Customer Reviews

Mahler: Symphony No. 1 [Hybrid SACD]

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

 

 

Having demonstrated that he is among our foremost interpreters of Shostakovich, eminent conductor Valery Gergiev has embarked on a potentially great Mahler symphony cycle with the London Symphony Orchestra as its new principal conductor for the orchestra's LSO Live label. A musical journey that shouldn't surprise long-time listeners and admirers of Gergiev's conducting, especially when Shostakovich expressed his own artistic debt to Mahler's genius for melody and orchestration throughout his fourteen symphonies. Gergiev's exceptional interpretation of the Mahler 1st Symphony is one that shall be remembered for its great clarity and emotional depth. All Gergiev asks of his new orchestra is superb intonation and fidelity to Mahler's intentions; needless to say we are treated to a sonic spectacular quite removed from the overwrought emotional richness of a late career Leonard Bernstein; instead, in its crisp, steady unfolding, Gergiev's interpretation most closely resembles Bernard Haitink's in its clarity, sonic richness and fidelity to Mahler. Under the exceptional technical stewardship of LSO Live producer James Mallinson and his team, live Barbican concert performances recorded earlier this year (January 2008) truly resemble most closely a well-miked studio recording.

Gergiev adheres to brisk tempi throughout the score, emphasizing the vibrant qualities of the lieder melodies which Mahler borrowed from his own songs, especially heard in the main theme of the first movement, which is taken from the second song in Mahler's "Songs of a Wayfarer" four song cycle. The second movement is a brash, bold landler (a close, but coarse, country kin to the refined Viennese waltz) that borrows a theme from an earlier song. In stark contrast, the third movement is a triumphant funeral march, whose core melody is the familiar Frere Jacques tune from childhood. Finally this too passes in a concluding fourth movement that briefly revisits the main themes from the preceding three in a musical maelstrom, before concluding in a hopeful brass fanfare of almost Wagnerian proportions. It is truly one of Gergiev's great gifts as a conductor that he coaxes refined, quite elegant, playing from the winds and brass, as well as the strings. Without a doubt this latest recording of the Mahler 1st Symphony promises to be a serious contender as a definitive recording for classical music fans, worthy of comparison to relatively recent recordings made not only by Bernard Haitink, but Pierre Boulez, David Zinman, and Claudio Abbado too.

Valery Gergiev, like Carlos Kleiber, is considered famous for his painstakingly ingenious phrasing. No where is that claim better evidenced than in this CD. I had once reviewed MTT's wonderful interpretation of this very same symphony, extolling his CD as a wonderful interpretation, however Gergiev and the entire LSO have taken my breath away. This interpretation is far more directed and pointed than MTT's while retaining the same level of exactness from the performers. Clearly Gergiev shows us that he has an idea of where this symphony is going, and just what is important to that telos. Especially impressive is the last movement. Gergeiv here brings to life not only that exultation that a symphony is a world unto itself, but also catches the idea of being a thunderstorm and battle between hero and tribulations.

Mahler's Symphony No. 1 is a work that is full of youthful zest and spirit. As the very first of his nine (or ten) stunning symphonies, it already shows an unprecedented skill of symphonic writing, beginning the Mahler tradition of using huge orchestras in an attempt to incorporate the whole world into a symphony. Interpreters who try to tackle this work should have a feel for the great underlying structure in this symphony. But, equally important, they must pick up on the exuberant love for life and nature that is all throughout this symphony.

How did Valery Gergiev fare in his reading? Well, first off, I'll have to say that he is very successful in recognizing the great symphonic structure in this work. His reading doesn't lack bigness in tone, and there is always a sense of the strong structural backbone present in the symphony. I'm particularly pleased at how well the LSO fares in producing a big tone that can handle the big climaxes in this symphony with a surprising dexterity, something which isn't always present to this extent in other LSO Live albums. The LSO's percussion section is better than I've ever heard it before and the basses dig deep into their passages with a wonderful snarly tone.

But what I find somewhat lacking in this reading is a sense of blissful contentment and love of nature I feel Mahler has sprinkled throughout this work, particularly in the 1st movement. While the LSO woodwinds play the bird calls that start out this symphony with a clear, precise tone, I'm not swept off my feet in the way that I would like to be. And, in general, Gergiev has a tendency to be so caught up with bigness of sound that he misses the charm. This isn't true everywhere: the 3rd movement is full yearning sentiment and a love that makes it a decided success for Gergiev. But elsewhere, I can't quite say the same. The 2nd movement is hardly very folksy and fun, as grand as Gergiev makes it. I'm a bit more sympathetic with Gergiev's look at the finale, as the orchestral thunder he unleashes is so terrifying. Even there, though, I find it a bit impersonal.

Despite this album's setbacks, it is still a good, solid reading. It just doesn't send me into the raptures that one might hope it would.

While I usually like his interpretation this Mahler 1st is disappointing. There is somehow for me no excitement, it remains bland. Sure, the playing is nice but it is missing the climactic intensities I cherish on other recordings, such as Eschenbach, Chailly and Bernstein. Probably going to sell this one, I got too many other good ones on the shelf.

This is my first encounter with Gergiev's Mahler and I am not impressed. Prosaic is the word that kept coming to mind in his impatient treatment of the magical opening of the first movement. About the only positive thing I can say is that the brass fanfares are nicely distant. The entire movement is overly analytical to these ears without much application of rubato or subtlety of phrasing.

The rather lumpish performance of the scherzo may be in accord with a peasant dance, but it hardly seems to evoke Mahler's indication "Under full sail." The middle section is even more stolid in tempo and is followed by a repeat of the first section at a quicker pace. In all, a quirky performance that does not work for me.

The third movement is the highlight of the performance - somber and mournful with nicely contrasting band music and "klezmer" music of a nice tang. The lovely voicing of the "Zwei blauen Augen" episode is the best part of the performance.

Unfortunately, the impression is dissipated by a slack and tentative performance of the finale that is further marred by overly prominent percussion.

As to sound, the recording team has yet to tame the dry acoustics of the Barbicon. The flat perspective and lack of warmth have plagued the Haitink Beethoven cycle and the recent Davis "Messiah". At least the string sound is not as wiry as some other issues from this venue.

Of the SACD competition with which I'm familiar, this one brings up the rear. David Zinman is better in interpretation (although I could do without "Blumine") and sound. Michael Tilson Thomas is better yet as a performance and recording. The best, to my ears, is Benjamin Zander with the Philharmonia on Telarc - beautifully interpreted, well played and in excellent sound. In addition, you get an outstanding performance of the "Songs of a Wayfarer" as bonus.

By conducting an entire Mahler cycle in one year -- and releasing CDs of the live performances hot off the presses -- Gergiev ran the risk of letting certain works slide by. This happens here in a Mahler First that varies between bland, slapdash, and quirky. Being new to Mahler, at least on disc, Gergiev also comes from a fairly blank Mahler tradition in Russia. He overcame that deficit in earlier releases of the Sixth and Seventh, but the First finds him in an unsympathetic mood. He impatiently strides through the forest morning in the opening movement, evoking no mystery at all and breaking into transitions with abrupt, curt tempo changes.

The second movement dances for once instead of lumbering, but beyond that it feels uninvolved, as does the third movement parody of a huntsman's funeral, despite some sharp rustic touches in the "Jewish" section, as I supose we now think of it. The finale, where you'd expect Gergiev to soar, is fairly tame and over-detailed, until we arrive at the singing second subject, where he finally finds his touch. But those glowing measures amount to a small portion of the overall work. The LSO plays beautifully, although I don't sense much involvement from them, either. The sonics, as in previous releases, are clear but a bit too distant for maximum impact.

I'm a committed Gergiev admirer and celebrate his arrival in London, but there are greater Mahler Firsts in abundance, beginning with Claudio Abbado and Leonard Bernstein, both on DG.

I've not been a big fan of this enfolding cycle to date. Gergiev's cool emotional approach has left me generally disappointed. So it was a bit of a surprise to find this release pleasing and involving. Maybe he likes this synphony personally? His recent 3rd rendition I found boring and pointless. So I would definitely listen to this 1st again.
There are many great Firsts to listen to gainfully. Kubelik comes immediately to mind as first rank, Solti too. Historically I would say Mitroupoulos and Walter.

I did not know Gergiev was able to do the intellectual performance exactly calculated. For instance, the polyphony of the first movement, in which polyphony is effective, doesn't put on, and I hear it neatly. I heard it as there was a lot of greasiness when I only listened to the first and the continuing second movement, but, after that, it was corrected by the fourth. I mean, the first movement was noticed to be made the best use of advance hint to the fourth movement.

In Gergiev's performance I do not feel the prospect and the way of talking of Bernstein's Mahler. But he has something that takes the place of it, and I think that he gives a story to music by different way from Bernstein's style. I feel it very strong in the fourth movement. It might be Moderation. I feel the fourth movement of Gergiev controlled very delicately.
Recorded in 2008.