played more "wildly" to be truly effective. The last minute of the movement is taken quickly, but needs to sound more chaotic. Here Rattle seems more concerned with hitting all the notes and showing off the virtuosity of the orchestra than in pushing the orchestra to take emotional risks.

And then we come to the last movement, where Rattle's unwillingness to plunge into the emotional depths (and too much emphasis on notes over the whole) does nothing to displace memories of the awe-inspiring account by these same forces in 1982. The first problem is that, in an effort to play up the accents, Rattle allows space between the notes, which breaks up the legato feel so necessary to sustain the overall musical and emotional structure of this movement. Again, it's beautifully played, but where's the emotional angst, or the emotional glory? There are climaxes in Karajan's account that always make me stop whatever I'm doing to listen, such is the power of his interpretation. With Rattle, I hear some nice things, but never feel the need to give my undivided attention to the sound coming through my speakers. Also, though Rattle's account is only two minutes or so faster than Karajan's, it sounds swifter still, particularly in the passage between the 10:04 and 10:16 marks, where the speed kills any sort of emotional power that could be gleaned from that section.

But the biggest issue is when we get to the 16:06 mark. This is where the movement "stops" on sustained notes in the strings, and then slowly descends into the main theme for the final time, with trombones playing against the melody. Arguably the climax of the work (with the rest that follows being the denouement), the tension of the strings, and then the sudden release of this tension into the main theme (and accompanying melancholic fanfare from the trombones), should be heart-stopping. Rattle, by emphasizing the accents over holding the line of notes almost as one, and then by not letting the trombones let lose with some plaintive playing at their entrance, never discovers this truth, and that is what ultimately sinks this recording into the ranks of solid, but not great (or earth-shattering), accounts of Mahler's final completed opus.

I bought this because of the hype surrounding this recording/performance. Though not a huge fan of the conductor, I listened with an open mind. I listened while following with the score, and found many details that I was seeing on the page inaudible in this performance. While the performance was good, it wasn't up to some of classics (e.g., Bernstein & Karajan with the same orchestra) that make for a truly rewarding Mahler 9. I'll give it another try, and you should too....but ignore the hype.

Cathartic, all-encompassing, anguished--this symphony gets called a lot of things. What it doesn't often get called, though, is poop. And that's what it is. for some really life-affirming music listen to my main man Kenny G.