Mahler - what are your favorites?

[Haydn]

tima,
I am enjoying your uploads demonstrating JBL M9500s.

[tima]

Originally Posted by Haydn

tima,
I am enjoying your uploads demonstrating JBL M9500s.

Thank you !!

[tima]

Here is a new issuance of Mahler's 5th Symphony with Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic. This is a 2-LP reissue of the original 1975 release (DG 2707 081). The 1975 version was on 3 sides with Mahler's Kindertotenlieder on side 4.

This reissue (6/2/2023) drops the Kindertotenlieder and offers the complete 5th Symphony across all 4 sides, which means less compression. It is part of a new limited edition set of Deutsche Grammaphon Gesellschaft (DG) reissues they call The Original Source. This Mahler 5th is limited to 2600 copies, and if you want one I urge you to act now. If you are in the US and buy directly from DG (63.99€) it will cost 37.65€ in shipping, which to me is crazy-high. Consider amazon and you will find it for $59 with prime shipping.

I see the The Original Source (TOS) series as significant because its sources are the original master tapes with DG taking great care to produce true AAA vinyl records. Apparently the master tapes are in excellent condition for their 50 year age as Deutsche Grammaphon is a careful curator. The original pressings were cut with the Teldec equalization curve -- if you don't have that on your phonostage, you're not hearing the original issue of this Mahler at its best.

Specifically for these reissues DG built an all-analog production chain -- they really wanted to do it right. You can read about the technology for TOS at the DG pages here. The 180g TOS records are said to be in top condition for a modern vinyl reissue -- the Mahler copy I have is dead flat and extraordinarily quiet. There are 11 different TOS reissues with some coming (I believe) in August of this year. (One of the first releases, Stravinsky's Le Sacre du printemps, is sold out at DG but may still be at retailers.)

The TOS Mahler I played is open, clear, dynamic with a wall-to-wall soundstage.

[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.

[Kal Rubinson]

Originally Posted by tima

Symphony 5 is the first of Mahler's symphonies that has no vocal elements.

Wasn't the first symphony the first one with no vocal elements?

[tima]

Originally Posted by Kal Rubinson

Wasn't the first symphony the first one with no vocal elements?

Thanks Kal for editing me. You are correct, there are no vocals in 1,5,6,7,9 and the unfinished 10th. (I hope I got that right.) Mahler does 'borrow' or reference from German lied (song) in his symphonies both with and without words. I corrected the post.

[Formerly YB-2]

Just ordered this on CD. If is as good as the reviews I'll search it out on vinyl to see just how good it really is.


Just found the LP-set on sale. Cancelled the CDs and placed the order for the LPs. Might as well listen to it the best it can be.

[tima]

Originally Posted by Formerly YB-2

Just ordered this on CD. If is as good as the reviews I'll search it out on vinyl to see just how good it really is.


Just found the LP-set on sale. Cancelled the CDs and placed the order for the LPs. Might as well listen to it the best it can be.

Excellent - you did good!

I'm thinking the Sony CD set is Bernstein's first Mahler cycle recorded in the 1960s and issued on Columbia. Sony released a reissue of that set on vinyl in 2017 with original covers. (here)

The DG offering is a reissue of Bernstein's second Mahler cycle made in the 1980s. Both are very nice. I'm happy to have both but If forced to chose just one I'd pick the DG set.

Suggestion: play them all when you get them to check for record quality. For others: this LP set is on sale at amazon.

[Formerly YB-2]

You are correct. I went ahead with the CDs just to listen to the differences from Bernstein's exuberant youth to his more mature self 20-odd years later, to say nothing of the differences in the orchestras.

[Gregam]

Originally Posted by tima

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.

In this comparison I prefer Karajan. However, I can also recommend Barbirolli / New Philharmonia from 1969 or even Berstein's earlier version with the NYP from around the same time.