Search - Gustav Mahler, Bernard Haitink, Janet Baker :: Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde / Symphony No. 9

A winning combination

Ray Barnes | Surrey, British Columbia Canada | 07/03/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Full marks have to be given to Philips for releasing this very logical coupling, which is essentially Mahler's last two completed symphonies in everything but name only. (Das Lied was finished after the 8th, but Mahler felt reluctant to call it his 9th Symphony due to fear of imminent death.) Haitink's reading of the 9th was arguably the best performance of his complete cycle in the 1970s; it has much incandescence, deep thought, beautiful playing, and a wonderful bloom on the sound, thanks to the acoustics of the Concertgebouw. The reading has a degree of reticence which many listeners will favour (I personally prefer a more dramatic, extroverted approach, but that is a matter of taste). Until the emergence of the two Karajan recordings in the early 1980s, this account dominated the catalog and still sounds very impressive even today. The digital remastering has been successful.Das Lied is also a great success. Dame Janet Baker's thoughtful approach is a wonderful match for Haitink and she was almost at the height of her career at the time. James King is arguably not the equal of Fritz Wunderlich in the Klemperer recording but he sings with intelligence. The orchestral playing is beautiful and the textures and instrumentation have almost a shimmering effect. This is quite a magical performance, especially in the Abschied, where Baker's control of pianissimo is quite remarkable. The documentation and overall presentation is excellent too. At medium price, this is a very generous and satisfying experience. For some listeners, this account of Das Lied will be a first choice regardless of cost. Enthusiastically recommended."

Magnificent, clear "classical" approach

John Grabowski | USA | 04/20/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"... this is the interpretation for the ages, with the Concertgebouw playing their hearts out and Haitink holding rock-solid concentration and focus throughout. Rarely if ever have I heard the 9th played with this degree of intelligence and clarity. Haitink makes sense of every phrase, every dynamic, and the complete effect is stunning and exhilerating. If the work, particulaly the first movement, has ever seemed a bit too "top heavy" and bombastic, especially in the orchestration, he shows in how every element contributes to the whole of the work. Inner detail emerges from the first movement like I've never heard before, showing how the orchestration is a web of intricate sonorities that contribute to an epic picture. The contrast in the different sections makes it all apparent for the first time that this work, despite the modernism, actually has a 19th century Romantic sensibility when it comes to structure. True we don't have Bernstein's magnificent sadness and longing at the end of his great Concertgebouw recording--which I miss--but this is an impressive movement nonetheless. The second movement builds and builds in excitement while never losing its bucolic roots. The scherzo is a swirl of demon energy, surpassed only by Bernstein (who is truly unsurpassable in this movement), and the finale manages a miracle: it isn't aloof and distant a la Bruno Walter, nor is it drenches in maudlin sentimentality that undermines the tragic nature, as so many finales are. My yardsticks for comparision are all the Bernstein recordings, Rattle, both Walters, Karajan live, Barbirolli, and even the legendary 1966 Horenstein. This one tops them all, and as I said is the only one that makes "complete sense" of the work from beginning to end. The Das Lied is also excellent, though maybe not in the same stellar class. I understand when this 9th was released in 1969, it was regarded by many critics as the ultimate 9th on record. More than thirty years later, it probably still is for my money. Easily a Desert Island disc.



(Post script: In the spring of 2004 I had the pleasure of hearing Haitink conduct this symphony live with the Vienna Philharmonic at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. His conception has not changed much in 30+ years. Rather, there were refinements and even greater clarity of texture. A very memorable performance and the Concertgebouw has terrific acoustics. Haitink, 75 at the time, bounded up and down the stairs to the podium like a young man.)

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Among the best versions of both works, a true bargain!

Paul Bubny | 12/27/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This recording of Mahler's 9th stood among the best when it was first released, and time ha not changed that fact. Here, to paraphrase what the Mahler afficionado Deryck Cooke said when he first reviewed it in Gramophone, is not Klemperer, Barbirolli, Horenstein, or anyone else's version of the 9th. This feels like MAHLER's version of Mahler's 9th. This is because all Haitink does is scrupulouly (but not pedantically) follow the directions of Mahler, and the Concertgebouw Orchestra play their pants off. Not until Karajan's second effort (live, not studio) did another version of the 9th equal this one. But still, this has never really been surpassed, but maybe equalled a few times. (If it has, I would like to hear that one!)
The accompanying performance of Das Lied von Erde is considered by some to be the difinitive account, and, while I love and respect this recording, I feel that there are a few others (Berstein on Decca, Klemperer for EMI, and Kubelik for Audite) that are as good, and I might even say just slightly better. But really, you can't go wrong with this recording. So there you have it. Two of the best recording of two of Mahler's best pieces. At and a two-for-one price. This really is a GREAT bargain. If you haven't heard either of these works, these really are two of the best introductions to these works you can get. If you already have a few versions of each, they're still worth getting for the insights into the score which they show you that you may have previously missed. I envy those of you who will be hearing this performances for the first time. Happy listening!"