I mentioned in my first post in this thread that I hadn’t sampled to many of the newer Mahler recordings as was therefore interested in some suggestions. The Budapest cycle is the relative new comer for me, along with the other Fisher brother. I have the Boulez/Cleveland Seventh, but haven’t played it in a dogs age. Maybe time for a spin. Abbado/Lucerne or Chicago or or MTT are the other Sevenths that I reach for. |
Although I can't say who has produced the best cycle because there are so many variables I have to agree with @schubert that every one of Fischer's efforts with the Budapest Orchestra is superb in sound and playing but there are many individual symphonies that I just couldn't let go. So for me the jury is out but I still love Fischer's efforts.
|
I very much like Boulez’s Mahler interpretations. I find them more intimate and less grand than my favorite conductors; eg, Bernstein, Abbado. It's a different take on Mahler.
The VPO recordings have the best SQ in the cycle probably due to the sonics of the wonderful Musikveiren and the recording techniques used.
Not quite audiophile, but worth having a listen.
|
I'll add to my previous comments that the Boulez recordings are among the best in sound quality I have heard from DG.
|
I would like to jump into this Mahler pool.
My favorite M, 5th sonically is Barbirolli on EMI. Incredible detail yet warmth.
Another wonderful sounding 5th is the HDTT gold disc mastering of the 1963 RCA recording of Leinsdorf with the BSO. I think Ivan Fischer's recording of the 3rd is sonically and musically superb. Bernstein’s rendering of the 7th with the NY Phil sounds incredible to my ears and it’s my favorite interpretation.
A sleeper is Kiril Kondrashin’s performance of the 9th which I discovered many years ago on an Angel LP. It is now available from HDTT in a somewhat bright sounding but detailed recording. Again, my favorite version. Other favorites sound-wise and interpretatively are Currentzis in the 6th, Szell and Maazel in the 4th and Solti in the 8th. I also admire the work of Roth.
I must admit I’m somewhat puzzled by the seeming preoccupation on this thread with the quality of the orchestras. I would think it’s the interpretation that matters most. When I’m listening to a pianist, I’m not overly concerned about the character of his instrument. Most of the orchestras discussed here are at or near world class.
|
In Russia, Richter recorded on some rickety pianos in the boondocks. Yet, the genius shines through..
|
I really like a version of the Mahler 9th conducted by Blomstedt but it is not comercially available as I recorded it form a BBC Radio 3 broadcast and to me it is devine with all I ever want from a Mahler symphony , it has wonderful dynamics , extreme pathos and a vulnerabillity you can only get from Mahler and it is conducted by a man who the audience and orchestra love.
|
I never heard any Blomstedt Mahler; I just assumed it wasn’t in his repertoire |
I am listening to the Blomstedt Ninth on Qobuz now so it must be available?
Just finished III; so far it’s excellent |
I had ordered Fisher/Budapest M1 and I have to concur with the naysayers here. It’s nicely played but in a ridiculously crowded field it doesn’t offer much that is new. |
@mahler123If you are not impressed by Fischer's Mahler No 1 why don't you try his No 4 as this one is at the moment my favourite but stream it before you buy it as I hate to see people left with a CD that they now have as a coaster. |
Jim 204
I assume that you mean Ivan Fischer and Budapest. I like their Fourthand I’ve been comparing it with the Blu Ray of Ivan Fischer leading the Concertgebouw. They are very similar
|
@mahler123 Yes I did mean the Budapest band I find they are very light with the symphony which Mahler implied through Bruno Walter and the soprano they chose is suitably childlike in the last movement instead of the gargantuan warblers that some past conductors have chosen.
|
Yeah, their Fourth is a keeper. Started listening to their Sixth today but haven’t formed an opinion yet |
More Budapest...I auditioned the Sixth. It’s Andante-Scherzo, which I don’t like but can correct with a touch of the remote. And there is some great playing here, particularly strings in the Alma theme and elsewhere. However, I am starting to concur with Mayor Adam..they sound like they don’t have the cahones to complete with the big boys in this, Mahler’s most ferocious conception. They are a relatively small band at around seventy players, and I think that they should have augmented themselves to compete with the likes of Chicago, Berlin, Vienna, etc
|
Has Mariss Jansons with the RCO been mentioned? I’m listening to the #2 live recording and the sonics are excellent. Not the most powerful rendition, but every detail by the Concertgebouw is heard with no harshness and with plenty of air and space defining the soundstage. The instruments and venue are well mic’d and provide 3 dimensional sound.
In hires it’s a most enjoyable experience.
|
lowrider
I really respect Jansons (R.I.P.) as a builder and maintaner of terrific Orchestras, namely the Concertgebouw and the Bavarians. However I don’t care for his Mahler. Sonically, agreed, wonderful stuff. My issues is that he reminds me of a dog walker that needs to arrive at a destination but is delayed by his dog sniffing everything along the path. He tends to beautify the micro moments and loses the structure. His Bruckner is a bigger mess for that reason
|
@mahler123, I agree with your impression. He’s not much of a Mahlerian. It sounds restrained and never really peaks.
I’ve been listening on Qobuz, most recently #6 which I would call dull.
Superior quality recordings on the RCO label. I need to have a listen to other recordings in their catalogue.
|
I have the Jansons 5. I am not a fan of 5, and don't listen much. The Jansons is my favorite of those I own. It is a beautiful recording and adequate performance I suppose, but take that with a grain of salt since 5 is near the bottom of my Mahler list. I bought it based on a favorable review, but I don't recall who reviewed it.
|
Brownsfan,
Just curious,
What are your favorites? |
I would recommend Bernard Haitink & the RCO for Mahler 7 & 9, and the Philharmonia with Lorin Maazel for Mahler 5. I’ve noticed that in some of the Philharmonia’s more recent recordings there is an increased presence in the lower winds and brass. This particularly shines through in the fourth movement of Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique with Esa-Pekka Salonen.
|
Also, the Gergiev/LSO cycle may not be the absolute best, but it is one of the most consistently good Mahler cycles right now. |
@rvpiano, I will list the symphonies in order with my preferred conductor. NSP = no strong preference. 3 (Haitink), ,1(Abaddo), 6(Bernstein), 4(Solti), 2 (NSP), 5(Jansons), 8(Wit), 9(NSP), Das Lied(Zinman), 7(Zinman), 10(Zinman).
|
Here's a real sleeper recommendation for no. 4.
On the shelf I have Bernstein, Fischer, Maazel, Mengelberg, Salonen, and Szell, but I always return to Franz Welser-Most. In particular, Felicity Lott floats the soprano part in the fourth movement more beautifully/ethereally than any other recording I've heard.
|
Which are the better recordings from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra: the Bernard Haitink cycle, the recordings with Mariss Jansons, or the new recordings with Daniele Gatti?
|
Anyone interested in reviving this thread?
I have Bernstein’s early 60s cycle recorded with the NY Philharmonic, and remastered by Sony (2009). I also have Bertini/Cologne/EMI and Inbal/Frankfurt/Denon, as well as individual discs (primarily Boulez/DG with 4 different orchestras). The Boulez discs sound really good but I’m looking for a SET with audiophile sound.
I’m aware of the Tilson-Thomas/SFSO set on SFS Media, and the LSO/Gergiev set. Are there any others on SACD? Does anyone have both Tilson-Thomas and Gergiev, and how do they compare? How about Chailly/Concertgebouw? How about Vanska/BIS (which have issued all the symphonies except 3, 8, and 9) ?
|
Thanks for resuscitating this thread.
I have both the Bernstein Sony and DG sets. Also the Inbal on Denon. And I downloaded the Maazel NY Philharmonic’s set. I own near complete sets of various other conductors. It’s hard to pick the best sounding set, as SQ various from symphony to symphony.
I love the HDTT hi res masterings of Barbirolli’s 5th and 6th.
The Mahler symphonies in general lend themselves to excellent sounding recordings.
|
Well, I splurged for the Tilson-Thomas set on SFS Media. Should be here in a few weeks (back-ordered on Amazon but got it at a good price). I'll be sure to report out. I have a feeling that when the Minnesota/Vanska completes their Mahler cycle (they still have 3, 8, and 9 to record), it will be offered as a package and I'll def pick that one up, because BIS just seems to be incapable of making anything but a superlative recording.
I love Mahler. I've been to Mahler Fests in Berlin and Amsterdam, and have seen the 8th live nine times in my life (including in LA/Dudamel in May 2019, which blew me away). I'm not a musicologist, so I can't analyze details about how one orchestra plays versus another (except for tempos). Any major orchestra that's been recorded will do a yeoman's job, at least. So, in the end, I try to listen to recordings that are well-recorded. My system (Bryston amp/preamp, Meridian 508.24 CD player, Thiel CS 2.4 speakers) is fairly revealing, and I'm unwilling anymore to listen to shrill, muffled, noisy recordings. I avoid historical recordings because I hate mono and they're usually filled with noise.
|
I just came across the Zinfandel/Zurich Tonhalle Seventh on SACD from a resale shop. Sonically, this superb. Sorry that this wasn’t on my radar before.
The Paavo Jarvi cycle with his Frankfurt Orchestra on Blu Ray is superb in surround sound. Great performances as well. I disagree with some of the interpretations, particularly the Fourth, but they are always interesting
|
