Gustav Mahler
You can easily tell that I’m still struggling a bit with Gustav Mahler by the number of posts I have done on him, so far a grand total of 1 (one!), commenting about very divergent reviews of Mahler’s 9th.
I find many of his symphonies hard to approach, too big, to complex, getting lost in the weeds. The one symphony that I semi-regularly go back to is no. 1. It is to me by far the most approachable, taking many of the beautiful melodies in the symphony directly from his own earlier the song cycle Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (and if you read this blog regularly you know I’m a sucker for melodies).
My first recording of Mahler 1 with retrospect is not a reference, but at least a quite decent performance, with Eliahu Inbal and the HR Radio Symphony orchestra (I mainly bought the album initially because it was a so-called audiophile recording by Denon).
SInce then, on Mahler, I’ve been through all the great classics (Klemperer, Walter, Bernstein, Kubelik), but also many new releases of this work (Fischer, Zinman, Janssons), and these days most often go back to Ivan Fischer on Channel Classics, a very nice, if a bit middle-of-the-road performance (again, VERY audiophile, it’s a fantastic test for your speakers, but you may not make friends with your neighboring appartments if you explore the full dynamic range).
So I was very curious when in the space of a couple of months two new recordings of Mahler 1 came out, both by conductors I respect a lot.
Mahler: Symphony No. 1 – François Xavier Roth – Les Siècles (Harmonia Mundi 2019)
The first one is François-Xavier Roth with his relatively recent ensemble Les Siècles, which I now very much see on track to become one of the most important French orchestras, particularly for French composers (have a look at their recent Debussy and Ravel recordings).
So I was particularly curious how they’d do with German composers like Mahler .
What’s interesting about this recording is that they use a different version, “Hamburg/Weimar 1893-1894”, turning the symphony into a “tone poem”. Well, overall, you’ll still very much recognize most of the symphony, but you’ll notice an less familiar 2nd movement sneaking in, Blumine, making the symphony 5 movements long.
Mahler: Symphony No. 1 – Osmo Vänskä – Minnesota Orchestra (BIS 2019)
The even more recent new release is a conductor I’ve loved for a long time, Osmo Vänskä, who has done fantastic work with the Minnesota Orchestra. Take for example his outstanding recording of the Beethoven piano concertos 2 & 4 with Yevgeny Sudbin.
Vänskä takes the “traditional” version of the symphony with 4 movements.
Now, are any of these worth getting, you’ll ask?
Well, let me start with the Vänskä. Given how much energy and passion Vänskä typically puts into his recordings, this was a major disappointment. The entire symphony just feels very slow and uninspired. I try to stay away from too drastic words especially when we’re talking about such fantastic artists like Vänskä. But I can’t help it, this recording really isn’t for me.
Roth is already a different story. The Blumine addition already gives you something to look out for, and overall, the tone is much more energetic and joyful in the first three movements, and has the appropriate amount of drama in the fourth movement. Overall, a very satisfying performance, maybe not a new reference, but you won’t regret buying it.
Now I’m curious what you think? Am I completely off? Do you love Vänskä’s approach, and I’m just deaf? Which other versions of Mahler 1 should I check out?
My rating: 4 stars (Roth), 2 stars (Vänska)
You can find them here (Roth, Qobuz) and here (Vänskä, Qobuz)
Update Aug 16: Classicstoday seems to agree with my assessment of the Vänskä, calling it a “CD from Hell” in their recent review.
Update Sep 11: Classics is a bit less positive on Roth, giving it 3 stars.
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I really appreciate the honesty in the review. I do struggle with Mahler myself quite a bit, so this is extremely helpful in what to try and what to avoid.
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Thanks Dieter. I really think every music lover can appreciate Mahler 1, then maybe 4 and 5. The others I find much harder to approach.
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Each Mahler symphony needs a good interpretation/recording that opens your ears to it. I never ‘got’ some Mahler symphonies with Bernstein conducting, while being hooked by an Abbado recording, and vice versa. My personal list of favorite recordings (you might give them a try, if you haven’t already):
M1. Abbado, Berliner, DG. Alternative in hi-res sound: Jansons, Concertgebouw
M2. Abbado, Lucerne Festival Orchestra –> none of the slow, disjointed Bernstein stuff, but dramatic, lyrical, with enough forward movement to make sense of the larger structure.
M3. Abbado, Berliner (live), DG
M4. Maazel, Wiener (Sony)
M5. Jansons, Concertgebouw (RCO Live), though my first love was Solti with Chicago (Decca, the one from 1991)
M6. Bernstein, Wiener (DG) –> Sit back for the most epic struggle against fate ever recorded. Seriously. Approach it like you would approach an epic movie. If Bernsteins hyper-everything approach was ever justified, it’s in this symphony. Conductors who go for beauty of sound in this symphony get it wrong, in my opinion. This is not about beauty, even in the supposedly ‘Alma’ second theme, but about searing emotions. Feel the knife turn at the big appoggiatura at the end of the first movement, and then again at the start of the Scherzo when the first’s major key ending turns out to be a false victory. Revel in the sheer horror of the weird sounds Mahler asks for at the start of the finale. Feel the exhaustion as the music almost collapses onto itself. Let it hit you. Listen in the dark. To me, this is Mahler at his most consistently inspired.
M7. Abbado, Berliner, DG.
M8. Jansons, Concertgebouw (RCO Live). Alternative: Abbado, Berliner (DG), better singing, needs a little EQ adjustment (more bass) to make its proper impact. This is Mahler without the irony, without the marches and folk-dances. In some way, this is Mahler in his most straight-faced attempt to shake the earth, his most sincere attempt to create something of pure beauty.
M9. Karajan, Berliner (DG, the live version) –> natural flow, orchestra on fire. Alternative: Chailly, Concertgebouw (Decca) –> deliberate, stately, menacing, but only appreciated this after being hooked by Karajan.
M10. Either Rattle or Chailly.
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What a shame, I completely forgot Abbado in my post above. Agree, he really shines on Mahler! Thanks for reminding me. I’ll make sure to check out all of your other suggested versions as well
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A very good list. I would substitute the 5th with Jansons remake with the Bavarian RSO on BR Klassik (one of my favourite 5ths ever). And the 8th with Bertini or Rattle.
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More to listen to! Thanks and very much appreciated! Have you had the occasion to review the two new Mahler 1 yet?
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Thanks. The BRSO is an amazing orchestra, love their Strauss recordings. Will listen to their 5th with Jansons!
I didn’t like the Rattle M8, in my opinion he confuses excitement with speed.
I might add that I forgot to mention Klaus Tennstedt in Mahler (the live recordings with the London Philharmonic). His live M2, M8 and especially M6 are spectacles to behold, true ‘events’ (though I wouldn’t recommend the latter one as a starting point for listening to M6).
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I‘ll have to listen to a heck of a lot of Mahler now!
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I listened to the 5th with the BRSO. Have to say that, to my ears, the Concertgebouw version is better played and better recorded, and has a far more ‘tragic’ feel to the first two movements. The recorded level is lower, though, so you’ll have to turn up the volume. Nothing wrong with differing opinions, of course!
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I really need to listen to more Mahler!
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I agree with your assessment of both the Roth and Vanska. None would be m first choice, I find weaknesses in both. The Roth is of some interest though.
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I second the appreciation for the honest & humble reviews.
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Thank you Peter!
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