Quote:
Originally Posted by tima
Unlike the preceding 2nd, 3rd, and 4th symphonies, Mahler's symphony number 5 has no vocal elements. [edited] It is also known for its use of 6 horns (Beethoven's 5th used 3.) Its 1st movement begins with a funeral march with an associated stormy 2nd movement. The 3rd movement, the Scherzo, begins to lighten a bit with dance references. Tragedy turns to beauty in the 4th, scored solely for strings. The final 5th movement is lively and upbeat.
The 5th is not my favorite Mahler symphony. However to the general populace (at least those vaguely or somewhat aware of Mahler) it contains what may be his most famous piece of music. That is the 4th movement, the Adagietto, often characterized as the most beautiful of all Mahler's music, purportedly written as a love song to Mahler's new bride Alma in 1902. The 4th movement also has the noteriety of being played at Robert Kennedy's (Sr) funeral held at Saint Patrick's Cathedral in New York City with performance by Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic. It has been performed stand alone for various films and commercial offerings; people have heard it even if they don't know its Mahler.
Now for something you might find interesting... a comparison between the AAA Original Source von Karajan / Berlin Philharmonic Mahler 5th (above post) with one from Leonard Bernstein and the Vienna Philharmonic.
The Bernstein issuance is DG 423 608-1 / Analogphonic reissue LP43004. It was recorded live in 1987 as Digital recording.
Here is the Original Source version of Movement 4 performed by von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic: https://youtu.be/Ki7UB46VnWs
And the same Movement 4 from Bernstein and the Vienna Philharmonic on the Analogphonic reissue: https://youtu.be/llHhw4h8odw
Do you like one better than the other? Let me know.
PS - you'll need more than a phone or laptop speakers to appreciate. |
Okay, the above post offered links to recordings made from my system playing the Mahler Symphony 5 movement 4 -- the famous Adagietto. One performance from Leonard Bernstein and one from Herbert von Karajan. I thought these sound good, maybe not great, but they are representations of what my system sounds like. Of course the performances are wonderful.
Recently I acquired a Mint (unplayed) box set of Mahler Symphonies 5-10 as preformed by Bernard Haitink and the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam.
Philip 6761 001 or Philips 6500 348-357. You can find these 10 record box sets in mint condition on Discogs.com at very reasonable prices. (Most are outside the US and shipping may not be reasonable; mine came from Australia but still under $100 US.) There is a matching box set of Symphonies 1-4 (Philips 711 003) with 6 LPs. And a 16 LP box set of Symphonies 1-10 (Philips 6768 021). All from 1972.
This is an excellent set for your collection from a top-notch Mahler conductor. Haitink left a huge Mahler legacy with many other recordings.
Given all that, here is a recording of the Symphony 5 Adagietto made on my Lamm/JBL system:
https://youtu.be/urtb29ZvwDY?si=EgMledYkfJKtSIg6
Of the three, which is your favorite?