Search - Hermann Prey, Gustav Mahler, Bernard Haitink :: Gustav Mahler: Orchestral Songs

A grab bag of good and not so good

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 09/27/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"For a long time British critics have hailed Haitink's Das Lied, even though James King blares through the tenor part without regard for the words and the marvelous Janet Baker was caught about seven years past her prime. As for the Kindertotenlieder, Prey's version is touching and sensitive without being lugubrious. It's appealing to hear this cycle, which is for male voice, done so well by a baritone despite the fact that so many of the classic recordings (Ferrier, Ludwig, and Baker in particular)have been by women. If only Thomas Quasthoff would now record it.



The major disappointment here is the Knaben Wunderhorn cycle with Norman and Shirley-Quirk. She is in glorious voice but sounds too staid and self-involved, while he has no proper German style--one keeps thinking that an English gentleman is trying not very hard to impersonate the brash, tragic, strutting soldiers that are the chief characters in the male songs. Overall, even at a bargain price I would look elsewhere for all these pieces. In particular, try the live Das Lied under Kubelik on the Audite label, which features Baker in much better voice seven years earlier."

The Four Mahler Song Cycles in One Generous and Fine Album

Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 09/17/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Any time there is a chance to hear the favored orchestra for Mahler - the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam - involved in performances of any of Mahler's four song cycles, it is a reason for rejoicing. Somehow the sound of this orchestra and Mahler were meant to be one. Add to this bit of good fortune the fine conducting of Bernard Haitink and a group of first class soloists and Voila! - an album of 2 CDs, modestly priced, and a must for every collector of Mahler's music.



'Das Lied von der Erde', that would-be 9th symphony of the paranoid superstitious Mahler, is one of his most powerful symphony of songs. Here it is given a warm and introspective performance by Dame Janet Baker (just try to find a more poignant 'Der Abschied') and James King in his prime. This is followed by a soulful 'Kindertotenlieder' this time rendered by a male voice - Hermann Prey - giving these five melancholic songs a special Mahlerian significance, paying homage to the Mahler's inspiration for composing them. Prey then segues into the youthful 'Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen': again one song in particular is glowingly memorable with Prey's interpretation - 'Die zwei blauen augen von meinem Schatz'.



'Lieder aus Des Knaben Wunderhorn' served Mahler well in providing melodies and songs for his first four symphonies and hearing the cycle sung with the grace and fun and dignity by Jessye Norman and John Shirley-Quirk plumbs the depths of Mahler's ongoing inspiration. Haitink offers the support and orchestral playing that fits these soloists like a glove. In all, these are fine performances of these cycles, the binding thread being the same orchestra and conductor. Yes, we all have our favorite recordings of each of these works, but on the whole this album is difficult to match. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, September 05



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The Splendid John Shirley-Quirk

Thomas Hengeveld | Amsterdam, the Netherlands | 05/23/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bernard Haitinks recording of the "Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen" is surpassed only by two other recordings: his own 1989 recording with Jessye Norman and the Berliner Philharmoniker and, ofcourse, the greatest recording of them all: Fischer-Dieskau with Furtwangler. That same Fischer-Dieskau, but now accompanied by Rudolf Kempe, recorded the "Kindertotenlieder" to end all "Kindetotenlieder..", but nevertheless, Herman Prey's interpretation is very, very fine and sensitive, surpassed only by Fischer-Dieskau and Dame Janet Baker. The orchestral playing on this disc though, outshines both the Berliner for Fischer-Dieskau and the Halle orchestra for Baker. In short, as far as the "Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen" and the "Kindertotenlieder" are concerned, this recording comes in on third place.But, a word on the "Wunderhorn" songs... Maybe Szell's (that great Mahler-conductor) recording with, again, Fischer-Dieskau and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and the London Symphony Orchestra is better when it comes to true understanding and diction of the words. Fischer-Dieskau is able to convey the story behind the songs even if one doesn't understand a word of german, but in the "Wunderhorn" songs he sometimes sounds a bit too intellectual, too perfected. He's rough and harsh, soft and beautiful at exactly the right places, but he's a mere projection of the drummer-boy, or the poor soldier in "Revelge." John Shirley-Quirk on the other hand, IS the drummer-boy and he BECOMES the soldier. His voice isn't hardly as polished as Fischer-Dieskau's, sometimes he even has trouble reaching the high notes and his (and ofcourse Haitinks...) tempo's have a strange sluggishness at times, but, by god, the feeling in that voice..!! Just listen to "Revelge", listen to the way he sings the phrase "Sie ziehen vor Schatzeleins Haus, tralali." At "tralali" Mahler writes "geschrieen," shouted, and shouts he does. Chilling. Buy this disc for Shirley-Quirk alone, get a marvelous Jessye Norman as a bonus and own the ultimate recording of "Des Knaben Wunderhorn.""