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Review by threerandot June 5, 2007 (7 of 7 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics (MC): |
Ricardo Chailly leads the Concertgebuow Orchestra in this majestic performance of Mahler's third symphony. The Bach fill-up is excellent as well.
Kräftig entschieden (Strong and decisive):
Ricardo Chailly proves to us that he is capable of giving us a first-rate performance in Mahler's third symphony.
The opening movement begins with one of Mahler's favorite devices, the March, with impressive horns, crisp percussion and deep, deep bass. Those with a subwoofer or large speakers are in for a treat. There is a feeling of desperation in this music and the powerful dynamics only heighten the emotions. The darker, more sinister moments with trumpets, bass and percussion are contrasted with gentler moments in the winds and violins. Piccolos, flutes, oboes and clarinets come through beautifully. You can also hear some of the deep bass coming from your rear speakers as well. There is a heroic and indominatable spirit in this music. At almost 35 minutes, in lesser hands, this first movement could peter out very quickly, but Chailly manages to keep the music moving with plenty of energy and momentum.
Tempo di Menuetto (In the tempo of a minuet)
After the tumultuous and dramatic first movement, we settle into the genial and sunny second movement. This minuet is filled with a Viennese charm and ease. The pizzicato strings and harps help set the mood. This is ebullient music making. I wish that the strings could come out just a bit more, but overall, this is a nice contrast to the first movement.
Comodo (Scherzando) (Comfortably, like a scherzo)
The third movement is filled with the joy and beauty of nature and is marked by colorful woodwinds and horns. The music has a rustic, dancelike character filled with the innocence and happiness of youth. The posthorn solos are the centerpiece of this movement. They are tender, lyrical and moving and will stick in your head. I appreciate the distance the listener is from the posthorn, almost as if it is calling us from the depths of the woods. French horns join in. It conjures up serene and peaceful feelings. The solo is broken by more rustic dances, but returns again later. The movement closes with exuberant climatic fanfares.
Sehr langsam--Misterioso (Very slowly, mysteriously)
Petra Lang's mezzo-soprano voice proves ideally suited to the mysterious fourth movement, filled with deep yearning and longing. The mood is serene, with soft french horns and strings. This is one of the most poignant moments in this entire symphony. It all ends with hushed strings. The recording captures the intimacy of this music making.
Lustig im Tempo und keck im Ausdruck (Cheerful in tempo and bold in expression)
The fifth movement features an all women's chorus singing a joyful song which contains material Mahler would later use in his fourth symphony. The tune is bright and genial.
Langsam--Ruhevoll--Empfunden (Slowly, tranquil, deeply felt)
The finale to this symphony begins with solemn and gentle strings. The music is tranquil, searching and hopeful. Chailly draws inspired playing from the Concertgebuow and this last movement is like one, long, giant breath. The music has depth, vulnerability and uncertainty, yet it is constantly building. We have followed the journey of this symphony and we are coming to its magnificent conclusion. The music ebbs, with a lone, solo flute, followed by trumpets, expressing hope. The music swells again, with passionate and shimmering strings, magnificent tympanis and blaring brass which builds towards a magnificent and heroic close.
I am very impressed with this excellent performance of Mahler's third and Chailly manages to keep this 100 minutes of music under control and always moving forward. The closing movement is in itself an incredible feat, like one long crontrolled climax. Truly inspired.
Since the Mahler symphony is too long to fit on one disc, there is the added bonus of the attractively played Bach Suite, arranged by Mahler. It contains the Overture, Rondeau and Badinerie from the Suite No. 2, as well as the Air and Gavottes I and II from the Suite No. 3. They are all beautifully played.
I. Overture: This is highlighted by the organ played by Richard Ram. Very impressive.
II. Rondeau and Badinerie: There is some nice harpsichord playing in the Rondeu and the flute playing in the Badinerie is first rate.
III. Air: This is also known as the very popular "Air on the G String". Strings are rich with the pizzicato in the bass pleasently caught.
IV. Gavottes I and II: These majestic Gavottes are played with great energy and enthusiasm. The brass is very impressively recorded. The same can be said for the rest of the orchestra and continuo.
This could very well be one recording of Mahler's third symphony that will sit on the shelf with other famous recordings of this symphony. An excellent recording, even if I would have preferred more air around the sound at times, as well as more body to the strings. Still, Chailly gets the most from the Concertgebuow players who really give it their all.
This set was released on two discs and the fact that it is priced as one full-price disc should make this purchase very attractive to Mahler fans. Add the excellent Bach Suite fill-up and you have a disc that makes for a very enjoyable evening of listening. Highly recommended.
(This review refers to the MCH portion of this disc.)
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Review by Dr. O August 8, 2005 (6 of 6 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics (MC): |
A trully first-rate performance by one of the world's great orchestras! This should certainly be in the collection of each and every Mahler fan!
I find the sonics to be wonderful, specially in the "non-tutti" sections. At times - when the entire orchestra is playing - some of the clarity is slightly diminished. In this sense, I find the SFS recording to be better.
In terms of the interpretation offered by Chailly, it is very good. One element that I enjoy in MTT's version is how he is able to bring out that side of Mahler which was, in spite of all his polished urbanity, still decidedly bohemian. Staging and the purity of each individual line is also cleaner in the MTT version, though at times there are moments in this performance which are somewhat more engaging. Chailly is good in his ability to keep the "musical thread" moving forward through time, whereas with MTT there is a tendency to "milk" each section for it's own individual meaning and nuance. Two different styles and approaches - one not "better" than the other, but simply "different."
The Bach Suite is a delight, specially the Air - one of my all-time favorite compositions. How wonderful to have this included in this very satisfying CD!
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Review by jdaniel@jps.net July 16, 2004 (3 of 3 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics: |
I’ve found Chailly’s previous Mahler installments to be a little frustrating: He’s got the Concertgebouw, a great acoustic, a great recording team; he’s got a great sense of line and a keen enough ear to make the most of Mahler’s innumerable orchestral felicities. What’s the problem? Chailly’s product is just a little too polite, well-heeled and plush for my tastes. Sheer beauty of the playing aside, his performances can be just plain boring at times. In the case of the new 3rd I’m happy to report that, with a few exceptions, there’s an added vibrancy, earthiness, and frission, that sets this performance apart from the rest of the cycle in a very satisfying way. A few observations follow regarding the symphonic movements that appeal to me the most. I will leave it to Mahlerians to dissect the symphony in whole.
Chailly, being a colorist, finds much to unearth in the first mov’t. Mahler’s pre-nature rumblings and grumblings are especially interesting and multi-hued; even the quiet percussion interjections are invested with an unusual amount of character. As nature awakens the Concertgebouw woodwinds and strings play gorgeously, but are adequately rustic as well. It is in the great midway march that I feel that Chailly loses a touch of momentum, (did Mahler request such a measured pace here?), and when that first great climactic outburst comes, it’s huge, expansive, and well-balanced, but it doesn’t make the lights dim, so to speak, as I think it should. (Though it’s so well accommodated by the surround recording…maybe I’m just used to having my teeth set on edge at such moments.) No complaints from this point on: the pacing, the playing, and the holding together of Mahler’s extraordinary kaliedoscopy of events is spellbinding. (In surround, you will be treated to a snare drum that retreats into the back of the hall at one point!)
The 3rd mov’t is a favorite of mine. Chailly and the Concertgebouw respond well to Mahler’s wind-dominated writing and the dreamy posthorn solo—in surround at least—finally sounds as if it’s coming from far o’er the hills. The coda--a shriek, horns and arpeggiated harps suggesting grand and mysterious vistas, and then the gargantuan, strangely indifferent caprice of an ending--never fails to amaze me. While the moment is BIG, Chailly keeps it all in line, quite literally. Just like my minor complaint with the outburst in the first mov’t, here too I wouldn’t have minded a more dramatic punctuation—a hitting of the reset button; Chailly seems more concerned with keeping the finish-line in view through the spectacle. Architecture-first listeners may well prefer Chailly’s approach; I like a little more indulgence.
The Bim-bam 5th mov’t is a lot of fun. In surround the Children’s choir arcs around each side of the listener, with Ms. Lang in the center. Lang’s voice is dark and rich, much like the overall sound of this recording. I’ve never heard the chromatically-sliding brass material sound so menacing, though the bass-drum and gong are presented, here and elsewhere, hyper-realistically. (I happen to like it that way.)
The opening strings of the 6th mov’t play with an unusual amount of intensity, and the light and shade with which they invest the music makes the first half especially interesting. When the brass takes over this chorale-like melody towards the end of the mov’t, I found myself marveling over the sheer lyricism of their playing, esp. the lead trumpet. Gorgeous. The final grand iteration of this material is just right: every quarter note is leaned upon just enough to keep things clearly delineated, but not so much so that the music sounds plodding. In surround the final drum and cymbal crash before the coda electrifies the air in the room! One last special moment: the quiet string tremolo that ushers in the coda has a rustic quality that clearly harkens back to the 1st mov’t, bringing everything full-circle.
This is a performance I’ll keep, and it’s a must-hear in surround. The rear-channel levels are well-nigh perfect—I can’t hear anything, (unless there are specific antiphonal effects), yet the front-to-back and left-to-right stage width is increased dramatically. Maybe Decca will have another golden age of recording with SACD surround. (Yes, Mahler prefers SACD to DVD-A. After all, he said that pictures of the mountains that inspired this symphony aren’t necessary, the music alone says it all….)
A technical note: This is the first surround recording in which a center channel, or at least a re-direction of the center channel material, may be necessary. I’ve been going without a center channel, with no problems so far; however with this recording, I could sense an ever-so-slight “hole” in the middle of the soundstage which disappeared after re-directing the center material to the left and right speakers.
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