Who Is the Greatest Composer Ever?

[bignaf]

Originally posted by Shapley:
However, if I were to be stranded on a desert island with only one composer's symphonies to listen to, I would choose Mahler's.


V/R
Shapley

Same here. If I were stuck on a desert island I would be full of self-pity, and Mahler would jive well with that.

[Shapley]

[Catmando]

Shapley,

What are some good quality recordings of Mahler symphonies?

Thanks!

Ray

[Trumpetmaster]

Ray,
Mahler Symphonies with Lenny and the NY Philharmonic!!!!

TM

[Shapley]

Ray,

I'm not sure I'm the best to answer that. I have a complete set by Sir George Solti and the Chicago Symphony, which I like very much. My introduction to his music was the Symphony #2 by Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic, which I still have on vinyl, I also have the first and ninth by Leonard Bernstein and the NYO.

You can find a complete set by 'Lenny', with the song cycles, but it'll run about $70. Well worth the money, IMHO, but probably out of a lot of peoples price range. (I'd have to buy the wife something very nice after spending that much on more classical CD's)

I have complete set on vinyl, I don't recall the conductor. It is a passable set, except for the eighth, which sounds like it may have been recorded by Edison himself. The second and ninth were excellent recordings, the rest were less so. I think they were probably recorded at different studios and perhaps even in different decades. But for a poor boy who couldn't afford much esle, it was the only way to get all 9+ (It included Das Lied van der Erde as symphony #10).

I believe someone has said before on this forum, if you go with Bernstein, you can't go wrong!

V/R
Shapley

[Catmando]

Which is your favorite Mahler symphony?

Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra's final concert of the season is Mahler's 9th, which I am planning to attend!

Ray

[Shapley]

Ray,

I'm partial to the second. The St. Louis Symphony performed it last year, but we were out of the area at the time, so I couldn't go. I'm surprised they don't have it on the schedule for this Easter. It's not really about Easter, but a lot of concert halls schedule it at that time.

I've not seen a live performance of any symphony in ages. I'm sure you'll have a great time!

V/R
Shapley

<small>[ 03-28-2006, 03:19 PM: Message edited by: Shapley ]</small>

[Trumpetmaster]

Mahler Symphony No.5!!!!!

[Catmando]

Shapley,

I attended my first live symphony last spring, Beethoven's 9th! I couldn't believe how great it was hearing it live.

This year, I've seen Beethoven's 7th symphony, Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto and Dvorak's 7th symphony. All spectacular.

So I'm really excited about the May concert featuring Mahler's 9th. Apparently it's the first time the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra is performing this piece.

We're very fortunate to have not just a symphony, but a good quality symphony orchestra in Winnipeg.

Ray

[Shapley]

Ray,

No doubt. The nearest symphony to me is in St. Louis, which is about two hours away.

BTW, I have the EMI Budget set of Mahler's symphonies, but only bought it a couple of weeks ago, so I haven't listened to it yet. It features Klaus Tennstedt Conducting the London Philharmonic.

V/R
Shapley

[bignaf]

favorite Mahler is the 3rd today.
there are two Bernstein cycles. the older one is faster and more exciting, the later one is slower with more depth (and bigger tempo fluctuations). the early cycle is on Sony, the late is on DG.

[Shapley]

Here are the two sets:

http://music.barnesandnoble.com/search/product.asp?z=y&EAN=696998949928&ITM=2

http://music.barnesandnoble.com/search/product.asp?z=y&EAN=28945908021&ITM=3

Both are out of my current price range, unfortunately.

V/R
Shapley

[dai bread]

What do you Mahler fans think of #10, in both Cooke's & Barshai's completions? I haven't heard Cooke's but Barshai's sounds true, and is quite an earful.

[bignaf]

i have yet to hear either.

[Shapley]

Dai,

I've not heard either of them either. My old vinyl set included Das Lied van der Erde as Symphony #10. My Solti set includes only #1-#9. The Tennstedt set includes the unfinished #10, but I've not listened to it yet.

V/R
Shapley

[dai bread]

I've seen quite a number of people cite "Das Lied von der Erde" as a symphony, presumably #10 since I think Mahler's more normal symphonies are numbered 1-9 in the usual fashion, and #10 was never finished.

I think "Das Lied" stands on its own. It may have a symphonic structure, but I don't agree that it is another symphony. If general opinion turns out to be that it is one, then presumably it has to be #11.

[Shapley]

Dai,

Yes, It was 'fashionable' in the '70s to refer to Das Lied as Symphony #10 on Mahler collections. Apparently it stopped when somenone began recording the #10 adagio and including it in their release. (Bernstein?)

V/R
Shapley

[Bones]

Mahler was superstitious about the curse of the 9 symphonies (Beethoven and Schubert died after writing 9). After he wrote the 8th, he wrote "Das Lied" but didn't number it the 9th Symphony. Then, when he completed his 9th, he told Alma that the crisis was over because "Das Lied" was his 9th, and he had beaten the curse by writing a 10th Symphony (which was numbered the 9th). Of course, the curse of the 9th hit him anyway, because he never completed his 10th, and nobody but Mahler really considered "Das Lied" a symphony.

<small>[ 04-04-2006, 10:03 AM: Message edited by: Bones ]</small>

[Shapley]

Bones,

Thanks for the info. I suppose Dvorak was a victim of the 'curse of the nines' as well?

(as were Vaughn Williams and Bruckner?)

V/R
Shapley

<small>[ 04-04-2006, 11:52 AM: Message edited by: Shapley ]</small>

[dai bread]

If you can get a copy of Barshai's completion of the 10th, try it. I think you'll like it. As I said above, I haven't heard Cooke's version, so can't comment.

A lot of people don't like completions by others, but in this case at least, they miss out on some great music. Mackerras' reconstruction of Sullivan's cello concerto is another instance of worthwhile work by someone other than the composer.