Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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

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.

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....

Robert Shaw's recording of Mahler's 8th is phenominal! From the powerful opening measures, to the uplifting finale, Shaw and the performers hold the listener's attention with unparalled clarity. The enormous choral forces and orchestra are extremely well balanced, and the soloist's stamina and sound are outstanding. This recording should be a definite buy for any classical enthusiast, as Shaw makes the Universe vibrate with Mahler's masterwork.

While this is my first recording of "Mahler 8th" it is certainly a good way to start. I had heard other recordings of this symphony and was not impressed, but Shaw leading the Atlanta Symphony is certainly one to recommend. Great Sound too!

I'm not sure another review of Shaw' reading of the Mahler is needed here, but I have to write something in order to give stars. I think I would rate this somewhere between 4 and 4 and 1/2, so I gave it 5 - principally to help counteract the rather mean-spirited one-star rating by one of the reviewers.

I actually think this is a very fine reading, with very good soloists and chorus work. The best or a touchstone? No - but still a reading that gradually won me over more and more. There can be a a great temptation to try too hard with the 8th, admittedly sometimes to stunning effect; but Shaw taught me a lesson here. At first I felt his reading was underpowered, but as it progressed I felt he was more and more not trying to make a statement but rather *allowing* the music to unfold in a faithful but unobtrusive way. And his way worked admirably. There's plenty of drama when drama is needed, but it arises in a natural way from the overall flow. The prayer of the "Veni, Creator Spiritus" is given with plenty of fervor; the "Faust" section of part 2 then unfolds as the quiet and sure out-working of that prayer. I think I'll come to like this Shaw recording more and more, not instead of but along with all the others I own.

It's only one disc and going cheap. Try it and make up your own mind!

... just because it's Robert Shaw, and I know I shouldn't be disappointed at Maestro Shaw's high reputation and excellence as a choral expert, even though he was surely not much of a Mahler expert, such as Walter, Solti, and Bernstein.

Compared to Solti's 70s recording with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Bernstein's 60s recording with the London Symphony Orchestra, it may not be as demanding and potent enough to give goosebumps, but still both the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the all the vocal groups has done a great job, including all the collegiate choral groups from Ohio State and U of South Florida, which I'm sure all the members will never forget and listen to their permanent collaboration with Maestro Shaw. Adding to that, the purely digital sound so clean and polished (this might be the reason the musical quality doesn't seem so demanding... I personally like older recordings because they seem to sound sharper for some reason).

I'm not sure this recording would be THE legend of Mahler Eighth of the nineties, but still it is worth listening. If you're a Shaw fan, especially, hope you enjoy this "lost masterpiece".

To be guaranteed, it's a great choice.

This recording of Mahler's 8th Symphony does not stand among the best of what is available in the current recorded versions. The orchestra and chorus sounds very distant and shallow. The Atlanta Orchestra has made an admirable attempt to record this piece. Unfortunately, the competition is overwhelming among other recorded Mahler 8ths. For the outlay required for one CD, one would be far better served to purchase the historic 1972 recording of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (recorded in Vienna) on London/Decca. Even the 1960s recording of the 8th with Bernstein and thd London Symphony Orchestra, while not a first choice, is far preferable to this recording.

A final detail that I do not like about this recording: the organ music comes through speakers, not an authentic pipe organ.

OK, OK, So, I've become a Mahler fanatic! Of the Symphony of a Thousand I have 6 versions: Chailly/Decca; Gielen/Hanssler; Sinopoli/ DG; Shaw/Telarc; Solti/Decca and Wit/Naxos. I would give all a 5 for performance, but for sound I would give all but the Solti a 5 as well. The Solti I would give a 4.5 to for sound. Hey, after all, it's a 1972 analog recording and to a slight degree the sound is beginning to show it's age. The one I turn to most frequently is this, the Shaw/Telarc. I can't say the performance is any better than the others, however the sound is up to Telarc's high standards and it's all on one disc. One thing I've noticed lately about older Telarc recordings is that although when new they may have retailed for around $17 or $18 many of their finest, including this CD, have been reduced to below $10. So, it's a real steal. Likewise the same is true of the Solti. Although the Wit/Naxos is on 2 cd's it too is at a low price. Of course, you have to remember that Naxos is a budget label, but note this: Wit and the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus always get first-class sound and give first-class performances of anything they do. As far as I know the Sinopoli, another favorite of mine on 2 discs is nla (I just did a search on Amazon and actually found it listed! It's not coupled with the adagio from the Symphony no. 10, run a search under: Mahler 8 Sinopoli). This leaves the Chailly/Decca & Gielen/Hanssler. Both are great performances although the Chailly has a fair amount of reverb in it, which many find slightly objectionable. I recommend it none-the-less. The Gielen has the advantage of Hanssler's fantastic sound plus a filler. Now, my feeling is that when this great symphony appears on 2 discs, Part 1 should be on the first disc and Part 2 on the second. So, where does the filler (Schonberg's "Jacob's Ladder") go? Right where it belongs, as the first track on disc 1. That way you can either listen to disc 1 all the way through, starting with the Schonberg and then the Mahler, or just listen to Part 1 and when over give a few minutes break as you put on disc 2 for the final section of Goethe's "Faust".

Next point: If you have no Mahler is your collection complete? Well, if you like the Romantic period of music then the answer is, "No". I probably have more music from this period of composition than any other (Baroque, Classical, etc.) and with my next order to Amazon I will have more Mahler than any other composer. Yes, I'm a fanatic! If you're new to Mahler I would say start with either the 1st or 4th. Both are good entry points into Mahler's sound world with the fourth probably being his sunniest work. If you want to enter whole hog and get all his symphonies in a box set I would go for the Gielen on Hanssler. ClassicsToday gives the complete boxed set their highest rating of 10/10 for sound and performance. I have Gielen's 1st, 2nd "Resurrection", 3rd, 7th, 8th "Symphony of a Thousand" and the Derek Cooke performing version of the 10th.

Back to the 8th. Part 1 is based on the Latin hymn, "Veni Creator Spiritus" while Part 2 is a musical representation of the final section of Goethe's Faust. Does it all work? Heck yes, Mahler's genius makes all the complexities sound like child's play. If you look at Amazon's price for the Shaw/Telarc it's now in the budget range, and is in fact the least expensive of all the versions I mention here at $9.98 for the single CD. Now, I do get some criticism for liking the Shaw. There are those who feel that Shaw just isn't as good a conductor of the more serious classical music as the other conductors I mention. To that I say, "Oh Fuddy Duddy!"

The only Mahler Symphony I have a problem with is the 6th, the "Tragic". I think that's because it does have a depressing or tragic feeling to it that I, being bipolar, just don't need! But, heck, shucky darns, that doesn't keep me from giving it a run through at least once a month if not more often (I'm determined to keep listening to it until I finally get the hang of it). In this house Mahler probably gets the old platter spinning more than any other composer.

Well, I'm just about finished here with the 8th. While enjoying this great work think of how difficult it must have been for the producers & engineers to record a work with such large scale forces: an orchestra of over 100, various choruses totaling almost 900 people (although most recordings scale it down a good deal, but manage to make it seem like there are still a huge number in the various choruses) plus 8 soloists. No matter how you look at it it's a monstrous undertaking. How did Gustav ever create this is beyond me.

To those of you, who like me, love classical music just think of how far the recording industry has come in giving us, what today is a tremendous classical output in all genres and forms just in the past 50 years. Think of all the composers who today are, among we lovers of good music, are household names, which 50 years ago were virtually unknown. I believe it was Vivaldi's Four Seasons that wasn't either known or recorded until the 1940's and just look here on Amazon to see a listing they have for this one work.

All I can say to Amazon is, "Keep up the good work and great service!" we appreciate it even if we don't say so.

Anyway, if this review in anyway seems a bit disjointed it's because I've been battling a bad headache since around 1pm yesterday and didn't get it under control until just a few hours ago (around 3am). Heck, I need some sleep!

Mark Zimmerman, the Bipolar Bear!

PS: Don't forget to check out the other recordings I mentioned earlier in the review. All are great!

The Symphony of a Thousand is a lot to pull off successfully--and there are a number of competing recordings--but this one is particularly good. In my opinion. Different listeners may prefer the interpretation of different conductors--I personally favor Robert Shaw in this context and find him quite interesting.