Mahler: Symphony No. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand"

William Stone (Performer), Gustav Mahler (Composer), Fletcher Wolfe (Conductor), James Gallagher (Conductor), Maurice Casey (Conductor), Robert Shaw (Conductor), Robert Summer (Conductor), Delores Ziegler (Performer), Marietta Simpson (Performer), Atlanta Boys' Choir (Orchestra), Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra), Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus (Orchestra), Ohio State University Symphonic Choir (Orchestra), University of South Florida Choir (Orchestra), Deborah Voigt (Performer), Heidi Grant (Performer), Margaret Jane Wray (Performer), Michael Sylvester (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: William Stone, Delores Ziegler, Marietta Simpson, Deborah Voigt, Heidi Grant, et al.
• Orchestra: Atlanta Boys' Choir, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, Ohio State University Symphonic Choir, University of South Florida Choir
• Conductor: Fletcher Wolfe, James Gallagher, Maurice Casey, Robert Shaw, Robert Summer
• Composer: Gustav Mahler
• Audio CD (October 15, 1991)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Telarc
• ASIN: B000003CXG
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,910 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shamefully underrated, August 4, 2000

By 

Bob Zeidler (Charlton, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mahler: Symphony No. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand" (Audio CD)

The late, great Robert Shaw was not thought of as a "Mahlerian", certainly not in the context of such Mahlerians as Bernstein, Karajan, Solti or Walter. Had Shaw lived longer, it is sheer speculation as to whether he might have done another Mahler symphony besides the one at issue here. (One can speculate on what might have been, for example, had Shaw done the Mahler "Resurrection" Symphony. We'll simply never know. But it would have fit his "profile" of identifying and definitively recording virtually the whole catalog of works for chorus and orchestra.)

Put simply, this recording of Mahler's 8th Symphony may be one of the most underrated recordings by a conductor who had consistently been underrated by "critics" and "reviewers." And that is a shame, because the recording evokes only superlatives from this particular Mahlerite.

Every Mahler symphony is full of bunkers that would give Tiger Woods pause, rocks upon which many ships have foundered. The 8th Symphony is no exception. Here are some that apply to this monumental work: Does the opening "Veni, Creator Spiritus" have the appropriate impetuosity at the outset? In both movements, have the soloists been chosen on the basis of whether or not their respective tessituras lay comfortably in range, or have they been selected for their marquee value? Are the choruses appropriately held in check throughout both movements so that they have enough in reserve to effectively bring off the endings of these movements? Does everyone (including the boy choir) sing in tune? Is the Scene from Faust (the second movement) appropriately paced so that it has the requisite sense of inevitibility, even inexhorability? Does the orchestral counterpoint in this second movement come off well, or is it buried in a mass of soloist and choral singing? And, finally, does the organ fit in well, with appropriate balance and fundamental underpinnings, or is it simply dubbed in after the fact?

Robert Shaw's performance here comfortably misses everyone of these "bunkers." It is gaged perfectly in dynamics and tempi. The soloists acquit themselves admirably. The choruses, as are all choruses trained and drilled by Shaw, are impeccable in their intonation, diction and reserve power to spare. (Even the Atlanta Boy Choir, one which is not routinely compared to the Vienna Boy Choir employed in the Solti performance on London/Decca, outsings the Vienna boys in this performance.) At the end of "Veni, Creator Spiritus" the combined forces are able to figuratively lift the roof off the Woodruff Hall recording venue in Atlanta. And then do it again at the conclusion of the Faust Scene. The final coda, for orchestra and organ alone, has the requisite volume in reserve so that, after the end of the chorus work, the coda does not come through as some sort of afterthought. The organ is ideally balanced with all the other forces, and supports it perfectly.

It is a tribute to this remarkable conductor that, whenever an "Event for Posterity" such as this performance represents, was underway, every last instrumentalist and vocalist gave his or her all, invariably exceeding all reasonable expectations for what some critics refer to as "a regional orchestra." Chalk it up to the universal affection and respect that all of Shaw's musicians had for him over his career in Atlanta.

This is the Mahler 8th that I always return to. A remarkable recording of a remarkable testament to an equally remarkable musician. And a sonic blockbuster, not soon to be equalled.

Bob Zeidler

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Top Choice, February 6, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Mahler: Symphony No. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand" (Audio CD)

Shaw's 1991 account with the Atlanta Symphony is the new touchstone recording of this splendidly massive and massively splendid work.

That honor has long belonged to Solti's recording with Chicago Symphony. The Solti version has much going for it, including the conductor's Mahlerian expertise, first-rate soloists, and the digitally remastered CD now available. But with its nonetheless aged sonics and compromised choral diction, its overall comprehensibility and emotional impact on the listener diminish in comparison to the Shaw recording.

The latter benefits from impeccable sound engineering and, most importantly, Shaw's unrivalled choral craftsmanship. Here the orchestra and vocalists are more alive, the chorus more dynamic and articulate, the conductor's interpretation equally grand. The only significant drawback of the Shaw recording, as far as this reviewer is concerned, is the quality of the vocal soloists, which, though on the whole are very good, don't quite compare to Solti's. This does very little, though, to detract from the overall impressiveness of this recording. A memorable achievement.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Performance, Well Recorded, October 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Mahler: Symphony No. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand" (Audio CD)

This is my favorite recording of my favorite piece. Clear Sparkling Engineering combined with an excellent and consistent performance. The brilliance and excitement are carried through the entire 80 minutes. And it fits on 1 CD. Matter of fact, let's listen to it now....