The Triumph of Tragedy | Mahler: Symphonie No. 6; Kindertotenlieder

A godly performance, you owe it to yourself to check this out | Mahler: Symphonie No. 6; Kindertotenlieder | Thomas Hampson, Gustav Mahler, ...

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	• Mahler: Symphonie No. 6; Kindertotenlieder Thomas Hampson, Gustav Mahler, ... Dg Imports, 1990 average customer review:based on 16 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A clear winner. Hampson is decent too.

I have become so used to Mahler's sprawling symphonies that I was surprised when I listened to a Karajan rendition of Nr. 9 and found it uninspiring. No statement could be further from the truth regarding this Bernstein rendering of the Mahler 6th. The work goes hither and yon all over the place and constantly surprises one with its twists and turns. It may not be quite as inspiring as Nr. 8, but it's a really good listen, expecially in Maistro Bernstein's hands.

Hampson's 'Kindertotenlieder' is ok, but not as good as any Fischer-Dieskau version I've heard.

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The Triumph of Tragedy

There are very few truly great matches of composer or composition and interpretive performer in recorded art music: Richter playing the Appasionata and the Wanderer; Walter conducting Brahms 4th; Ivo playing the Liszt B Minor; Bernstein's Mahler #1 with the Concertgebouw in '86; Gould playing the Goldberg in '55. The 3rd and 4th movements of this recording are truly spectacular renditions of extremely interpretively problematic music -- and probably Mahler's greatest. If this symphony could ever speak to you, do not hesitate to own this CD. Bernstein was able to find (it took him 30+ years) the right tempi, dynamics, phrasing, and orchestra for the music to express itself very fully, deeply, and clearly. Almost every other recorded rendition pulls and forces the music in many places and on several levels -- often in a misguided attempt to somehow 'play it straight'. This is the triumph of a musical genius (Mahler) seeing, feeling, and expressing a deep cultural spiritual tragedy, which unfortunately played out as a world tragedy a few short years later. Bernstein gets it, and delivers it without compromise, which is devastating. It is not sentimental, syrupy, melodramatic, eccentric, or exaggerated. It IS emotionally powerful, which is fully warranted by and enhancing of the music. The first movement -- a complete masterpiece in itself -- for whatever reason, is not up to the same level of execution or interpretation as III and IV (the Abado in 1980 and/or Barbirolli in 1967). Yet this is no excuse to not spend many hours feeding this amazing 'story' through your ears into your soul.

Steven Gendel

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A godly performance, you owe it to yourself to check this out

First off, this is THE finest interpretation/performance I have heard of this piece, and something I will keep playing until the laser in my cd-rom drive burns through the disk. I also own the San Francisco recording with MTT (so-so) and the recording from the Solti box set with the CSO, and while Solti's is almost as good as this one and also a joy to listen to, it, along with all the other recordings, seem to lack that certain something. Good news: Bernstein and the VPO have found it. After listening to a few samples here on Amazon this performance stood head and shoulders above the rest because of the incredibly passionate playing and intensity I have yet to find anywhere else. You can feel this is a Bernstein recording, and his excitement and passion for Mahler is translated flawlessly through the amazing playing of the VPO.

Immaculate string playing, articulate percussion, along with precise and at times, biting, woodwinds really breathe life into this piece. However, what really does it for me in this recording is the brass playing. Mahler has composed some of the greatest brass melodies ever written, and the VPO doesn't disappoint. Trumpet fanfares are strong and well articulated, low brass powerful and dominating (especially in the last movement). The horn playing throughout gives me chills: the wonderfully deep and resonant Vienna horns continuously excite, and the searing loudness they achieve in certain sections (see first movement) I have never heard anywhere else. Certainly the best horn playing and all around brass playing I have heard in any recording of Mahler 6. Truly exciting stuff.

Bernstein communicates unforgettable emotion throughout every second of this recording. He manages to find and bring out certain melodies or interesting parts in the score that other conductors just can't seem to find, and the result is astounding. Tempos are well chosen throughout, and the range of dynamics brings out indescribable emotion, you feel everything from triumph to anger to sadness to sweetness at any one time. Mahler's, and for that matter, Bernstein's, emotions are in full view here, and it will drive you to tears and lift you up to heaven.

If I have to think of one complaint about this recording, I would have to say that occasionally there are some brass intonation problems that seem to be trademark of older recordings, and I have yet to figure out why. Nonetheless, it hardly takes away from this absolute gem of a recording and is more than forgivable.

This is a landmark recording that will stand the test of time as probably the best ever, at least in this point in time. Believe the hype, it really is that amazing. Treasure and enjoy!

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Earth-shattering

On both of Bernstein's two magnificent Mahler cycles (CBS and DG), the sixth is the pinnacle. And that should really say everything you need to know; if you don't already have this one, there's really no excuse (the sixth is, in my view, also the second best of all the Mahler symphonies, just behind the perfect ninth). Compared to the earlier CBS cycle, the tempi here are far broader (the symphony is a full twelve minutes longer overall), but Bernstein manages to broaden the tempi without loss of energy and impact, but rather a gain in depth and momentum. The first movement has all the force, savagery and determination needed to make an incomparable impact (although ... could one imagine even a little more poignancy in the second theme?). The Scherzo is positioned second (I won't broach that debate) and is, as far as know, the most spectacular on record, its effective and sometimes downright bizarre textures and melodic shapes realized with brilliant virtuosity and directed with an incomparable sense of good judgment. In the andante, the orchestra is also beyond reproach, with string playing to die for, and again Bernstein's approach come across as exactly right whenever one hears it. Still, it is the finale that makes the real difference between failure and success, and is Bernstein's trump card. Never, as far as I know, have the music been so wonderfully shaped, the sense of drama been so urgently conveyed or the intense climaxes sounded so desperately doom-laden. The sound quality is also really quite excellent; well-balanced and with good perspective. The coupling is a wonderfully poignant rendition of the Kindertotenlieder with Thomas Hampson; it is maybe not the best in the catalogue (and I do prefer the female voice here), but a fine addition to this unsurpassable release.

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The best ever performance of Mahler's 6th

Everything about this particular performance of the 6th symphony is absolutely perfect and correct. The tempi are just perfect, and the interpretation is exciting, urgent and heart beatingly wild. The NY Phil performance (also Bernstein) is also quite good as is the Karajan performance, but this is just SOOO far beyond those two that it sits in a different category completely.
From the pushing and urgency of the first movement which never seems to subside, to the harps and the s l o w prick the string in the last movement this performance is a roller coaster ride from start to finish. The cow bells too here are amazing and actually give the feeling of being under water and in a fantasy world. The orchestration here is among Mahler's best and this performance takes this orchestration to new levels of understanding, creativity and perfection.
Mahler said that he wrote this for Alma showing his love for her, the second theme of the first movement which comes in all sorts of formats in all the movements. The stark difference between the urgency of life and the intense love for Alma is ever so strong in this performance. It is a literal hair raising event between the ever so crazy world out there and the love that you get from your spouse.
This is the performance to hear, especially if you know other, more "standard" performances.
I would give this disk 10 stars if I could. I cannot imagine a better performance of this symphony.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4

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Tracks
Symphony No. 6 in A minor ('Tragic'): Allegro energico, ma non troppo. Scherzo | Symphony No. 6 in A minor ('Tragic'): Scherzo | Symphony No. 6 in A minor ('Tragic'): Andante moderato | Symphony No. 6 in A minor ('Tragic'): Finale. Allegro moderato | Kindertotenlieder, song cycle for voice & piano (or orchestra): Nun will die Sonn'so hell aufgehn | Kindertotenlieder, song cycle for voice & piano (or orchestra): Nun seh' ich wohl, warum so dunkle Flamme | Kindertotenlieder, song cycle for voice & piano (or orchestra): Wenn dein Mütterlein | Kindertotenlieder, song cycle for voice & piano (or orchestra): Oft denk' Ich, sie sind nur ausgegangen | Kindertotenlieder, song cycle for voice & piano (or orchestra): In diesem Wetter, in diesem Braus

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