Almost perfect
MartinP | Nijmegen, The Netherlands | 09/10/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Boulez conducting Mahler - this would have been blasphemy a few decades ago, both from the point of view of Boulezian modernists and that of dedicated Mahlerians. But the twain did meet, and though not everybody seems happy with the results, the least that can be said is that Boulez offers refreshingly new perspectives on what is slowly but inevitably becoming somewhat hackneyed repertoire (another thing that would have been unimaginable a few decades ago). As you would expect from one of the twentieth century's foremost composers, Boulez is more interested in Mahler's unique sonorities than in gut-wrenching emotionality. But of course, in Mahler's music the two are intimately linked, and the claim that Boulez's Mahler is unfeeling and cold strikes me as nonsensical. Introspective, maybe, and restrained, to some extent; generally non-interventionist. He sets out to reveal the full complexity of Mahler's scoring rather than highlighting melodies and neglecting hardworking secondary voices. The results of this can be truly stunning, as they are in this well nigh sublime recording of Das Lied. In no other score did Mahler venture as far out into 20th century territories as he does here. Parallel voices each go their own way for bars on end without any clear hierarchy among them; fragments of themes are loosely interjected; rhythms and tonalities clash. And yet the resulting sounds are always gorgeous, the underlying emotions communicated with utmost clarity. Boulez makes you realize all of that, as much as he makes you notice the very close kinship between the fourth movement, "Von der Schönheit", and the third movement of the Third symphony. I had never registered this before and yet now it seems so obvious, again thanks to the transparency of the reading, which reveals a number of staccato semiquaver runs in the violins that have literal parallels in the Third. Boulez is helped tremendously by the superb playing of the VPO (though the vulnerable, plaintive sound of their oboes may not be to everybody's taste), and even more by his excellent singers. Michael Schade succeeds better than almost any of his predecessors I've heard in making the most of his three songs and not paling completely besides the alto, who gets to sing all the more profound pieces and is given rather more 'air-time' to do so. And to be sure, Violeta Urmana is a singer that easily makes others pale beside her. Her achievements yield nothing to those of Ludwig or Baker, and in some ways even surpass them. She has the kind of voice that blends ideally with the orchestral sounds, so that the result is a true symphony rather than a song cycle with orchestral accompaniment. The recording enhances this effect by not placing the solo voices too far forward. In all other respects too the recorded sound is state-of-the-art. In all, this disc offers a deeply enriching experience. Its only imperfection I can think of is the tempo of the second movement, which simply is too fast, not at all 'schleichend' or 'ermüdet'. But the result is still extremely beautiful. This is now definitely my favorite recording of Das Lied, though I will keep cherishing the classic Haitink/King/Baker and the Giulini/Araiza/Fassbaender versions alongside it."
One of Boulez' best Mahler recordings
Jackson Bross | Atlanta, GA | 04/07/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Boulez' Mahler cycle on DG continues with "Das Lied von der Erde". As with previous recordings in the series, this one is marked by a remarkable clarity in the orchestral playing. In this recording, you hear every detail in the score, and all of it is played wonderfully and idiomatically by the VPO. Boulez is also concerned with overall pacing and proportion, refusing to indulge in rubato, dramatic pauses, and so on, except for the minimum required by Mahler's indications in the score. The overall effect is sometimes refreshing, but also sometimes rather clinical. Most of these Mahler recordings are therefore fascinating, but not necessarily recommended as your first recording of a given symphony.What elevates this recording above most of the other entries in Boulez' Mahler cycle, and over most of the competition, is the contribution by Violeta Urmana. A "Lied von der Erde" recording lives or dies by its last movement, "Abschied", and this is one of the best on record. Overall, a very strong recording, but misses the warmth and otherworldly beauty of Walter/Ferrier."
One for the ages
Jeff D. Wolf | Abilene, TX | 10/11/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Having long considered "Das Lied" perhaps the most sublime hour or so of music ever composed, I own at least 25 recordings of the piece. Despite the virtues of many other recordings, the old Klemperer EMI has retained its pride of place at the top of the heap for me, primarily because of Christa Ludwig's and Klemperer's partnership in the final song. Now that I have Boulez's recording with Michael Schade and Violeta Urmana, I can pretty well dispose of all my other recordings except Klemperer's.
Before hearing this recording, my only experience with Schade was through the few songs he recorded toward the end of Graham Johnson's massive Schubert project, in which Schade performed acceptably but without calling particular attention to himself. I was pleasantly surprised, then, at his strong performance in "Das Lied." Here, in fact, Schade exceeds most other tenors and matches the very best, even Wunderlich, who got a bit of help from the microphone. And Urmana is achingly lovely -- the glories of Ludwig notwithstanding.
Boulez's conducting is at its peak. He is more attentive to detail than Klemperer, without stinting on structural coherence, delicate nuance, and raw power when called for. The VPO performs as flawlessly as any orchestra can ever be asked to perform. And DG's recording is exemplary.
Yes, give me Klemperer/Wunderlich/Ludwig and Boulez/Schade/Urmana and the mythical desert island that we music lovers all long for, and I'll be perfectly content."
Track Listings (6) - Disc #1