Customer Reviews

Mahler: Symphony No. 6; R. Strauss: Ein Heldenleben

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

 

 

To know if this old Barbirolli Mahler 6th is for you, all you have to do is click on the Windows Media excerpts above. The first movement takes over 21 minutes, and that's without an exposition repeat! Barbirolli was among the first to record the sixth Mahler in andante/scherzo order, which has put him in good standing with today's Mahler "scholars". Since his scherzo is no slower than his first movement, I think this performance works either way: andante/scherzo, or scherzo/andante. The scherzo is a bit over 13 minutes (rather normal), while the slow movement is proportionally correct sounding at 16-something (in other words, not too slow). The finale reaches out to almost 33 minutes. In short, this is one of the slower M6's out there. Yet, the whole thing has a very rhythmic and persistant quality about it. To make matters better, the Philharmonia of old - possibly the best orchestra in Europe in those days - plays exceedingly well, and EMI's sound quality is better than it is on many of their newer digital recordings. If you like the sound and playing on any of the old Walter Legge produced, Philharmonia Orchestra recordings (Klemperer; Maazel; Karajan, etc.), you'll like the sound on this. Considering the fact that EMI also throws in a decent "Ein Heldenleben" (slow but clarified during the famous and dense sounding battle episode), this is an absolute steal at $12.

This wouldn't be my first choice for a Mahler six recording, but it would make a good supplement for those days when you want to hear something truly grim (yet, tonal).

This note is about Barbirolli's account of the Mahler Sixth only. I'll leave the Strauss for another day, perhaps.

But, regarding the Sixth, I had the rare good fortune to see Barbirolli conduct Mahler live (Symphony No. 9) shortly before his death. It was a sublime experience, actually better than his estimable recording of the same work.

His Sixth is, in my opinion, one of the great recorded musical statements of the 20th Century. I have lived with the recording in question here for some four decades. It is not the only great recording of Mahler's Symphony. However, there is absolutely no question in my mind that it belongs in every music lover's library, and should be basic recorded repertoire for Mahlerians everywhere.

It is heart-wrenchingly magnificent.

Two historic recordings from one of the greatest English conductors. Sir John Barbirolli is marvellous in both works. Made in 1960's, sound quality is very good, and performances are in high cult status.

Richard Strauss and his Ein Heldenleben recorded with London Symphony Orchestra. This gorgeous symphonic poem, as you know, is an autobiographical work of composer, so, The Hero (of course) is himself and his enemies are music critics (of course!).
This work was scored for large orchestra: quadruple woodwinds, 8 horns, 5 trumpets (2 E-flat, 3 B-flat), 3 trombones, 2 tubas, timpani, cymbals, snare drum, tenor drum, bass drum, 2 harps, strings. In other words: approx. 110 musicians...

The performance is excellent, the violin solo (imagine that Composer's Wife) is amazing and the solo of E-flat Trumpet (in 4th movement) is very good. The War Scene is terrific, amazing. And, I think, the most impressive movement of this work is the last movement - The Retreat of Hero and his Death. In last seconds, there is a noble finale -crescendo to reach to Fortissimo and then a diminuendo to reach to Pianissimo- of all winds, which tells that, the last breath and the death with peace of mind.

Mahler's Sixth Symphony called "Tragic" recorded with New Philharmonia Orchestra. This performance is very majestic, not so flamboyant as Bernstein, but this reading is powerful and impressive. Real Mahlerians should have this recording, I think. Even so this symphony sounds like a sountrack of a horror film! As you know, Sixth Symphony is Mahler's most pessimist work and however written in his happiest years of his life (1904). Because, Mahler married to Alma Schindler, and they had a new girl, named Maria. Even so, this is a propethic work (!). Mahler, used hammer blows (in last movement) explains that his three Fate strokes which will to be in next years of his life. And these Fate strokes are: his daughter's sudden death in 1907 (at age 4!), his departure from Vienna Opera Court and his heart disease!... And then, the composer used cowbells in offstage, too. This explains the Alpine landscapes that impressed Mahler, and extreme loneliness and a mystic atmosphere. Even so, this is only symphony which finishes with dark atmosphere, not with a glory scene. And the last sudden exploding chord of music (in last seconds) usually scares me. The music finishes like a iron curtain falls in scene...

The orchestra is huge (as usual in Mahler): 5 flutists, 5 oboists, 5 clarinettists, 5 basoonsists, 8 horns, 6 trumpets, 4 trombones and a tuba, huge percussion includes bells, gong, hammer, 2 set timpani, 2 harps, celesta and about 50 - 60 strings.

The 1st movement begins like a Nazi March! This "risoluto" and tragic opening continues with a apassionata "Alma" theme, so this movement has a full of drammatic atmosphere. Especially the moments between durations 15"00 - 17"00, the Alma theme comes again and this passage is may be the most romantic moments of whole symphony, you can weep when listen it... The 2nd movement is played as Andante, as Mahler himself decided later to choice as 2nd movement, not as a Scherzo. It is peaceful music and portrays a illusionary happiness. The 3rd movement is Scherzo, and it is I think not a Scherzo, but a "Dance of Death", with devil's laughters, but in Trio section, describes the games of children, but in finish section there is a drammatic explosion and this game melody sounds now when goes away and dying in a whimper... The amazing Finale is the prophetic movement. It begins as a nightmare - a silent terror, and then continues with a heroic-tragic march. This march portraits the hero (Mahler), but then the three hammer blows (by the way, in that rec. the Hammer Blows are really earth-shattering!), and then defeat and abandons himself to his doom...

This 2-CD set is marvellous. They are definitve readings and a must have for all Mahlerians and Straussians, and other music lovers.

Highly recommended.

Richard Strauss' Ein Heldenleben takes 50 minutes 34 seconds under John Barbirolli, played by the London Symphony Orchestra. The typical runtime for this tone-poem is in the neighborhood of 45 minutes. Then the Mahler 6th, played by the New Philharmonia Orchestra runs just over 84 minutes, that's without the first movement exposition repeat. Here are the timings of the movements, 21:19 for the first movement, remember without the repeat! Barbirolli takes 5 long minutes to get through the exposition, so if he repeated it, the whole first movement would take over 26 minutes, giving you a near 90 minute symphony! Mama mia! Thank God, he didn't do the repeat! Karajan and Bernstein are much faster. Barbirolli places the Andante moderato second, it comes in at 16:03, then the scherzo 13:59 and the finale 32:47. This is an expansive performance alright and it sounds like it, but does it work? Yes and no, the opening of the first movement, that march is very grim, very dark, just what you Mahler fans hope for but the movement takes a while to warm up, there is a lot of plodding going on in the Andante and Scherzo too. Karajan's Andante is even slower but he instills such beauty in it that you forgive him but Barbirolli doesn't reach such heights. In the finale, Barbirolli gives every episode it's weight but man don't you just miss the propulsive quality that Solti injected into this movement?

Barbirolli's Mahler 6th is still a must own for Mahler fanatics, ( I'm not a fanatic ), yet don't put Barbirolli above the likes of Karajan, Bernstein, Solti. I also like Szell's version with the Cleveland Orchestra, it is not histrionic but more along the lines of clarity and objectivity which this symphony rarely receives. Szell could be a bit cold for most, that's why Karajan, Bernstein or the relentless Solti are there to turn up the temperature so to speak.

The Ein Heldenleben under Barbirolli is also impressively grand and has beautiful playing but one listen to this version is probably plenty, you'll be running to your Karajan recordings pretty fast. I recommend the Karajan EMI version from 1974, the greatest Ein Heldenleben in my opinion, with the most thrilling Battle Scene ever recorded. Barbirolli focuses too much on the lush aspects of the score while negating a lot of the drama because of the slow speed but the drum at the outset of war sounds outstanding, you have to admit! However, Karajan easily superceeds Barbirolli in this Strauss epic because of Karajan's focus on both the warmth of the orchestral sound as well as the maddening frenzy of the action parts. Simon Rattle has recently released his version of Hero's Life, ( see my review ), and Rattle is also clearly ahead of Barbirolli.

The sound by EMI for this release is very good with plenty of ambience and detail. The sound and remastering is the exact same thing as in the previous Double Forte series. The Strauss was recorded in September of 1969 at Abbey Road Studios and it sounds wonderfully rich. The Mahler was recorded in August of 1967 at Kingsway Hall, a venue known for it's great acoustics and it all sounds superb.

If you are a hardcore Strauss or Mahler fan, then yes you should own these versions by Barbirolli since they are so different from the more mainstream fare of Karajan, Bernstein, Solti, Abbado, etc. Just understand that you'll ultimately be more satisfied in the long run with the more traditional interpretations of these pieces. Let me put it this way, if you were to own one Ein Heldenleben, this Barbirolli version should not be it, if you were to own one Mahler 6th, this Barbirolli version should not be it. But if you are a collector and want to own at least 5 or 6 versions of these works, then these Barbirolli versions are definite must haves. Here they are at absolute bargain basement price. This EMI Gemini series of double CDs is an absolute winner for all collectors.

Barbirolli's Mahler Sixth became an instant classic with British critics on its first release and has been revered ever since. But there's been a significant minority opinion, and as much as I admire JB, I am not persuaded here. It's not that the first movement is "too slow," because tempo can't be isolated from the oerall conception. But I agree with the other three-star reviewer who finds the opening of mvt. #1 plodding and slow to catch fire. The New Philharmonia plays very well, but they are more than a shade tentative -- they were in uncharted territory here -- and one misses the all-out bravado and dash of later recordings under Bernstein, Levine, and Abbado. The simple fact is that the world's best orchestras have gotten even bettr at Mahler over time.

The pace is slowish in the two inner movements, but the Andante, placed second here, gets the right balance between elegy and forward motion; its warmth and lyrical beauty speak simply, and Barbirolli is attuned to both. I'd call this movement the high point of the whole performance. As for the Scherzo, even though JB gives it distance from the first movement by placing it third, they feel like twins -- two heavy-footed marches squeezed for menace and sorrow. I'm sure Mahler wanted more color and bite to set the Scherzo off.

As for the Finale, it's hard to get Bernstein's apocalyptic version out of one's head. Barbirolli lets the tension relax within a few bars, and it returns only intermittently. In exchange, his deliberate pacing gives plenty of opportunity for atmospherics and mood. I'm not sure that's enough of a payoff, given the loss of momentum. I have little to say about the Strauss Ein Heldenleben, performed in much the same manner as the Mahler, except that 50 min. feels like too much philosophy and not enough fun.

P.S. 2011 - I still feel that the drawbacks of this studio Sixth on EMI are real, but I warmed up to Sir John's live recording, which is available on Testament. the first movement seems to have found a better tempo, for one thing. I should also concede that I've felt irritation at the way British critics use barbirolli's Mahler, along with Hornestein's and Klemperer's, to depreciate Bernstein's.