Search - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Hermann Prey, Gustav Mahler :: Mahler III: Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon

The last third of Mahler's career, mostly in great performan

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 06/27/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It pains me to withhold a star from Bernstein's otherwise magnificent Mahler cycle for DG. In this, the last third of the composer's output, Bernstein fully rises to the genius of Sym. #9 and the Adagio from Sym. #10. He resisted the temptation to record any completion of the Tenth, feeling that Mahler was unfairly represented by sketches that weren't orchestrated or fully finished even in piano score. But the Adagio was finished, and as a farewell to earthly life, it's one of the most moving testaments left by an artist. Bernstein's live Vienna reading from 1974 (he died before making a commercial recording for DG) is one of the greatest.



Likewise Bernstein's Ninth, which has slowed down from his first conception. The Adagio finale, at 29+ min., is extremely drawn out. By comparison, Boulez takes only 21 min. and Abbado 25 min., both on DG. But the Concertgebouw is fully atttuned to the intense expressivity that Bernstein wanted, and this is a reading for the ages, surpassed only by his live 1979 account with the Berlin Phil., never commercially recorded but released by DG as a posthumous tribute to the conductor.



Bernstein didn't live to made a commercial version of the Symphony of a Thousand, either, which is a great shame given that his Eighth on Sony, done with the London Sym., was a great event. DG acquired the rights to a live Eighth from 1975 with the Vienna Phil. at the Salzburg Festival. The sounics are mid-fi at best, but one can hear all the ardor and authority of Bernstein's vision.



For me, the real thorn is this Das Lied von der Erde. When it was first released on Decca, the recording sounded great as pure sound, but critics were divided about the singers. James King had the right heroic tenor but showed little imagination. Fischer-Dieskau, singing the baritone version of the score rather than the usual mezzo-soprano, gave his all, and if you admire him, his constant underlining of phrases, vocal mannerisms, and lack of lyricism won't bother you. They bother me, to the point where I rush to hear Kathleen Ferrier or Christa Ludwig, just to get F-D's voice out of my head. Unfortunately for Bernstien, his other version for Sony wasn't a complete success, either. It featured the underwhelming Israel Phil, and although Christa Ludwig is inspired, the tenor singing from Rene Kollo sounds strained and inadequte. (Both singers teamed up again for a far more successful Das Lied under Karajan with the Berlin Phil.)



In sum, this is the one installment of Bernstein's cycle that I wouldn't automatically purchase. He has a better Eighth and Ninth Sym., and other conductors have made much better Das Lieds."

Controversial and thrilling

Serpentor | Groesbeek, Netherlands | 03/14/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This set of the last Mahler works isn't as consistent as the previous two volumes in this edition (which is the same as the complete Mahler-Bernstein set DG released in the eighties and nineties), but all the same, it has a lot going for it. Das Lied von der Erde surely belongs to the top list of current recordings and the Concertgebouw Ninth, which may or may not clash with what's considered 'good taste', is played with conviction and ends quite poignantly (albeit controversial?).



The Adagio from the Tenth is marred by dry sonics and unsoulful playing from the Vienna Philharmonic and the live rendition of the Eigth with the same orchestra recorded at the '75 Salzburg Festival disappoints due to poor orchestral balances and a recording quality that's really below par. But despite all it's liabilities, there are moments that truly capture the spirit of Mahler's most intimate work and the final moments truly reach for the heavens.



All in all, a very mixed bag, but certainly worth having."

Very Good To Disappointing Mahler From Bernstein

John Kwok | New York, NY USA | 07/03/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Deutsche Grammophon concludes its Mahler Bernstein Collection Edition box sets with this collection comprising Bernstein's performances of the Mahler 8th, 9th and 10th (Adagio) symphonies and Das Lied von der Erde. Only one of these recordings is indeed truly memorable; his emotionally riveting account of the 9th Symphony with the Concertgebouw Orchestra. However, I am inclined to agree with his earlier recording of this symphony with the Berliner Philharmoniker - that Deutsche Grammophon released as a posthumous tribute - is more insightful and remains one of the finest accounts ever committed to disk. Bernstein didn't live to record digitally the 8th Symphony, so Deutsche Grammophon "completed" his cycle by using a 1974 recording of it with him conducting the Wiener Philharmoniker at the Salzburg Festival. Although it is a fine recording in its own right, I concur with others who regard his CBS Masterworks (Sony) recording made in the mid 1960s with the London Symphony Orchestra as the more exciting, better interpretation from Bernstein. Deutsche Grammophon also "borrows" from its Universal sibling Decca to round out Bernstein's Mahler cycle with a recording released originally on Decca featuring James King and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau as the soloists in a good interpretation of Das Lied von der Erde; but it is an interpretation that isn't as intriguing as any I've heard, for example, from the likes of Boulez and Haitink. Those who are fans of Leonard Bernstein and his interpretations of Mahler's scores will most likely still want to add this box set to their collections; others may find more intriguing recordings from the likes of Abbado, Boulez, Chailly, and Haitink."