Search - Gustav Mahler, Maurice de Abravanel, Utah Symphony Orchestra :: Mahler: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 4

Two of Maurice Abravanel's greatest recordings for less than

Larry VanDeSande | Mason, Michigan United States | 08/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This set entails two of Maurice Abravanel's best performances (of Mahler or any othe composer) during his long tenure as music director of the Utah Symphony Orchestra. These performances, from 1968 (Symphony 2) and 1974 (Symphony 4) are very well recorded and oustandingly performed by combined Utah forces and famous soloists.



With Leonard Bernstein, Abravanel was the first American conductor to regularly perform and record all the Mahler symphonies. The two had very different ideas about Mahler, who was only becoming popular worldwide when each of them was recording his nine symphonies (the 10th symphony was not well known in those days.)



Unlike Bernstein -- who took a highly visceral and tempestuous approach to Mahler, italicizing his neuroticism -- Abravanel's approach is more in the mold of Mahler's friend and protege, Bruno Walter. His performances tend to be short (77 minutes in the "Resurrection") and tend to be on the moderate side of the emotional spectrum.



That should not be confused with "cool", however, for Abravanel and his forces are every bit as involved with the turbulent emotions of the "Resurrection" symphony. But instead of focusing on religiosity or the weight of temperament, Abravanel's performance is a more direct interpretation of the score abetted by two wonderful soloists and a choir with exquisite elocution.



The recordings were made in the world famous Mormon Tabernacle, a two level facility I have visited that is shaped like a loaf of bread. Having heard the Mormon Tabernacle Choir there, I can attest that the structural quality of this facility has much to do with the exceptionally honest and truthful recordings put forth here on CD. It is a wonderful place to sing, perform and record and has a lot to do with the realistic sound of these CDs.



Maurice Abravanel made many wonderful and justly famous recordings in Utah and this one is probably the greatest living testament to his Mahler legacy. No fan of Mahler, whether veteran or neophyte just starting to explore the Mahler canon, has any reason to be nervous about acquiring this two disc set. It has stood the test of time and compares well with the competition still today."

Mahler with heart, refinement by Abravanel & Company

Dan Fee | Berkeley, CA USA | 06/10/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Let me begin with full disclosure: my acquaintance with this symphony is founded on the distinguished recording made for old CBS (now Sony Classics) by Bruno Walter. He had the New York Philharmonic playing their hearts out, perhaps reaching back into their own collective orchestral unconscious for something of the actual Mahler tradition to which they were bona fide heirs through having played under the composer himself. To this orchestral heritage, Bruno Walter could bring his own authentic insight, nurtured in person over many years of having been musically mentored by Mahler himself. The alto soloist in that recording is the great Canadian contralto, Maureen Forrester, who had the chops ... and then some. The choir, the Westminster College Choir (I believe), were up the challenge.That said, I am going to argue in this review that Abravanel and Utah earn their own special place. For starters, the refurbishing of the sound to high resolution (... I am actually reviewing the DVD-audio version just released recently by Silverline Classics... apparently missing notice by regular Amazon, but capable of being found and purchased, nonetheless, for all their oversight...)... well the high resolution sound is very well done. Particularly, the venue is vividly captured, since all the Utah recordings of the Mahler symphonies were able to be made in the rather unique acoustic of the Mormon Tablernacle. This building is legendary, built entirely by manual labor so the story goes, and containing not one bit of metal since the scarcity of physical materials meant that originally all the wood structures had to be fitted together by hand carving, and supported or reinforced by leather ties. In terms of the acoustic, the large circular space is a weird combination of reverberance ... circular reverberance .... and uncanny specificity. On the tour when I was there, we were left in a small group against one curving outer wall, while the tour guide want across the space to the opposite point on the curving wall across from us. He dropped pins on the pulpit, which could be heard distinctly hitting the lectern's top surface. He brushed his shirtsleeve, which could be heard as a series of rustling sounds, again quite distinct and not at all blurred.In 5.1 high resolution, the DVD Audio version of this recording manages to capture and recreate a good bit of this unusual venue. It turns out to be quite a magical contribution to the Mahler Second Symphony. Once you adjust to the sound of the orchestra, you are given a floating aural display that hangs ethereally in the circular cloud-spaces of the tabernacle building. Arguably, this unusual soundstage might not be ideal for all types of orchestral music (... or is it? You may want to check out the other high resolution releases on DVD Audio from Silverline Classics, with Abravanel and Utah performing Brahms and Sibelius). Still, the music and the tabernacle acoustic seem particularly well suited for this Mahler Second.Another part of the heart and sheer intelligence on offer here is the way Abravanel so seamlessly and invisibly makes use of the orchestra across all its instrumental departments. There is no doubt that Utah at this phase of their emergence from the shadows of US regional orchestra identity development were obviously unequal to Philadelphia, New York, Cleveland, or Boston. Indeed, Utah would seem to be a bit beneath even the Los Angeles, Dallas, and Pittsburg orchestras of their era. But Abravanel knew them so intimately, in both their strengths and their weaknesses, that he could dream up an interpretation that fit them, hand in glove, while staying true, overall, to genuine Mahler symphonic style.There is much in Abravanel's choices of tempo, as well as of orchestral balance, that puts Mahler and Utah on best display. Although the Utah strings simply cannot yield the massed, sugary-velvety, heavy effects we often take for granted in Mahler done by Vienna, or Berlin, or Philadelphia; they manage to make almost all the points Mahler writes into the music, though they have frequent recourse to an abbreviated yet lyrical, singing line that must take the place of the expansive line and gesture you get from other, bigger orchestras. Woodwinds and brass are uncannily blended and balanced in the conductor's knowing hands. They make all their points, too, in real Mahlerian manner, and once you are caught up in this performance, Abravanel can make you forget that other way of playing Mahler, without diminishing him for a second.Another great plus in this performance is the chorus and soloists. American contralto Florence Kopleff shows that she, too, was the real deal. Her voice bears the natural gravity and dark weight that the part requires. She entirely wins us over, and utterly triumphs (unwelcome) comparisons with the quavering, mini-alto soloist in that other recent Mahler second given us by Vienna on DGG, led by Kaplan. Beverly Sills is just her innately silver-tongued, musical self. She gives us rather a special star turn for what is, after all, a frequently under-cast soprano role. The choir does very well, too, though they are obviously a community chorus rather than a professional group. Again, the conductor balances all with self-effacing success, never for a second exposing his forces to shame or distraction, despite their acknowledged technical limitations.So, then, this recording is strongly recommended, especially in its 5.1 DVD Audio version. You get the very special magic of the moment, captured in surround sound that reincarnates the tabernacle venue, and all of it serves Mahler and Mahler's music. No, this recording will hardly beg to become an only or best one. Still, it offers its own way with Mahler, and inspires its own shining recognition in the pantheon of recordings that may sit on your home shelf. Strongly recommended. Four Stars."