Dame Janet Baker, Jennie Tourel - Mahler: The Complete Symphonies ~ Bernstein
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Free Music Notes for Mahler: The Complete Symphonies ~ Bernstein
Free Music Review: Only 9 of Mahler's 10 completed symphonies??
Hit: 5 Stars
According to the contents listed, the set contains 2 Kindertotenlieder recordings (one with Jennie Tourel, one with Janet Baker), but NO symphony Das Lied von der Erde. Is this correct?Free Music Review: Mahler complete symphonies.
Hit: 5 Stars
"Mahler was an altogether great man" -One who also knows a thing or two.Free Music Review: The first but not the foremost
Hit: 4 Stars
Bernstein's mid-'60s Mahler series was reportedly the first complete cycle on record, and did much to start Mahler's music on the road to the mainstream acceptance it enjoys today. For that, and for some individual recordings which still set the standard, this is a valuable set.That said, the general understanding of Mahler has matured in the 35-40 years since these recordings were new. So today, a fair amount of what Bernstein did then sounds an awful lot like beating the listener over the head with a 2 x 4, repeatedly saying, "Do you get it? Do you get it?" The Second and Eighth Symphonies in particular come off as caricatures (although not grotesque ones, as was Bernstein's DG remake of the Second), with the vocal soloists in the Eighth hamming it up. As for the Sixth, my favorite among Mahler's symphonies, Bernstein's relentless quick-march through the score actually proves less effective than Pierre Boulez's reserved approach (or Bernstein's own, more measured remake for DG), even if Lenny's sincerity and passion are never in doubt.
Compared to the later set Bernstein did for DG, this series is invariably fresher and more vibrant. The New York Philharmonic of the mid-'60s could be scrappy, but there's an element of "soul" in the playing that's lacking in the world-class ensembles (including this orchestra) Bernstein conducted for his DG set years afterward. While the differences are not so apparent in the Seventh Symphony, which in either set is among the finest available, Bernstein's 1960s recordings of the Third and Ninth Symphonies are blessed with a naturalness that is lacking in the older man's interpretations. I may be among the few who prefers Bernstein's 1966 First to his 1989 remake (the later performance inflates the music too much), and I count his 1960 Fourth as seriously underrated. However, the Fifth Symphony is a weak link. The DG remake is waterlogged if beautifully played and nicely recorded, while the Sony (originally CBS) original flows far better but suffers from slipshod playing and dingy sound. It's the closest Bernstein comes to being unexceptional.
In short, if your view is that overstatement is essential in conveying Mahler's music, nobody overstated it better than Bernstein, and he made a stronger case for overstatement in this set than he did 20 years later. Ah, but if only Jascha Horenstein had the chance to record a complete Mahler cycle with a competent orchestra...
Free Music Review: An incredibly priced set of very good Mahler recordings
Hit: 4 Stars
I own both Bernstein cycles of the Mahler symphonies. I first purchased the digital set, but when this set came out, I had to get it. I know that it was one of the first complete Mahler cycles out and that traditionally the performances are accepted as some of the better interpretations of Mahler. After having listened to the whole cycle, I can say without a hesitation that the price is a bargain on this cycle. Highlights of the cycle for me are the 6th and 7th symphonies. The 6th symphony in particular is incredible. It's such a dark symphony to begin with, but with the conducting of Bernstein (who seems to be over-the-top) you get a much more compellingly ominous result. Definitely the 6th symphony is the highlight for me on this cycle. The sound quality is pretty good on all the symphonies. Sony did a good job cleaning them up and ridding them of excess hiss and crackle. The recording of the 7th symphony was the one that opened my mind and heart to this symphony. The reason that I don't give this cycle 5 stars is that I'm not particularly impressed with the 1st and 5th symphonies. Perhaps, I am still too much of a digital lover, because my favorites of those are Bernstein's on DG, where the digital recordings reveal the full splendor of Mahler's great works. The 60's analog recordings don't quite have the full range of sound in them on these two symphonies, and that can be a little disappointing. However, one can still get a sense of the excitement of the performance even when the sound is subpar.
Anyone looking for advice on this cycle, I would offer this: Go for the DG digital cycle of Bernstein if you're willing to pay the extra money. If you want the full cycle and you're on a budget, go for this one. I highly doubt that if you love Mahler that you'll regret having invested in this set. It is quite good. Anyone just getting into Mahler, this is probably a good entrance for you too if you're looking to get all the symphonies at once. If you're looking for the best introduction to Mahler though, I'd recommend Bernstein's 1st and 5th symphonies on DG (in digital) as first listening.
Free Music Review: Bernstein's Mahler
Hit: 4 Stars
This is an excellent set of Mahler's symphonies, the Kindertotenlieder, three Ruckertlieder, and the adagio of the tenth. But these are not the only Mahler symphonies conducted by Bernstein, and Bernstein is not the best. but if you want to get all of them at once, this is the way to do it. I think Bruno Walter or Herbert von Karajan might be better, and there is a new set that David Zinman is working on right now.
I have other recordings of the first, second, fifth, sixth, and eighth. So of these I can give more educated criticisms.
The first is impressive, and I like it more than Zinman's. I can hear more in Bernstein's than in Zinman's.
In the second, the singing starts off sounding like a rubber band. I know this is an odd comparison, but I can't think of anything else. I remember being more impressed by Zubin Mehta's and Bruno Walter's recordings than this one; although Walter's chorus isn't great either, it is due more to the recording than the chorus.
The fourth movement of the sixth is more effective than the fourth of Karajan's, but I like Karajan's first three movements better than Bernstein's.
I prefer Solti's eighth much more than Bernstein's, the chorus is much louder and more awake sounding in Solti's.
The ninth is probably Mahler's greatest symphony, but by no means my favorite. The first movement is beautiful, the second is lively, the third demonic, and the fourth peaceful. I think this is just the effect it is supposed to have.
If you already have individual symphonies, I would not recommend getting this set, but if you have little or nothing by Mahler, then this is a good investment. One irritating thing is that most of the symphonies are seperated into many different tracks (28 for the ninth). This is alright if you are listening straight through or if you know when a movement starts or stops, but if you are new, it might be annoying.