Listen to the Ben Zander/ Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra recordings of the 6th and the 9th. Recorded live in Boston Symphony Hall, with, to my ears, no EQ or compression. Multi miked but mixed to a very naturalistic stereo. Sounds great on my speakers and my headphones. The same forces just recorded the 4th and last year performed the 1st. I am waiting eagerly for the CDs. I attended all these concerts from a mid-orchestra floor seat. The kids are allright! Maestro Z has these young performers rehearsed far more than pro orchestras can, and their skill and enthusiasm are evident in the music they make.
Why do all Mahler recordings seem too bright?
Yes - I may be exaggerating but I haven’t yet found any recordings of his symphonies that properly balance the extra treble energy that are often part of the dynamic swings. Part of the problem may be that I’m not sure I yet actually “like” Mahler’s music though there are moments that are exquisite. But, I can’t get through a whole piece because the recordings hurt my ears.
As a side note - I have been on both sides of a microphone - having been a musician in the past and also having recorded/mixed a number of orchestral concerts at a performing arts center. Pre-pandemic I would go to orchestral concerts regularly. So - I do have at least some reference.
I have some recordings (they were given to me) that are positively unlistenable (a DG recording of his 5th may be singularly the worst recording I’ve heard).
I thought the hi res versions of San Francisco by MTT might be the ticket. While better, they still seem too bright and harsh to me.
Perhaps it’s my system that’s too bright, or perhaps something else is going on but I’ve plenty of other classical music that sounds better. We’ll recorded jazz and acoustic, too.
Of course I can find poor recordings in any genre, but I’d welcome recommendations from my fellow forumites of some Mahler recordings that I might try. I’d love to be able to listen to the closing moments of the 2nd at reasonable volume - without cringing.
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I don't think anybody has mentioned treating the room acoustics. @mgrif104 do you have any room treatments? You should be using some type of absorbion to reduce standing waves. These are the mid to high frequencies and can cause music to sound bright. And I reread your comment
When I've experienced brightness or harshness in the music it's at all volume levels, not only at loud dynamic peaks. If this is the case, @mapman may be right about your amp clipping. It's being overdriven at at loud volume.
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I don’t have any room treatments - But again, I don’t experience brightness or harshness as problematic on most recorded music. You may be right that my amp is clipping when I have it turned up a bit so I’ll reconsider that. (Interestingly, I can listen to Beethoven (my favorite) symphonies and piano concertos at full volume without this effect(. But, Mahler does like massed everything and you could well be right that the organ tones underneath the high brass, with added triangle and crash symbols may be too much. Too much for my amp, too much for my ears. I’m still going to explore the micro phonics potentially affecting my gear as that seems logical to me the more I think about it. Kind regards to all - and thanks for the thoughtful replies.
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@mgrif104, in response to your request for Mahler recording recommendations in your post, I'd like to suggest Ivan Fischer & the Budapest Festival Orchestra's recording of Mahler's 2d Symphony on Channel Classics SACD. A first-rate performance of a great piece, wonderfully well-recorded. Also recommendation-worthy -- Fischer/BFO's recording on Mahler's 4th, on Channel as well. Also Claudio Abbado's live recording of Mahler's 7th with the Berlin Phil., Ricardo Chailly's studio recording of the Mahler 5th with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and Maris Janson's live recording of the Mahler 1st, also with the RCO. I've heard Mahler played live many times, and have probably 60 recordings of his symphonies. These are some of the best recordings and performances, IMHO. |
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