Search - Gustav Mahler, Zubin Mehta, Ileana Cotrubas :: Mahler: Symphony No. 2 / Mehta, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

Mahler: Symphony No. 2 / Mehta, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Gustav Mahler, Zubin Mehta, Ileana Cotrubas
Mahler: Symphony No. 2 / Mehta, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Genre: Classical
 
  •  Track Listings (9) - Disc #1

No Description Available No Track Information Available Media Type: CD Artist: MAHLER,G. Title: SYM 2 Street Release Date: 06/13/2000

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Gustav Mahler, Zubin Mehta, Ileana Cotrubas, Christa Ludwig, Wiener Philharmoniker
Title: Mahler: Symphony No. 2 / Mehta, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Decca
Original Release Date: 1/1/1975
Re-Release Date: 6/13/2000
Album Type: Original recording remastered
Genre: Classical
Styles: Opera & Classical Vocal, Historical Periods, Modern, 20th, & 21st Century, Symphonies
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 028946699225

Synopsis

Product Description
No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: MAHLER,G.
Title: SYM 2
Street Release Date: 06/13/2000

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CD Reviews

Flawless recording, the legend stuff is no hype
cmk | Oregon | 01/21/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you get one recording of Mahler's spectacular Resurrection, get this one. I have 3 recordings of this piece, and this one is my favorite out of those 3. Single disc Mahler 2nds are very rare. But this one is better than alot of its double disc competitors. This is probably Mehta's finest Mahler album ever. I cannot say enough good things about this recording, but I will say as many as I can. The first movement is very dramatic. Mehta opens with a very tense, brisk tempo. Even though he opens fairly brisk, Mehta never rushes, but never drags, clocking in at 21'03, a full 2 minutes slower then Klemperer who actually opens with a slower tempi. The timpani is very well-defined, however not overpowering, throughout the movement, as well as throughout the entire disc. The Andante is played very well. The phrasing is wonderful. Mehta's tempi are pretty much the same as most others, perhaps a little faster in some spots. The Scherzo starts out the best I have ever heard. Two crisp, crystal clear Timpani strikes. Then the next 2 are softer, then the next 2 are even softer, which gives it an amazing affect. My other recordings don't have as much contrast between the strikes. The tempi again is average. Brass section is great, as usual. Then to the Urlicht. It is played slower then most, clocking in at 5'40. (I think the only slower on it is Berstein on DG.) It is undescribebly beautiful. Mehta's slower tempo just adds to the heartbreaking beauty. I like my slow movements as beautiful as possible and Mehta does not disappoint. Add to that the gorgeous singing of Ileana Contrubas and you have got a winning combonation. To the massive finale. Now, here is where Mehta really triumphs. The tempi are perfect. Mehta builds the climaxes perfectly, never dragging. The brass play superbly! I heard some of the lower brass instruments in this movement that I didn't even hear before in my other recordings. Very impressive. When the chorus enters, just listen to the bass singers! Spectacular. The entire chorus sounds heaven-sent. Contrubas and Ludwig sing crystal clear and beautifully. The organ is heard very clearly. Again, it is not heard as well in my other recordings. In the coda, you can hear every instrument very well: Organ, brass section, and percussion(timpani, gong and bells). The combonation of perfect tempi, magnificent signing and ultra-vituostic playing make the finale one of the most moving pieces of music you will ever hear. Ya might want a tissue handy. This recording has everything you could possibly ask for. Mehta's perfect tempi, great signing by Contrubas, Ludwig, and the Vienna Staatsopernchor. The Vienna Philharmoniker, particularly the brass, play just like the virtuostic ensemble that they are. And all this comes on a single, mid-price disc! Plain and simple: unbeatable. On top of all that, might I also add that this disc is 81 minutes long and has very good sound quality. This really does deserve to be in the Decca legends series, as the legendary on the cover is no hype. Go and get it ASAP."
Wow...
Ryan Richards | Midland, MI United States | 06/29/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)

"It might get better than this, but I'm not really sure how. This Second is without question one of the most engaging, dynamic performances I've ever heard. If you're worried about Mehta's speedy tempo in the first movement, don't be; the music never sounds rushed, only tense and fiery and just smoldering with anger (except for the peace and celestial beauty of the second subject, which makes such an amazing contrast with the rest of the movement that it's hard to comprehend). The second movement is another brilliant contrast, a "Schubertian song": the VPO makes it tender and lyrical without ever becoming overwhelming. Then the scherzo (which starts with two brilliantly clear timpani strokes) is sinuous and mysterious and wonderfully macabre. Mehta and the VPO preserve the individual character of each of these movements while simultaneously managing to give them a unified feel, a sense that they belong to a coherent whole. As amazing as all of that is, however, it just can't compare to the final two movements. Ludwig has an amazingly full, rich contralto, turning the melancholy beauty of the Urlicht into something almost sacrosanct, and Cotrubas just soars above everything when she enters during the finale--appropriate for a movement that, in this recording, sounds as though the very gates of Heaven are opening and shining unimagined brilliance down onto Earth. I really can't summarize this recording effectively except to say that it's another one of those CDs that makes the music sound the way it was "supposed" to sound. It's just textbook-perfect. Add that to the fact that you get the *entire* symphony on one CD, and this becomes an unbeatable bargain. If it wasn't obvious already, I highly recommend this recording."
High Voltage Mahler
Trevor Gillespie | San Jose, California United States | 09/01/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Certainly this CD is a welcome addition to the Legends series, which in my opinion is one of the best series in classical music to come along. The transfers and remasterings are superb across the board and the performances are exceptional. In this recording of Mahler's Resurrection Symphony, we find one of the best orchestras in the world, the Vienna Philharmonic. Because of the forces and instrumentation used in this work, it was a difficult piece to record and give it full justice. It is my opinion that this is the first successful recording to do justice to the effects Mahler was trying to create. Big rich bass, wonderfully recorded strings, wonderful soloist, and a very controlled chorus. Mehta here gives us perhaps his best performance as a conductor. It is well known that with him, you never know what you're going to get. This is one of those performances that you should not pass up thinking it might be bad. It is incredible. If perchance you must have digital, go with Sir Simon Rattle's recording on EMI."