Mahler: Symphony No. 2 / Mehta, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra [Original recording remastered]

Gustav Mahler (Artist), Zubin Mehta (Artist), Ileana Cotrubas (Artist), Christa Ludwig (Artist), Wiener Philharmoniker (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 13, 2000)
• SPARS Code: ADD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Decca
• ASIN: B00004TEUZ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,448 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #32 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Modern, 20th, & 21st Century > General Contemporary

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: MAHLER,G.
Title: SYM 2
Street Release Date: 06/13/2000
Domestic
Genre: CLASSICAL COMPOSERS

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

68 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Flawless recording, the legend stuff is no hype, January 20, 2001

By 

cmk3001 "classical music kid" (Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mahler: Symphony No. 2 / Mehta, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (Audio CD)

If you get one recording of Mahler's spectacular Resurrection, get this one. I have 3 recordings of this piece, and this one is my favorite out of those 3. Single disc Mahler 2nds are very rare. But this one is better than alot of its double disc competitors. This is probably Mehta's finest Mahler album ever. I cannot say enough good things about this recording, but I will say as many as I can.

The first movement is very dramatic. Mehta opens with a very tense, brisk tempo. Even though he opens fairly brisk, Mehta never rushes, but never drags, clocking in at 21'03, a full 2 minutes slower then Klemperer who actually opens with a slower tempi. The timpani is very well-defined, however not overpowering, throughout the movement, as well as throughout the entire disc.

The Andante is played very well. The phrasing is wonderful. Mehta's tempi are pretty much the same as most others, perhaps a little faster in some spots.

The Scherzo starts out the best I have ever heard. Two crisp, crystal clear Timpani strikes. Then the next 2 are softer, then the next 2 are even softer, which gives it an amazing affect. My other recordings don't have as much contrast between the strikes. The tempi again is average. Brass section is great, as usual.

Then to the Urlicht. It is played slower then most, clocking in at 5'40. (I think the only slower on it is Berstein on DG.) It is undescribebly beautiful. Mehta's slower tempo just adds to the heartbreaking beauty. I like my slow movements as beautiful as possible and Mehta does not disappoint. Add to that the gorgeous singing of Ileana Contrubas and you have got a winning combonation.

To the massive finale. Now, here is where Mehta really triumphs. The tempi are perfect. Mehta builds the climaxes perfectly, never dragging. The brass play superbly! I heard some of the lower brass instruments in this movement that I didn't even hear before in my other recordings. Very impressive. When the chorus enters, just listen to the bass singers! Spectacular. The entire chorus sounds heaven-sent. Contrubas and Ludwig sing crystal clear and beautifully. The organ is heard very clearly. Again, it is not heard as well in my other recordings. In the coda, you can hear every instrument very well: Organ, brass section, and percussion(timpani, gong and bells). The combonation of perfect tempi, magnificent signing and ultra-vituostic playing make the finale one of the most moving pieces of music you will ever hear. Ya might want a tissue handy.

This recording has everything you could possibly ask for. Mehta's perfect tempi, great signing by Contrubas, Ludwig, and the Vienna Staatsopernchor. The Vienna Philharmoniker, particularly the brass, play just like the virtuostic ensemble that they are. And all this comes on a single, mid-price disc! Plain and simple: unbeatable. On top of all that, might I also add that this disc is 81 minutes long and has very good sound quality. This really does deserve to be in the Decca legends series, as the legendary on the cover is no hype. Go and get it ASAP.

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow..., June 29, 2003

By 

Ryan Richards "reb77" (Midland, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mahler: Symphony No. 2 / Mehta, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (Audio CD)

It might get better than this, but I'm not really sure how. This Second is without question one of the most engaging, dynamic performances I've ever heard. If you're worried about Mehta's speedy tempo in the first movement, don't be; the music never sounds rushed, only tense and fiery and just smoldering with anger (except for the peace and celestial beauty of the second subject, which makes such an amazing contrast with the rest of the movement that it's hard to comprehend). The second movement is another brilliant contrast, a "Schubertian song": the VPO makes it tender and lyrical without ever becoming overwhelming. Then the scherzo (which starts with two brilliantly clear timpani strokes) is sinuous and mysterious and wonderfully macabre. Mehta and the VPO preserve the individual character of each of these movements while simultaneously managing to give them a unified feel, a sense that they belong to a coherent whole. As amazing as all of that is, however, it just can't compare to the final two movements. Ludwig has an amazingly full, rich contralto, turning the melancholy beauty of the Urlicht into something almost sacrosanct, and Cotrubas just soars above everything when she enters during the finale--appropriate for a movement that, in this recording, sounds as though the very gates of Heaven are opening and shining unimagined brilliance down onto Earth. I really can't summarize this recording effectively except to say that it's another one of those CDs that makes the music sound the way it was "supposed" to sound. It's just textbook-perfect. Add that to the fact that you get the *entire* symphony on one CD, and this becomes an unbeatable bargain. If it wasn't obvious already, I highly recommend this recording.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Annoy your neighbor! Or make them pray!, December 20, 2002

By 

hsu kui-shu (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mahler: Symphony No. 2 / Mehta, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (Audio CD)

I have 2 more versions of this monstrous symphony(Klemperer-New Philarmonia, Walter-NYPO), but none of them can match the intensity, passion, emotion, and fire of this version by Mehta and VPO. I almost cried when I first heard it!
The quality of the CD is just a killer. YOU CAN HEAR EVERY INSTRUMENT WITH A LITTLE REVERB! That's especially true in the final movement. It's like being in the recording session yourself! The sound is huge. It's like that there was a wall of Marshall amps behind the orchestra & chorus! This CD should be played as loud as possible. It's the best to annoy your neighbors,or make them pray!
The first movement is the most violent, bitter, and angriest I have ever heard. The climaxes are just sheer-powerful.
The second movement is pretty much the same. The third movement opens with the best timpani I have ever heard. Those timpani strikes sound like you just woke up from a beautiful dream and went back to the cruel reality.
The fourth...Oh, the fourth movement! By now, it's the best fourth I've ever heard. Ludwig sounds like praying! And in my opinion this movement should sounds like a prayer.
Then the epical finale. The instrumental part is just monstrous. The off-stage band is amazingly awesome. You can hear every note they play. The voices part is the most powerful, passionate and emotional I've ever heard. When they sing the final word "tragen", they hold the last syllabus as long as possible. It really makes the climax more earth-shattering than ever before. That's really I want it to sound like, and other recordings didn't manage that well.
The price is a steal, so go and get it! And make sure to get some tissues when you hear it. Because I lent this recording to a girl, and she cried for 5 minutes just after the voices sang the last word!
And finally, if there was a 10-star setting, I'd give 11, and if it was 100-stars, I'd give 110!