Search - Mahler, Walter, Vpo :: Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 9 In D Major (Great Recordings of the Century)

Mahler, Walter, Vpo
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 9 In D Major (Great Recordings of the Century)
Genre: Classical

Track Listings (4) - Disc #1
1. Symphonie No. 9 In D Major: I. Andante commodo
2. Symphonie No. 9 In D Major: II. Im Tempo eines gem?chlichen L?ndlers
3. Symphonie No. 9 In D Major: III. Rondo - Burlesque
4. Symphonie No. 9 In D Major: IV. Adagio

CD Details

All Artists: Mahler, Walter, Vpo
Title: Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 9 In D Major (Great Recordings of the Century)
Members Wishing: 1
Total Copies: 0
Label: Angel Records
Release Date: 6/6/1989
Genre: Classical
Styles: Historical Periods, Modern, 20th, & 21st Century, Symphonies
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 077776302928

Synopsis

Amazon.com

In addition to conducting the first performance of Mahler's Ninth, Bruno Walter also made the first recording of the score, and it is one of the most remarkable phonographic documents of this century. The recording, with an incandescent Vienna Philharmonic on the stage, was made at a concert in the Musikvereinssaal on January 16, 1938. Walter, then 61, and his colleagues, some of whom had played under Mahler, give an overwhelming reading inspired not only by the memory of the composer, but by the grim situation in Europe and Austria at that moment. Here is Mahler on the brink, coming to us from a time when the world itself was on the brink. Listening to the account is like stepping back in time, and can be a chilling experience. The sound is magnificent, with an utterly remarkable depth and presence for a recording more than 50 years old. --Ted Libbey

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CD Reviews

A Benchmark forever

jojo-ma | 01/16/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a truely fascinating recording, for several reasons: It has been recorded 52 years ago in Vienna (just weeks before the Anschluss) by Walter who had to leave the country soon after that January 16, 1938. Walter conducted the first performance of this symphony 1912 (two years after Mahler's death) with many of the musicians who play in the 1938 recording. Remastered from the original 78rpm shellac this recording brings unexpectedly rich sound (though Mono). And I don't need to talk about the thrilling interpretation of Walter. For me this recording is a Must for any Mahler lover."

One of the most poignant moments in music captured on record

B. Yoon | Urbana, IL USA | 07/22/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am forever grateful for the insight that Fred Gaisberg had in recording this concert, Walter's last before the Anschluss. One must remember that soon after this concert, Walter, along with the other Jewish musicians, were in grave danger. Due to this unfortunate situation, it resulted in an emotionally charged performance by one of the finest orchestras in the world at its peak.George Szell considered the string playing of European orchestras during the time between the two world wars to be the ideal standard that all should strive for. I strongly believe that this recording is the supreme example of that level of playing. Not only does one hear superb bowing technique, one hears exceedingly subtle nuances very clearly as a result of the orchestra's committment to a unified musical message. All the little slides are just gorgeous.Mahler's 9th is one of the ultimate human expressions of farewell. He looks back on his tragic-laden life and still accepts his inevitable fate in peace. This concert gives a new meaning to that farewell and this makes it such a poignant recording. My favorite along with Horenstein- LSO and Abbado-VPO."

Dutton's not better

davidissimo | Chapel Hill, NC | 12/09/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I disagree with "je" (below) that Dutton's mastering is better. It certainly is different: louder and more present than EMI's, but not more "musical". The Dutton engineers (as is their wont) equalized the recording to emphasize the fundamental signal for the sake of eliminating surface noise, but also to the detriment of the timbral colors of the upper frequencies wherein also lies the surface noise. I found Dutton's mastering screechy and fatiguing to my ears after a very short period of listening, and therefore discarded it. EMI's original CD transfer, despite more mechanical noises from its source 78s, reveals more "bloom" and "air" around the instruments as well as far superior hall ambience, an intoxicating acoustical presence of a venerable Viennese concert hall. Therefore I have kept it and likewise recommend to you EMI's CD of the "classic" performance, if still available."