Mahler - Symphony 5 [Ka Lok- Russian Philharmonic Orchestra]

This is a new disc that i bought on Ebay, Mahler's Fifth is my favourite Symphony by him, so i'm always on the lookout for a disc that might complement my collection, this was unknown to me, so i took a risk, it looks like it's a Hong Kong based company, i guess the jury's out on this disc at the moment, but i will certainly want to hear it again.

Mak Ka Lok is from Hong Kong, this disc was recorded way back in 1993, so it's certainly not recent, the front cover shows Ka Lok in a wood of birch trees i think, lots of leaves on the ground, and there's a lovely side lighting, the box with the lettering is opaque, showing the photograph underneath, and the Hugo logo gives a nice splash of red colour.

Well this was a very even Symphony, no real movement stood out from any other, i must admit that it's a fairly reverberant acoustic, the orchestra sound a little set back, but there's certainly a nice bloom in the bass, and maybe that can be a problem somewhat, it's a bass heavy recording, the brass gets mixed in the background somewhat, you can't hear individual voices all that well, i'm playing it on my portable player, and i've got it playing at full volume, and yet still want a tad more, and maybe some treble to balance things out, it's still a nice recording though, it's good to hear the harp clearly in the fourth movement Adagietto, and if i have to pick a movement, it would be the second movement, it's full of brass, almost a 'Concerto for Brass', and here i admit that even though the brass / percussion is menacing enough [0:00-0:33], there's something missing somehow, there's dull thuds instead of cymbals crashing and dying slowly, certainly not a front row seat, yes it's obvious that everything is just a bit too far away, i like the sound of the timpani though, nice bass rumblings here, timewise compared to my favourite two versions, it's a midway reading

Christoph Von Dohnanyi = 12:54

Mak Ka Lok = 13:58

Riccardo Chailly = 14:58

with each one minute apart, and yet Ka Lok sounds like he lets things drag somewhat, a good sound can make things sound more thrilling and tighter, there's certainly good things here, especially in fortissimos, the trumpets reach a nice crescendo [7:56-8:07], and a little later the high woodwind scream out [8:35-8:42], with the upper brass pleading a shade later, a nice moment, the great climax / resolution near the end is done very well [11:19-12:31], it's probably my favourite moment in the Symphony, and at the end of this moment the music quietens down to hear the sorrowful horns nicely, a nice blaze of brass is well caught [13:01+], Ka Lok doesn't lack any passion, it's just that it would be nice to be 'amongst the orchestra' instead of 'in a seat at the back'!, the 'inner voicings' are a real key to a successful performance.

Here's Gergiev conducting this movement on YouTube.

Mahler - Symphony 4 [Hendricks/Mehta-Israel Philharmonic Orchestra]

I have roughly ten Mahler 4's in my collection, and this is certainly one of the better of them, from the cover, it presents itself as pastoral sunny work, and certainly it's the happiest of Mahler's Symphonies, i remember walking in the woods listening to this Symphony, seemed like the perfect place to hear Mahler's 4, the front booklet cover is fantastic [by Eric Bach], a castle on the hill, tiny in the picture, juxtaposed against the blossoms on the tree, i played this disc almost five years ago [21st June 2010].

Zubin Mehta is Indian, he's now 78, he recorded this in 1979, wow already over 35 years ago!, and yet it's still considered a 'modern' recording, i love these Decca Eclipse recordings, a great way to collect the back catalogue, and with seventy plus minutes of music.

On this listen i just love the slow movement, marked as Ruhevoll by Mahler, ruhe = rest, voll = fully, i think the idea was relaxing / refreshing, i guess like sleep, you get fully invigorated, the movement is long, clocking in at nearly 22 minutes here, but it never feels that long, maybe the same length as say a Schubert's Ninth movement [15 minutes], it indulges you, and you forget time!, the heavenly opening chords straight away introduce that beautiful tune, this to me represents a far more accurate portrayal of a possible heaven than the worded account in the following movement, supposedly built upon a set of variations, i love the way mahler takes the violins so high in the sweet treble, that at times they almost disappear, a wonderful swooning if you will [2:17-3:26], if the strings represent the brighter side of the movement, then the darker side of the movement is represented by the woodwind, or more perfectly by the brass, just over halfway through the movement Mahler uses some dance rhythms, some of it is quite jiggy [14:58-15:57], but after this the music almost descends into a deep pathos [16:17+], i guess a coda if you will, but the whole thing bursts into a loud fanfare of joy [18:30+], announcing the opening tune of the last movement before its time, and again those violins play high in treble, ending on an expectant pause, once you see more of the structure, you understand what Mahler is trying to say.

Mahler - Symphony 4 [Ozawa/Kanawa-Boston Symphony Orchestra] 

This is the first time that this disc makes my Blog, not a version i've played a lot, and still a performance that i'm coming to grips with, this entry only makes the thirteenth appearance of Mahler in my Blog in almost three years!, and only the fifth time that this Symphony gets in, this was the very first Mahler Symphony i got into, and at one time i played it like crazy, i remember a very memorable event playing it in Tenby [South Wales], it was just revelatory [it was Karajan / Mathis / Berliner Philharmoniker], ever since i've had such a soft spot for the slow movement, and it didn't fail me today, what a heavenly creation, the last movement is meant to be the 'child's vision of heaven', but it's the movement before that really explains it better, thank you Mahler.

Seiji Ozawa is Japanese, he's now 77, he recorded this disc in 1987, making a full cycle of the Symphonies of Mahler with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the front cover photograph is by Christian Steiner, a nice straightforward enough portrait, the lighting is wonderful, nice shadows, the black background works wonders on the lighted areas, nice use of the hands too, great lettering creates perfection.

Well like i said above, the third movement really came together today, it really hit the spot, it's one of those moments that the music comes very alive, it hit my heart hard, there are just times when it all comes together, and i'm thankful for these moments, it makes all the buying / listening to music worth it, Ozawa takes just over 20 minutes, and the movement is mainly in the key of G Major,,

Here's Leonard Bernstein conducting the third movement on YouTube.

Mahler - Symphony 4 [Ameling/Previn - Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra] 

Another truly sublime performance, it actually had me in tears during the last two movements, it's so moving, i played it over the park, a real sense of nature with the trees and grass, it's the first Mahler Symphony i ever heard, took me a little while to get into Mahler's soundworld, but it became the springboard to all other Mahler Symphonies, i played this just over a year ago [29th March 2011].

Andre Previn is originally German, but moved to the United States when he was young, and became a citizen there, he's now 83 years old, he made this recording in 1978, i really like these EMI Studio Plus recordings, and there's some beauties in this series, all the booklets show a close up of the Artist, with a colourful box for the lettering, almost a colour code, this one is blue and yellow, i like the photo and the whole package.

Like i said above, it was the last two movements which moved me deeply, the long [23 minutes] third movement develops a powerful intensity on the high violins towards the end, but all this sets the scene for the last movement, a simple and rustic view of heaven from the perspective of an innocent child, now i don't know how to speak German, and i only know a few words, but i got the gist of what was being said,.

Here's Elly Ameling singing the fourth movement on YouTube, this time with Bernard Haitink conducting.

Mahler - Symphony 5 [Chailly-Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra] 

Another disc listened to over the park, while writing my Journal, it's my favourite Mahler Symphony, and i marvelled at the invention of it, the opening trumpet fanfare is a moment of pure genius, and the way the orchestra is brought in to substantiate the solo trumpet is thrilling, and the rest of the Symphony is chock full of invention and memorableness, it's a long Symphony [71 minutes here], but never at any time am i fighting to keep my concentration over certain parts, if Mahler had tried to shorten it, he would have to remove vital organs from its body, and it would be deformed and die, here Mahler is the king of the brass [especially the trumpet], the whole Symphony is like one big fanfare, and the ending has a powerful resolution to it, it's nigh on a perfect as a Symphony can get, Mahler only has 10 other entries in my Blog, and half of them are for the Fifth Symphony!, it speaks for itself.

Riccardo Chailly [pronounced shar-ee] is Italian, he is 59, he recorded this disc in 1997, the booklet cover is a painting by Mark Jackson, over which lettering and the Roman symbol V [5] is superimposed, also a linking circle and triangle, it's sparse, but i prefer it to the other cover which is going around of Chailly himself on the front.

The second movement is my favourite, and the other 5 entries in my Blog of Mahler's Fifth Symphony, i also find the second movement was favoured, again it speaks for itself, it's a movement that Mahler titles 'ardently stormy, with great vehemence', and certainly the opening has that in spades, the brass certainly blast away here, with hard percussion in the background [0:00-1:20], and yet the movement is punctuated with serene moments of caressing strings [1:20-3:34], or rather it's the louder outbursts that are the punctuations [3:34-4:23], the conclusion / resolution is awe inspiring [12:07-13:20], Shostakovich does the same thing with his Tenth, it's a wonderful moment, Chailly paces the movement expertly.

Here's on Valery Gergiev conducting the second movement on YouTube.

Mahler - Symphony 5 [Ozawa-Boston Symphony Orchestra]

This was a great experience, listening to this while walking to Church today, it's a live recording [applause at the end], yet very well recorded indeed, lovely crashes of cymbals, very realistic, the sound adds immeasurably to the enjoyment of this work, i played this at the end of 2010 [5th December 2010], on that listening i highlighted the individual little ideas and sonorities that Ozawa can bring out, maybe at the expense of the whole work [focusing on individual trees instead of the whole forest], but on this listening i took on a more broader view, noticing Ozawa's forest, i just love the way it all seemed to gel together today.

Seiji Ozawa is 76, he's Japanese, in the last 2 years he's had health problems which has kept him off the concert hall platform, he recorded this work in 1990, i like the booklet front cover [photo by Michihara Okubo], showing a close up of Ozawa in action, i guess a rehearsal performance, but surprisingly sharp, a nice pose, dark background with white lettering on, really works out well, nicely positioned.

This is the third time i've played this disc, and on this listening i so much enjoyed the first movement, the opening solo trumpet fanfares are truly inspired [0:00-0:53], making a revolutionary and truly memorable impression, towards the end come crashes and outbursts, a lovely tone from the trumpet, and this fanfare returns a little later [2:14-3:03], i must admit in places Ozawa takes things at a fairly leisurely pace, maybe taking the edge off the bite this work can have, it's that damn trumpet that comes back again and again, trying to muscle in its opening fanfare again [5:27+, 5:59+ & 6:19+], this time competing against vociferous strings, and once you notice the trumpets contribution, you can hear Mahler creating an 'idee fixe' over the whole movement [7:04+], i like the way the timpani gets in on the act of soloing the trumpets fanfare [9:47-10:01], a nice touch from Mahler, at times you could consider it a Trumpet Concerto of sorts, and it's the trumpet that ends up having the last say with it's fanfare [11:37-12:40], albeit an offstage trumpet, a very satisfying movement of music.

Here's Daniel Barenboim conducting the first movement on YouTube.

Mahler - Symphony 9 [Morris-The Symphonica Of London]

Now Mahler's Ninth is far from my favourite Symphony by him, in fact it's one of his less accessible works for me, maybe it has a lot to do with the fact that i haven't listened to it a lot, and i haven't listened to it a lot because each time i do listen to it, i come away with a mediocre experience, therefore i'm never rushing back to it to listen to it again, yet i persevere, and it's good to give this set a spin, i need to learn the beauty of the Ninth.

Wyn Morris was Welsh, born in 1929, and died in 2010, he didn't record a lot, mainly Symphonic cycles of Mahler and Beethoven, this set spills over onto a second disc, because of the 82 minutes it takes, the front cover is a gorgeous picture, a blue tinged photo of the sun breaking through the fir trees, hazy and misty light spreads to all the points of a clock, the trees tower over the viewer, there's a real sense of majesty and power, even the IMP Classics rainbow logo adds such a thrilling dash of colour to it all, i love this box set.

Of all the movements of Mahler, it seems that he put the most creative effort into the first movements, and the Second, Sixth, and Ninth are certainly so in my mind, each one starts off great, but then maybe get lost in the vastness of themselves, so it was the first movement that moved me the most, it's a mammoth statement, at over 30 minutes long here, and yet it really held my attention, 

Here's Leonard Bernstein conducting the first movement on YouTube.