Search - John Barbirolli, Gustav Mahler, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra :: Mahler: Symphony No. 3

SIR JOHN DOES IT LIVE !!!!!

C. David Claris | 09/14/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"THIS IS JUST OUT TODAY. I KNOW THIS PERFORMANCE FROM AN UNOFFICIAL RELEASE. THIS IS THE REAL THING !!! WELL, THE SOUND QUALITY (STEREO FOR THE MAHLER) IS DECENT ALTHOUGH I HOPED FOR A LITTLE BETTER. I'M NOT COMPLAINING THOUGH. I AM SO HAPPY TO HEAR THIS PERFORMANCE AGAIN. A VERY SPECIAL MAHLER 3 HERE. THE BERLIN PHIL, THOUGH NOT ALWAYS IMMACULATE (KARAJAN MUST HAVE BEEN SHOCKED!), RESPONDS TO SIR JOHN IN THE SAME SPECIAL WAY AS ON THE STUDIO MAHLER 9 (GET THAT IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT!!!!). A TRULY NOBLE PERFORMANCE, PROBABLY THE MOST NOBLE MAHLER 3RD THIS LISTENER HAS HAD THE PRIVILEDGE TO HEAR. THE 2 CD SET IS COMPLETED BY A MAGNIFICENT RECORDING (MONO THOUGH) OF SIR JOHN'S ELIZABETHAN SUITE. DELIGHTFUL LITTLE ENCORE. ALTOGETHER A WINNING RELEASE. RELEASED BY TESTAMENT WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE BARBIROLLI SOCIETY (BLESS THEIR HEARTS!) THANKS FOR READING MY REVIEW !!!!"

Not quite what it's cracked up to be

C. David Claris | Chapel Hill, NC | 08/16/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I have Berlin 3rd in mono Arkadia edition. A friend bought me the Testament STEREO reissue and the BBC edition because not sure which I wanted, and gave me both!



Upon comparison, frankly I prefer the Manchesters' playing of the piece, warts and all; of this Testament issue with the Berlin Philharmonic made about the same time ... for all its "sostenuto misterioso" by comparison is rather disappointingly lugubrious and bloated (especially the tubby sonics and tape dropouts right from the start), a bit too smoothly intoned by Karajan's orchestra and with recorded sound that is barely stereo, exceedingly fat sound lacking in detail because muffled from too much filtering. Snore...



Get the BBC recording. It's plenty "spiritual" with scintillatingly spacious recorded sound and an so-called provincial orchestra that nevertheless had 15 years of Mahler playing under its belt, and plays with considerable authority as a result of Barbirolli's rigorous and loving drilling in the proper Mahler style; those Brits could have given the Germans a lesson in how-to having themselves, by contrast, 0 years of Mahler experience prior to Sir John's introducing them to their own music; the BPO personnel even confessed frankly to disliking Mahler up until that epiphanic moment."