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Brilliant Classics - 92205 - a 2CD set of Mahler's Symphonies #5 and #10 performed by the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie conducted by Rudolph Barshai.
The recording of #5 is a re-issue of its first release on the Laurel label in 1999. This recording was apparently much discussed on the internet following a very favourable review in Musicweb International.
Other than the Adagio movement -{4th movement}- I had not previously liked the majority of the music of the 5th symph. , however, this recording has certainly changed my mind !
I don't have the vocabulary to adequately describe its effect, though Barshai and the Junge Deutsche Phil. -who asked him to conduct them for this recording - have achieved something exceptional in its performance, and particually in the 2nd and 3rd movements which captured and held my attention, which neither of the two well reviewed other reordings I'd listened through achieved.
Lovers of Mahler's 5th, and interested listeners struggling with this work, do hear this recording !
The version of the 10th is a "reconstruction and instrumentation after Mahler's sketches by Rudolph Barshai".
Some readers will know that Mahler had completed only the Adagio 1st movement for his Symphony #10.
He left 4 stave sketches for the remainder of the work - those being the basic melodies with harmonies in 4 part vertical form, if I've understood correctly. Next one would arrange these parts for the various instruments of the orchestra.
This had been previously done by at least four scholars, and of those Deryck Cooke's is the best known and apparently the best regarded, though a few conductors would only perform the Mahler completed 1st movement.
Simon Rattle recorded Mahler/Cooke with the Bournemouth Symph. Orch. for EMI years ago, and this version was received very well.
Rattle had made a few changes to Cooke's after some consultation with Berthold Goldschmidt, a composer who had advised Cooke also.
Rudolph Barshai was a Viola player of considerable experience in string quartets in Russia during the Soviet era, and later arranged five of Shostakovich's string quartets for Chamber Orchestra performance.
He has conducted recordings of these and many other works, including the Premiere of Shostakovich's 14th Symphony in the USSR.
Barshai's orchestration of Mahler's sketches is somewhat richer than Cooke's, though it is not overdone, as was apparently the case with Clinton Carpenter's version - much critisized for that.
I have listened to Rattle/Bournemouth through twice, but really only liked the final movement. The three other Cooke/Rattle orchestrated movements are quite well written, but a little too sparse. Some of Mahler's own completed works have sparse sections, thus I'm not suggesting orchestration for #10 should be dense or lush, as apparently how Carpenter orchestrated, however ...
Barshai seems to have achieved the optimum balance between the extremes one can apparently find in Mahler's works -{I do not know all Mahler's works}. He has certainly achieved somthing which has made an impact on me !
Regardless of the validity or otherwise of how he orchestrated, this performance by Barshai and Junge Deutsche is impressive and captivating, and makes sense as a whole.
There is continuity from the Mahler completed 1st movement through the other four movements to the end.
I particully like the music of the 1st ; 3rd ; 5th movements, though all five movements are performed well, and none of it irritates or annoys me. -{but hey, I'm not a Mahler expert!}.
I have not heard Rattle's re-recording with the Berlin Phil., nor Chailly's of the Cooke orchestration, nor Slatkin's of one of the other orchestrations, thus am not dismissing what-ever merits these may have, however, Barshai's is so convincing as a piece of music that it is certainly worth hearing at least twice by a sceptic !
For readers not familiar with Mahler symphonies, #10 is in a different style of music to #5 in Mahler's own completed parts and in his indications in his sketches.
Some Scholars consider the first four of Mahler's symphonies as a group, and then from #5 onwards as a development of a different style, and these sound to me as ongoing development - changes; not repeating himself too much; though there are similarities between parts of #8 and #2 in how the full choir is used.
The recording of #5 is a re-issue of its first release on the Laurel label in 1999. This recording was apparently much discussed on the internet following a very favourable review in Musicweb International.
Other than the Adagio movement -{4th movement}- I had not previously liked the majority of the music of the 5th symph. , however, this recording has certainly changed my mind !
I don't have the vocabulary to adequately describe its effect, though Barshai and the Junge Deutsche Phil. -who asked him to conduct them for this recording - have achieved something exceptional in its performance, and particually in the 2nd and 3rd movements which captured and held my attention, which neither of the two well reviewed other reordings I'd listened through achieved.
Lovers of Mahler's 5th, and interested listeners struggling with this work, do hear this recording !
The version of the 10th is a "reconstruction and instrumentation after Mahler's sketches by Rudolph Barshai".
Some readers will know that Mahler had completed only the Adagio 1st movement for his Symphony #10.
He left 4 stave sketches for the remainder of the work - those being the basic melodies with harmonies in 4 part vertical form, if I've understood correctly. Next one would arrange these parts for the various instruments of the orchestra.
This had been previously done by at least four scholars, and of those Deryck Cooke's is the best known and apparently the best regarded, though a few conductors would only perform the Mahler completed 1st movement.
Simon Rattle recorded Mahler/Cooke with the Bournemouth Symph. Orch. for EMI years ago, and this version was received very well.
Rattle had made a few changes to Cooke's after some consultation with Berthold Goldschmidt, a composer who had advised Cooke also.
Rudolph Barshai was a Viola player of considerable experience in string quartets in Russia during the Soviet era, and later arranged five of Shostakovich's string quartets for Chamber Orchestra performance.
He has conducted recordings of these and many other works, including the Premiere of Shostakovich's 14th Symphony in the USSR.
Barshai's orchestration of Mahler's sketches is somewhat richer than Cooke's, though it is not overdone, as was apparently the case with Clinton Carpenter's version - much critisized for that.
I have listened to Rattle/Bournemouth through twice, but really only liked the final movement. The three other Cooke/Rattle orchestrated movements are quite well written, but a little too sparse. Some of Mahler's own completed works have sparse sections, thus I'm not suggesting orchestration for #10 should be dense or lush, as apparently how Carpenter orchestrated, however ...
Barshai seems to have achieved the optimum balance between the extremes one can apparently find in Mahler's works -{I do not know all Mahler's works}. He has certainly achieved somthing which has made an impact on me !
Regardless of the validity or otherwise of how he orchestrated, this performance by Barshai and Junge Deutsche is impressive and captivating, and makes sense as a whole.
There is continuity from the Mahler completed 1st movement through the other four movements to the end.
I particully like the music of the 1st ; 3rd ; 5th movements, though all five movements are performed well, and none of it irritates or annoys me. -{but hey, I'm not a Mahler expert!}.
I have not heard Rattle's re-recording with the Berlin Phil., nor Chailly's of the Cooke orchestration, nor Slatkin's of one of the other orchestrations, thus am not dismissing what-ever merits these may have, however, Barshai's is so convincing as a piece of music that it is certainly worth hearing at least twice by a sceptic !
For readers not familiar with Mahler symphonies, #10 is in a different style of music to #5 in Mahler's own completed parts and in his indications in his sketches.
Some Scholars consider the first four of Mahler's symphonies as a group, and then from #5 onwards as a development of a different style, and these sound to me as ongoing development - changes; not repeating himself too much; though there are similarities between parts of #8 and #2 in how the full choir is used.
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