Search - Mahler, Vpo, Maazel :: Symphony 5 in C Sharp Minor

Vienna Philharmonic of course and there is Maazel as well

BLee | HK | 03/07/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yes, the Vienna sound brings out the serenity of the pastoral scenes of Europe better especially under the baton of Lorin Maazel. The wind and the brass not just the strings are so well defined, capable of expanding almost into infinitude. Here where death is closing in, so is the joy of life. Malher was still seeking the meaning of life even though human suffering is going to show more and more. The orchestration here is clear even clearer than some of his later symphonies. Where else should we turn to other than VPO for the recreation of Mahler's sound? There is a remastered version that I have come across with excellent sound, again at an affordable price. Check it out."

Not a contender despite the enthralling Vienna Phil.

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 10/19/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This wasn't highly regarded as a strong entry in Maazel's Mahler cycle from the Eighties, and although everyone continues to praise the Vienna Phil. for its magnificent playing, the conductor contributes very little. The first movement is rhythmically slack, generally slow, and lacking in intensity. Maazel favors "ruinous gear changes," to quote the Gramophone reviewer, but I think that goes too far. Maazel is technically skillful, and this reading wouldn't be dismissable if there weren't other, greater Fiths from Karajan, Tennstedt, Abbado, and Scherchen (I am not a great fan of either Bernstein recording, though they are often cited by critics as among the best).



The fundamental problem with Maazel is that he seems uninterested in the proceedings and prone to quirky phrasing that manages to irritate without being completely wrong-headed. If those things don't bother you, this account of the Fifth displays abundant virtuosity and is well recorded, despite some residual digital glare. At 10:31, the poignant Adagietto falls within the medium range, and here Maazel's phrasing is sensitive and yearning, with the Vienna strings at their most delicate and haunting -- this movement alone brought complete satisfaction. The problematic finale is taken rather cautiously, but I couldn't resist the wind soloists at the very outset. Too bad that Maazel leads the main Allegro so indifferently.



In all, not a contender in the crowded field of Mahler Fifths unless you must have every note of Mahler ever recorded by the Vienna Phil."