July 27, 2009

http://audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=6161

HAYDN: 12 London Symphonies; Paris Symphonies; Die Schoepfung (The

Creation); Four Masses - Leonard Bernstein conducting - Sony Classical (12
CD box)

By: Laurence Vittes

The recorded sound is smoother than I remember the vinyl to have been.
HAYDN: 12 London Symphonies; Paris Symphonies; Die
Schoepfung (The Creation); Four Masses - Leonard Bernstein
conducting the New York Philharmonic, Camerata Singers,
Norman Scribner Choir, Westminster Choir, London Symphony
Orchestra, London Symphony Chorus with Judith Raskin,
Alexander Young, John Reardon, Bernard Altmann, Bruce
Prince-Joseph, Simon Estes, Frederica Von Stade, Kenneth
Riegel, Judith Blegen, Alan Titus, Gwendolyn Killebrew,
Michael Devlin, Patricia Wells, Paul Hudson, Rosalind Elias, Robert Tear, Lucia
Popp - Sony Classical 88697480452 (12 CD Box, with booklet listing recording dates
and places, 765:24) *****:

The truth has long been known: Leonard Bernstein loved to fool around with Joseph
Haydn. Both men's radiant musical visions were rooted in serving God, and fearing Him
as well; both had prodigious skills, temperaments and appetites; both liked to laugh out
loud in public. And so, for Bernstein's sake, for Haydn's sake, and for our sake, welcome
a specially-priced, 12-CD set of his recordings for Columbia.

Recorded over a twenty-year period, beginning in 1959 with the "London" Symphony,
they coincided with Bernstein's own voyage of discovery during the Kennedy years and
their aftermath, when his country was losing its innocence. Many of these profoundly
beautiful, deeply spiritual works must have meant something special to him.

Everything the New York Philharmonic did - live and recorded - was a special event, a
reason for celebration, the way classical music life was meant to be. To imagine how
really exciting those days must have been, in many of the same years Bernstein and the
Philharmonic were also recording their groundbreaking Mahler cycle!
Bernstein's speeds for Haydn fast are just fast enough to minimize Haydn's clunkier side
(a constant threat to stylistically uninformed performances), the drive is sometimes
ferocious in character but relatively plush in upholestery, laughter's everywhere the ear
wanders and the composer's heartbreaking slow melodies are played with a rapt virtuosity
that marked Bernstein's Big Apple orchestra in its prime. The Creation and the four
masses (In Time of War, Nelson, Harmonie and Theresa) are miracles of instrumental
power and beauty. The celebrated vocal soloists occasionally sound transitional.

The recorded sound is smoother than I remember the vinyl to have been; there is more
interior detail in the strings, more intimate detail in the woodwinds, and more gold in the
brass. Unexpectedly, a finely-judged aura of space surrounds the orchestra. [Similar to
what I heard with the new Bernstein Mahler reissue set...Ed.]

The packaging reflects Bernstein's film noir roots and toughness. The famous
photographic portraits on the six foldable envelopes look fabulous. No liner notes, but
better: details of where and when each recording was made.
GUSTAV MAHLER: The Complete Symphonies Nos. 1 - 9 with Adagio of No. 10 &
Das Lied von der Erde + “Gustav Mahler Remembered” - Soloists/New York
Philharmonic/Israel Philharmonic (Das Lied)/ Leonard Bernstein - Sony Classical
(12 CDs)

June 19, 2009

http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=5992

The set of Mahler Symphony recordings that moved the composer from cult status to
mainstream.

GUSTAV MAHLER: The Complete Symphonies Nos. 1

- 9 with Adagio of No. 10 & Das Lied von der Erde +
“Gustav Mahler Remembered” by associates and
musicians who played under him - Soloists, incl. Jennie
Tourel, Lee Venora, Gwyneth Jones, Christa
Ludwig/New York Philharmonic/Israel Philharmonic
(Das Lied)/ Leonard Bernstein - Sony Classical
Carnegie Hall Presents 12-CD Boxed Set *****:

Although both Bruno Walter and Dmitri Mitropoulos had

performed Mahler symphonies in an effort to increase
appreciation of the composer, it was the championing of the
composer by Leonard Bernstein in the 60s and 70s that
reintroduced the Austrian composer’s rich scores to the
world, especially due to Bernstein first Mahler cycle for
Columbia Masterworks in the late 60s. Bernstein proved
that Mahler was worth recording in the first place, and
followed up on the recordings with one of his superb essays
on the subject in High Fidelity Magazine (reproduced in the note booklet to the set).
Today it would be rare for any symphony program not to include at least one Mahler
symphony each year.

Sony Classical has used the same box and disc sleeve design as their Original Jacket
series of reissues, and the whole dozen-CD set is offered at the most bargain price it has
ever carried. Plus, for the first time the discs have all been remixed and mastered from the
original multi-track analog tapes. (It’s too bad they couldn’t be released in SACD
versions as well.) These recordings have been reissued many times (most recently in
2001), but the sonics now are generally more detailed, brighter-sounding and more
Pros & Cons of Sony's Latest Bernstein Mahler Box
June 16, 2009

http://www.culturecatch.com/music/leonard-bernstein-gustav-mahler-complete-symphonies

By: Steve Holtje

Leonard Bernstein, et al.

Mahler: The Complete Symphonies (Sony Classical)

Bernstein, like his early mentor Dmitri Mitropoulos, was a strong advocate
for Mahler before audiences had accepted the Austrian’s epic works, and it
was Bernstein's persuasive, emotional 1960s interpretations that finally "sold" the
American public on Mahler. Bernstein began recording this cycle in 1960, Mahler's
centenary year. When Symphonies Nos. 1-9 were issued together in 1967 in a 15-LP box,
it was the first set of the completed symphonies by one conductor; it remains a most
attractive traversal with some still-unsurpassed peaks.

Eight years ago, Sony used remasterings done for the Bernstein Century series for a 12-
CD set. This new set is largely similar, though with some crucial differences. One is that
this time around Sony has gone back to the original multi-track analog tapes. The
occasionally muddy sound of these recordings was long problematic, though the
Bernstein Century versions had improved things; here they are still not state of the art,
but sonic definition is better. This pays particular benefits in dense textures and vocal
movements; the finale of No. 2 is now even more luminous, and Nos. 7 and 8 are vastly
improved.

Bernstein recorded two complete Mahler cycles, actually. This, his first effort, in general
is fresher, more spontaneous, and more energetic, while the later cycle for Deutsche
Grammophon is more lushly played, a bit less detailed at times, and often slower.

The 1966 recording of the Symphony No. 1 "Titan" is somewhat controversial, as some
observers feel that the emotional extremes of Bernstein's reading are not suited to this
early work (his later version is less feverish). However, many collectors nonetheless
appreciate the vividly varied moods of the slow movement and the undeniably thrilling
finale.

Bernstein recorded the Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection" twice for Columbia; the 1973
one using London forces is inferior to the powerful 1963 New York "Resurrection"
included here, which also trumps the sluggish DG recording. The '63 take is infinitely
more emotionally shattering -- manipulative, perhaps, but gloriously so. The layout has
been improved this time out by putting the break in this multi-disc work between the first
and second movements, as Mahler requested.

The six-movement Third (Mahler's longest), with children's choir and mezzo-soprano
soloist (here Martha Lipton in an effective outing that nonetheless can't match Christa
Ludwig in Bernstein's DG version, though otherwise the Sony is preferable), also
receives an earth-shaking reading. The 1961 New York Philharmonic's virtuosity is
impressive, especially the brass -- so crucial here. Nearly hitting the 100-minute mark,
Bernstein consistently opts for slow tempos. In the prayerful finale he's a bit over 25
minutes where, for instance, Klaus Tennstedt brings it in well under 21 minutes, but
Bernstein wrings more drama and heartfelt emotion from its multi-faceted moods than
any other conductor has. This performance belongs in all Mahler collections

The Fourth was Bernstein's first Mahler recording. Neither of his CD Fourths is entirely
successful (there’s a concert DVD that’s best). This one is rather bland in the first
movement, but is otherwise commendable, with Reri Grist (the soprano soloist in the
finale) appropriately light-voiced, though perhaps more unpolished than most listeners
would like -- but Mahler didn’t want polish applied to this deliberately naïve text. The
DG remake, with a much better opening movement, turns off many collectors with
Bernstein's eccentric use of a boy soprano in the finale. Despite its problems, the first
version will be preferred by most listeners, but there are many better readings. The Fifth,
too, is not one of Bernstein's better Mahler efforts, seeming a bit self-conscious and
finding the brass a touch raucous. The famous Adagietto is quite slow at exactly 11
minutes.

The Symphony No. 6 "Tragic" (which Mahler called "the sum of all the sufferings I have
endured at the hand of life") is tailor-made for Bernstein's high-strung approach. Yeah, he
sprints through the first movement, which bothers some commentators; taking the
exposition repeat Mahler wrote in, Bernstein comes in just 15 seconds longer in the
movement than Barbirolli did while skipping the repeat. But the tempo indication --
Allegro energico, ma non troppo (energetically rapid, but not too fast) is open to
interpretation and nearly self-contradictory. Here and throughout this 1967 reading,
Bernstein balances the work's contrasting moods well -- or rather, he engages them with
an apt sense of manic-depressive mood swings. The conclusion is dramatically crushing.
Another must-have.

Bernstein's colorfully dramatic approach is also ideal for the fantastical Seventh. This
pungent 1965 reading is perfectly shaped, all his tempo choices quite apt. The bizarre
humor of the two Nachtmusik movements and the central Scherzo are brought out fully.
This classic performance has arguably never been surpassed, and the flat sound-field of
earlier incarnations has been ameliorated.

The unwieldy Symphony No. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand" is in two movements, the

first setting Mahler's adaptation of a ninth-century Christian hymn for the season of
Pentecost, the second setting the final scene of Goethe's Faust. The complete 1966
reading here has soloists Erna Spoorenberg, Gwyneth Jones, Gwenyth Annear, Anna
Reynolds, Norma Proctor, John Mitchinson, Vladimir Ruzdjak, and Donald McIntyre; the
Leeds Festival Chorus, the London Symphony Chorus, the Orpington Junior Singers, the
Highgate School Boys Choir, and the Finchley Children's Music Group; organist Hans
Vollenweider; and the London Symphony Orchestra. It's hard to effectively convey
music that seems to consist of a nearly continuous series of climaxes, but Bernstein does
it as well as anyone. He zips through the first movement in a few seconds over 24
minutes, and clears the second in just over 55, but takes his time where appropriate and
thus avoids sounding rushed. In a notoriously problematic work for recording engineers,
the sound is not as clear and well balanced as it could be, but it’s much better than it used
to be.

The Ninth is a work Bernstein recorded not two but three times (and a fourth -- with the
Vienna Philharmonic – exists on DVD). The three commercially released versions differ
greatly. The first, in New York, is nerve-wracking, drenched in angst; the Amsterdam
Concertgebouw version seems oddly erotic; the Berlin Philharmonic reading finds a hard-
fought peacefulness. It’s the NY one that’s here, of course, and it’s one for the ages,
another must-own.

The first movement of the Tenth (Bernstein never came to terms with the various
realizations of Mahler's unfinished score for the other movements) receives an
appropriately hyper-emotional reading of great richness.

Absent from the 2001 box, Bernstein’s Israel Philharmonic rendition of Mahler’s real
Tenth (written before the one numbered #10), Das Lied von der Erde, is wisely included
here. Bernstein had recorded it in 1966 with tenor James King, baritone Dietrich Fischer-
Dieskau, and the Vienna Philharmonic (Decca); in this set we hear a 1972 recording with
tenor René Kollo, mezzo-soprano Christa Ludwig, and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.
Forgive me, but I can’t choose between them. I do prefer the male/female soloist lineup,
which was the composer’s preference as well, and while Fischer-Dieskau is justly revered
and delivers a finely detailed performance, on a sensual level I’d rather listen to Ludwig’s
orotund tones any day, and she’s no interpretive slouch either. Between Kollo and King, I
lean slightly towards Kollo’s voice but King’s deeper reading of the text. The Israel Phil
is totally outclassed by the Vienna Phil, which is no surprise and no insult either.

Alas, several items in the 2001 box are absent here. I realize that the title of this set
specifies symphonies, but so did its predecessor, which also included two versions of
Kindertotenlieder (one with Jennie Tourel and the NYPO, the other with Janet Baker and
the Israel Philharmonic), Tourel in a selection of three Rückert-Lieder ("Ich atmet einen
linden Duft," "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen," and "Um Mitternacht") plus "Das
irdische Leben" from Des Knaben Wunderhorn, a 1962 recording of the Eighth’s first
movement alone (offering listeners the opportunity to at least hear one part of this work
played by the New York Phil), and the Fifth’s Adagietto as performed (rather inaptly,
IMHO) at Robert F. Kennedy’s 1968 funeral mass. At least some of these items -- say, all
of Tourel’s lieder -- could have been included without requiring an additional disc.
Somewhat making up for those omissions, this set restores the '67 box’s Williams
Malloch-narrated nearly 48-minute “audio documentary” Gustav Mahler Remembered,
consisting of Part I, “Reminiscences by Mahler’s Associates and by Musicians who
played under His Baton” -- back in the '60s, there were still six retired New York
Philharmonic musicians who had played under Mahler (1860-1911)! -- and Part II,
“Includes Personal Recollections of Anna Mahler” (his daughter). It’s absolutely riveting
hearing the musicians talk about Mahler’s conducting style, personality, idiosyncrasies,
etc., though of course it’s unlikely that most people will play it as often as any of the
symphonies.

It's nice to have new essays by Erik Ryding and Tim Page, Bernstein's famous High
Fidelity essay "Mahler: His Time Has Come," and texts and translations (not to be taken
for granted nowadays). However, in another nit-pick, whereas the previous box included
multiply-tracked movements keyed to tempo indications; for some reason, this has now
been dropped, though for most people that will be of little or no consequence

Basically, what it comes down to is that for around $55-60 (around $5 per CD) one can
get THE pioneering, popularizing Mahler cycle. No set with 1-9, 10: Adagio, and Das
Lied von der Erde surpasses this one in excitement, and only the harder-to-find Gary
Bertini set, with excellent digital sound, is arguably better. - Steve Holtje
keresman on disc
Scott Reeves Quintet 
Shape Shifter
Miles Ahead
I don’t know this Scott Reeves fellow from a
hole in the ground — in fact, the only guy on
here that rings any bells is tenor saxophonist
Rich Perry. Musical genealogy isn’t import this
very moment — what does matter is this platter
by flugelhornist/valve trombonist/composer
Reeves is SUCH a gosh-darn fine
mainstream/modern bop live session. While clas-
sic influences can be discerned — at times Shape
recalls the mid-‘60s glory days of Blue Note (i.e., Freddie Hubbard, Art Blakey, Jackie
McLean) — this fivesome isn’t interested in turning back the clock. While this is melodi-
ous (well-thought/ well-structured originals, not just frameworks for blowing) & swinging
mod-bop, free influences seep in every now n’ then, Perry has a lusciously bluesy tone,
and the unison playing of Reeves and Perry has a gloriously, bittersweet ache to it. Pianist
Jim Ridl is lyrical and economical. Drummer Andy Watson is both solid and lively, got that
beat and makes with some groovy fills n’ punctuations. Gloriously & crisply recorded at
Cecil’s in scenic West Orange, NJ, Shape Shifter is a nigh-on flawless jazz disc. (And that’s
the first time I think I’ve ever used the word “flawless.” Really.) mileshighrecords.com.
Nine tracks/75:16
Alasdair Roberts 
Spoils
Drag City
Sara Watkins 
Sara Watkins
Nonesuch
I wish there was a UK O Brother Where Are
Thou counterpart, a movie that’d give a promi-
nent role to British Isles folk music — then lots
of people would be exposed to and crave more Alasdair Roberts
of it. Then Scotsman Alasdair Roberts might get
a leg up popularity-wise — ‘til then, we’ll have to make do with Spoils, his fifth album.
Outwardly Roberts’s approach recalls English folk pioneers Pentangle — spare, haunting,
crisp acoustic guitars finger-picked (or making with rolling, modal chords); very early
Simon & Garfunkle, Jethro Tull (in their less-rocking mode), and Fairport Convention,
who plugged-in for their take on Brit-folk (the chilling, eerie “Hazel Forks,” with its clang-
of-doom electric guitar solo evokes Richard Thompson at his scariest). Vocally, imagine a
Clancy brother or Al Stewart with a very Scottish accent, and there’s embellishment via
viol, dulcimer, and harpsichord. Spoils is enchanting (literally), ancient-sounding and cu-
riously timeless. Eight tracks/45:53
Bluegrass/Americana combo Nickel Creek is on hiatus, so you know what that means
— solo albums! Fiddler/singer Sara Watkins gets to shine with help of producer John Paul
Jones (if that name sounds familiar, it’s not because of high school History — he was Led
Zeppelin’s bassist), who keeps things focused and uncluttered. Watkins’s delicately soul-
ful singing is like unto a cross between very young Dolly Parton and dusky, jazz-inflected
Rickie Lee Jones. There’s exhilarating instrumental bluegrass (“Jefferson”), bluegrass
gospel (“Give Me Jesus”), Western swing (“Any Old Time”), and tossing us a nifty curve, a
dandy slice of Southern country soul (“Too Much”). Tim O’Brien, Greg Leisz, and Gillian
Welch lend their respective talents. Nothing momentous, just super-fine, dignified Ameri-
can music. dragcity.com / nonesuch.com 14 tracks/49:35
shemp@hotmail.com
Ratings: =skip it; =good; =very good; =excellent; =don’t miss.
MARK KERESMAN
Gustav Mahler/Leonard Bernstein 
The Complete Symphonies
Sony Masterworks
One of the MAJOR honchos of modern
music (arbitrary, of course; for sake of argu-
ment, post-1945) was and remains Leonard
Bernstein (1918-1990). Longtime conductor of
the NY Philharmonic and nine-time Grammy
Award-winner, he had a visceral, flamboyant
style. Bernstein composed music for the stage
(West Side Story), operetta (Candide), film (On
The Waterfront), ballet and orchestra, impress-
ing and spanning generations. He had an inclu-
sive outlook about music; he was an early champion of avant-jazz icon Ornette Coleman
and that Liverpool combo the Beatles (when many so-called “high art” types dismissed
both as garbage), and embraced Gustav Mahler (1860-1911). Beginning in 1960, Bern-
stein undertook recording all nine Mahler symphonies. These recordings (and live per-
formances, of course) put Mahler on the figurative cultural map.
Some think of Mahler as the first true 20th century composer and/or the link be-
tween the old Viennese school (Bruckner, Brahms) and the new (Schoenberg, Webern).
In a sense — long before William Burroughs, Andy Warhol, or those Beatles (Paul Mc-
Cartney counts Mahler as a major influence), Mahler (for his vocal works) drew upon
texts from folk-poetry, Chinese literature, Medieval Roman Catholic mysticism, and that
cheery thinker, Nietzsche, anticipating the mix-&-match/cut-up/juxtapose postmodern
hoo-hah everybody thinks started in the ‘60s. Mahler’s inspirations included nature, iron-
ic pathos, spiritual redemption, death and resurrection, and his Jewish upbringing (he
later converted to Catholicism). Mahler’s music is grand without being grandiose, deeply
and unabashedly emotional, darkly and sweetly tuneful. I’ve noticed that people who
grew up on/were poisoned by rock & roll have an affinity for Mahler. A guitarist I knew
remarked, regarding Symphony No.1 in D Major, “It’s so dense you could walk on it.”
Bernstein’s conducting makes it vibrant, makes it sing. Bernstein/Mahler is a box set of
Mahler’s symphonies, given a really snazzy digital remastering sheen. Take a few weeks
off and immerse. sonymasterworks.com
Joel Harrison 
Urban Myths
HighNote
Jazz guitarist Joel Harrison is of the genera-
tion that embraces a wide variety of inspiration
while devoting themselves to jazz. Harrison ac-
knowledges rock music (he’s recorded an entire
disc of George Harrison songs), bebop, modern
classical music, country, and trad Indian and
African sounds. Urban Myths finds Harrison tip-
ping his fedora fusion’s first flowerings — the
late 1960s and early ‘70s classics by Miles Davis,
Joe Zawinul, and Mahavishnu Orchestra. Yet there’s nothing retro about Myths — he
doesn’t imitate the classic fusion sound but rather builds upon it. David Binney’s piquant
alto sax wails a la bop and free, Daniel Kelly’s key’s have a rich soul-jazz flavor, and Harri-
son adds some scorching blues-rock guitar to the mix. Also, no knock meant to anyone,
but Harrison sounds nothing like Pat Metheny or Bill Frisell. (OK, maybe the teensiest bit
like Friz.) Sizzling, shimmering and stimulating, Urban Myths has alluring tunes, bracing
ensemble playing, and solos ranging from pretty to serrated. There’s good jazz and some
great jazz out there, but Joel Harrison is one of the few that’s making great jazz while
breaking away from the pack. It’s fab, daddy-o. Eight tracks, 55:40 jazzdepot.com / joel-
harrison.com

JUNE 2009
ICON
61
 May 19, 2009

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/classicalmusic/2009/05/reissue_of_bernsteins_1960s_ma.html

Reissue of Bernstein's 1960s Mahler cycle sounds great,

includes invaluable reminiscences
I've been bemoaning the lack of time and funds that kept me from
spending 12 days in New York to hear the complete symphonies of
Mahler performed at Carnegie Hall by the Staatskapelle Berlin. That
cycle, which featured Pierre Boulez and Daniel Barenboim alternating at
the podium, wrapped up on Sunday. Although the performances drew a
mix of so-so and glowing reviews, the opportunity to experience all of
that Mahler in less than two weeks had to be terrific.
I did find a consolation prize of sorts, thanks to Sony Classical's well-
timed re-release of the storied recordings from the 1960s of the nine
Mahler symphonies conducted by Leonard Bernstein, mostly with the
New York Philharmonic. It's always good to be reminded of Bernstein's
rare flair for getting to the heart of this composer, and this boxed set,
arriving only eight years since the last Sony Bernstein/Mahler reissue,
comes in freshly updated sound. It's not that Bernstein's interpretations necessarily displace everyone
else's, but that he is never less than persausive and involving. He went on to re-record the symphonies,
and in some cases, surpassed his own previous standard for insight. But his first Mahler cycle will
always hold a place of honor in his discography.
Even though I retain a deep fondness for the way that ...
some other conductors have delved into these symphonies -- Mengelberg with No. 4, and Barbirolli with
No. 6, to name a couple of my all-time favorite discs -- the Bernstein '60s recordings could easily pass
the desert-island test if you could only bring one complete set along.
Making the new package from Sony all the more worthy is the inclusion of a recording that hasn't had
as much circulation over the decades as the Bernstein-led performances -- interviews with musicians
who played in the New York Philharmonic (then called the Philharmonic Society of New York) for the
short period when Mahler himself was conductor, 1909-11. These reminiscences are supplemented by
those of musicians who worked with him in Vienna, including illustrious film composer Max Steiner, and
some endearing remarks by Mahler's daughter Anna. If you've never heard this archive, you've got to
get this set for that reason alone.
It is riveting to hear first-hand from players who, more than 50 years after Mahler's death, talk so
precisely about his "disorderly” hair and peculiar walk. When one of the men says there was "something
saintly about Mahler -- this you felt," or when another recalls a 1908 performance at Carnegie Hall of
Schumann's Spring Symphony where the outburst in the first movement was achieved so
masterfully that he "never heard such a sound like that in my life," it communicates in a way
that scholarly biographies can't quite match. And it's just too cool to hear a musician talk about Mahler
trying to whistle to demontrate how he wanted "the boids" to sound in Beethoven's Pastoral. When you
think about guys with Brooklyn accents playing in Mahler's Philharmonic, the conductor/composer's
brief American period seems closer, more real somehow.
The stories about Mahler's cruel streak, especially picking on an elderly bassist (“You should be playing
in the back room of a saloon,” the conductor told him), are as fascinating as the anecdote about Mahler
inviting the entire orchestra to have a post-concert snack with him after they finally gave him the
"volcanic" sound he wanted in Beethoven's Fifth. It's also revealing to hear the musicians make
comparisons between Mahler and Toscanini that aren't as flattering as you might expect to the Italian.
And one of the best moments is when a player sings the portamento that Mahler wanted in his own
Fourth Symphony, a portamento that most conductors shy away from today (Mengelberg's 1936,
portamento-rich recording is decisvely vindicated by these remarks -- not that I ever doubted it).
Didn't mean to go on an on about all of this. But hearing these personal connections to Mahler on the
same CD set that preserves, in state-of-the-art remastering, Bernstein's personal approach to Mahler's
music makes the set a double treasure.
SAN FRANCISCO CLASSICAL VOICE
May 19, 2009

http://www.sfcv.org/listen/cd-reviews/mahler-lenny-was-one

For Mahler, 'Lenny Was the One'

BERNSTEIN/MAHLER: THE COMPLETE SYMPHONIES
BY JANOS GEREBEN

Bernstein/Mahler:
The Complete Symphonies

For most American music fans in the middle of the last century, Gustav Mahler meant Leonard Bernstein. He was
widely regarded as the single source of the Mahler revival or, for most listeners, their first experience. This is so,
even though there have been tremendous performances and recordings of Mahler's music even before the 1960s
— or contemporaneously — by Walter, Klemperer, Mitropoulos, Horenstein, Scherchen, Boult, van Otterloo, Szell,
Ormandy, Barbirolli, and others, including Charles Adler, whose 1951 recording of the Symphony No. 3 was the first
and remained alone until Bernstein published his.

Even in Europe, where Mahler didn't need to be "revived" quite as much, Bernstein was appreciated greatly, his
recordings with the Vienna Philharmonic (the "house orchestra" for the Vienna Staatsoper) being justly acclaimed,
and his Mahler recording hegemony was nearly as complete as in the U.S.

Uniquely, Bernstein had succeeded Mahler, a generation removed, as music director of the New York Philharmonic,
1958-1969, and both had a vital relationship with the Vienna Philharmonic, Mahler as music director from 1897 to
1907 and Bernstein as principal guest conductor from 1970 to 1979.

Much Mahler has flowed under the bridge since, including — closer to home — the complete cycle performed
several times and recorded by Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony, but MTT mentor
Bernstein is still the Mahler champion unto himself, with his powerful, lively, dramatic performances, rightly
characterized by Martin Bernheimer as "hyper-passionate, super-romantic, omni-tragic."

In 1960, with the blessings of the composer's widow, Alma, Bernstein began recording the first complete stereo
cycle of all nine completed symphonies by Gustav Mahler. That, and more, has been now published by Sony
Masterworks in a remastered and remixed 12-disc edition. (The issue coincides with Carnegie Hall's presentation of
"Mahler: The Symphonies in Sequence," through May 17.)
In addition to the nine symphonies, the Sony set includes the Adagio from Symphony No. 10, Das Lied von der
Erde, with Christa Ludwig, Rene Kollo, and the Israel Philharmonic; and a 1967 audio documentary called "Gustav
Mahler Remembered: Reminiscences by Mahler's Associates and by Musicians Who Played Under His Baton,"
including an interview with Alma Mahler (1879-1964).

The reissue of some four-decades-old recordings brings back (in a cleaner, fuller sound) such artists as soprano
Lee Venora and mezzo Jennie Tourel in the "Resurrection" Symphony; mezzo Martha Lipton in Symphony No. 3,
soprano Reri Grist in Symphony No. 4; and sopranos Erna Spoorenberg and Gwyneth Jones, mezzos Gwenyth
Annear, Anna Reynolds, and Norma Procter, tenor John Mitchinson, baritone Vladimir Ruzdjak, and bass Donald
McIntyre with the London Symphony in the Symphony of a Thousand.

Janos Gereben (janosg@gmail.com) is a regular contributor to San Francisco Classical Voice.

 May 4, 2009

http://interchangingidioms.blogspot.com/2009/05/lennard-bernsteins-legendary-recordings.html

Leonard Bernstein's Legendary Recordings: Complete Mahler

Symphonies

By Chip Michael

Released on Sony Masterworks, remixed and remastered from the original tapes for the
first time

Featuring The Long-Unavailable Audio Documentary “Gustav Mahler Remembered” As A Special

Bonus

“... Leonard Bernstein’s role in propelling Mahler’s music from cult status into the
mainstream can never be underestimated... These original Bernstein Mahler disks were
landmarks in the history of recorded sound...” –The New York Times

Leonard Bernstein’s championing of Mahler in the 1960s and ’70s reintroduced the
Austrian composer’s magnificent music to the world and installed his symphonies into
the standard repertoire of the greatest international orchestras. In the wake of worldwide
commemorations in 2008 of the 90th anniversary of Bernstein’s birth, Sony Masterworks
has created a newly remastered and remixed edition of Bernstein’s Mahler: The Complete
Symphonies, which can be regarded as the definitive version of this historic recording.

This specially priced 12-CD set features Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York
Philharmonic in Mahler’s Symphonies Nos. 1–7 and 9. He conducts the London
Symphony Orchestra for Symphony No. 8 (“Symphony of a Thousand”) and the Israel
Philharmonic Orchestra for the song-symphony Das Lied von der Erde. The first
movement of the unfinished Symphony No. 10 is also included.

As a special bonus, this release includes a long-unavailable 1967 audio documentary

entitled “Gustav Mahler Remembered: Reminiscences by Mahler’s Associates and by
Musicians Who Played Under His Baton,” narrated by William Malloch. It is a
fascinating, intimate look into what it must have been like to know and work with the
brilliant composer and impresario.
The liner notes of this handsomely packaged box set feature new essays by Erik Ryding
and Pulitzer-Prize winning critic Tim Page. Also included is Bernstein’s seminal essay
for High Fidelity entitled “Mahler: His Time Has Come,” originally published in 1967 to
coincide with the LP release of the complete symphonies, in which the conductor makes
the most passionate and convincing of cases for the enduring relevance of Mahler’s
music.

The final master for this CD release was produced using Sony’s SBM Direct technology
in order to retain audiophile quality. Sony’s engineers worked with the master tapes in
their original multi-track format. What the listener hears in this release is truer to the
recording sessions than any previous release.

Gustav Mahler (1860–1911), like Bernstein who followed him a half century later, was a
musician of stunning talent and incredible influence — a composer, conductor, and
impresario who galvanized those around him and helped to shape his cultural moment.
As an impresario and music director, he held positions at Hamburg Opera, Vienna Court
Opera, the Metropolitan Opera (briefly), and finally the New York Philharmonic. Mahler
championed the music of other contemporary composers, among them Richard Strauss,
but the critics and the public never seemed to understand his colossal symphonic style
and his musical vision of an arrogant, gilded age rotting noisily beneath the surface.

At the mercy of music critics after his death, Mahler’s compositional legacy seemed
unsure. It is no overstatement to say that Bernstein’s championing of Mahler altered the
fate of the brilliant Austrian composer in the annals of music history.

When Bernstein decided to record the complete symphonies, the New York Philharmonic
already had a profound connection to Mahler. Mahler’s music directorship of the
Philharmonic was his last before he died, and he had led the orchestra in many of his own
works. In Bernstein’s second season as the Philharmonic’s music director in 1959–60, he
chose to preside over a Mahler festival to celebrate the centennial of Mahler’s birth and
the 50th anniversary of his appointment as the Philharmonic’s music director. The idea of
the recording project was borne of that endeavor.

From May 6-17, Carnegie Hall is presenting “Mahler: The Symphonies in Sequence,” a
complete cycle of the Mahler symphonies led by Daniel Barenboim and Pierre Boulez.
The resonance with history is powerful: Carnegie Hall presents its Mahler celebration
fifty years after Bernstein’s anniversary festival.

Part of a new specially-branded series entitled Carnegie Hall Presents, this release is
intended as an audio companion to Carnegie Hall’s presentation of Mahler’s symphonies.