Customer Reviews

Mahler: Symphony No. 1 in D "Titan"

5 star:		(1)
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3 star:		(2)
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Decca has released Zubin Mehta's Mahler First from Los Angeles when he was in his glory days as a young media star. His career hasn't panned out critically--he rarely gets better than ho-hum reviews. One of the best things about him, though, is his loyalty to the Israel Phil., with whom he frequently tours. Here they perform the Mahler First rather dutifully. We've gotten so used to world-class orchestras dazzling us in Mahler that to hear a decent, medium-good reading feels like a letdown.

Mehta takes mostly relaxed tempos, far from the intense passion of Bernstein. He approaches the slow movement as an actual dirge, not a parody. The peasants don't dance with earthy robsutness in the Scherzo; they're a bit sleepy after working all day. As other reviewers point out, the finale is slow and non-dramatic. the best thing here is the discarded "Blumine" movement, which Mehta leads with affection.

What can you say aobut a conductor who keeps coming back to Mahler decade after decade without making much of an impression?

Let me start by saying that I don't see what is wrong with this recording. Demien, another reviewer, seems to think that the conducter and the orchestra are "self-conscious" in this recording, but as far as I could tell from listening to this recording, his perception of "self-conscious" was the fact that they played rather quickly in the slower movements and in the finale. Rest assured, however, this is of no detriment to the effect of this symphony, and it genuinely feels like a perfomance in a complete listen. The only complaints: slightly too slow 2nd movement also features strange "wah-wah" tone from the french horns, and the last two notes of the finale are a little too fast. Otherwise, far superior to Mehta's Sony account with the NY Phil, with the extra "Blumine" as a nice bonus. It's amazing how these budget recordings can compete with the most expensive of the bunch, such as the ridiculously expensive Tilson Thomas recording.

THIS IS A TOTAL WASTE OF TIME.
MEHTA IS UNINSPIRED AND SPINELESS IN THIS INTERPRETATION.
THE ORCHESTRA PLAYS FINE BUT IT ALL SOUNDS TOTALLY CONTRIVED AND SELF CONSCIOUS.
THE FIRST MOVEMENT LACKS THE OMINOUS MYSTERY AND THE SPARKLE OF DISCOVERY.
THE SECOND MOVEMENT LACKS THE GUSTO AND THRUST THAT MAKES IT IGNITE.
THE THIRD MOVEMENT LACKS VISION AND CREATIVE STYLISH PHRASING TO MAKE THE GHOULISH DREAM COME ALIVE.
THE FOURTH MOVEMENT LACKS A REAL EXPLOSIVE MOMENTUM. IT KICKS BUT ITS SELF CONSCIOUS AND IT SOUNDS FORCED INSTEAD OF NATURAL.
IRONICALLY THE ONLY MOVEMENT THAT SOUNDS SPONATANEOUS AND FREE OF INTELLECTUAL BINDING IS THE BLUMINE MOVEMENT THAT MAHLER DROPPED BEFORE THE PREMIERE...
TO SUM IT UP...YOU GET A WELL EXECUTED PERFORMANCE LACKING VISION AND SPONTANTEOUS CREATION.
DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY IF YOU KNOW BETTER.
TRY TENNSTEDT ON EMI OR WALTER ON SONY FOR A REAL TITAN MAHLER 1.
LONG LIVE MAHLER!
O.F.