Mahler - Symphony No. 4

[king ubu]

This is for an x-mas gift... my mother would like to get the fourth symphony by Gustav Mahler and I thought I'd ask the big-o honchos for some recommendations. Should be some more or less readily available discs (there is one store here with a very good classical section, I hope to find it there, I'm sure they have plenty of versions available).

So, what should I look for? Thanks in advance!

[alocispepraluger102]

This is for an x-mas gift... my mother would like to get the fourth symphony by Gustav Mahler and I thought I'd ask the big-o honchos for some recommendations. Should be some more or less readily available discs (there is one store here with a very good classical section, I hope to find it there, I'm sure they have plenty of versions available).

So, what should I look for? Thanks in advance!

the reiner chicago, if you can find it.

[alocispepraluger102]

old-- Bruno Walter is the go to, followed by Klemperer (if you don't hate Schwarzkopf) & Maurice Abravenel, Horenstein also. more recently, Daniel Gatti, Richardo Chailly & Colin Davis are all rather good, with first choice being the exceptional Gatti-- probably #1 choice all around, in fact. AVOID: Boulez, Bernstein, Szell, Solti, many many others.

hi mom!

c

the reiner?

[J.A.W.]

George Szell's version of Mahler 4 with soprano Judith Raskin and his Cleveland Orchestra is still one of my favourites: Sony SBK 46535.

Edited December 16, 2006 by J.A.W.

[Larry Kart]

Clem -- Either you have one hell of a record collection (even by the standards of the near life-long addict I

am in that sphere), or you have one hell of a memory.

[J.A.W.]

I also love Riccardo Chailly's version with soprano Barbara Bonney and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam on Decca 289 466 720-2

[Rooster_Ties]

Probably not something you can find (in stock) at a store near you, but for her next birthday -- get her the 1921 Erwin Stein arrangement of Mahler #4 for chamber group -- i.e., about 12 or 13 players, as I recall -- > standard string quartet plus bass, plus a standard wind quintet, plus persussion, plus either harmonium or celeste (I forget which).

There are two recordings of this arrangement (the 2nd one I only discovered just now, trying to search on-line for info about the first for this post)...

1921 Chamber group arrangement of Mahler 4 (the version I own, and enjoy)

a review of another recording of the same arrangement (which I've not heard, but might try to track down)

Others here may disagree, but I've gotten a kick out of this arrangement.

There are also wonderful duo-piano arrangements of Mahler #6 and #7, which I love. Those might make a wonderful Mahler gift sometime as well. They are paired together in a two-disc set (for the price of one!!). Zemlinsky did one of the arrangements, and I always forget who did the other one (somebody early 20th century).

Mahler - Symphonies 6 & 7 (Piano duo versions) two discs (MD&G) for the price of one.

Edited December 16, 2006 by Rooster_Ties

[king ubu]

Thank you for the input, guys!

[alocispepraluger102]

are there here somewhere similar recommendations on the brahms symphonies, and my delius, and mendelsohn?

Edited December 16, 2006 by alocispepraluger102

[Larry Kart]

For the Mahler 4th, I'll go with Horenstein and Klemperer. For Brahms, in a kind of Alpha-Omega parlay, Weingartner and Jochum.

[J.A.W.]

are there here somewhere similar recommendations on the brahms symphonies, and my delius, and mendelsohn?

For the Brahms symphonies I often return to Otto Klemperer's versions with the Philharmonia Orchestra London (EMI), though I also like the versions by George Szell (Columbia/Sony), István Kertész (Decca/London), Claudio Abbado (DG) and Bruno Walter (Columbia/Sony), in no particular order.

Edited December 16, 2006 by J.A.W.

[king ubu]

Thanks again, clem - took some notes...

Seems what my mother heard was the Karajan w/Edith Mathis... won't buy that, no sir.

As for Bernhard, I've read some of his stuff, of course... not that one so far, though, but he's a writer I like to return to again and again.

[king ubu]

So it looks like I watch out for these here:

[brownie]

Back in the days when I was listening to a lot of classical music, my favorite Mahler 4th was the 1939 live version by Willem Mengelberg with the Concertgebouw Orchestra. It's still available.

A prodigious interpretation!

If you mother can stand Karajan, she'll love Mengelberg!

[king ubu]

German Amazon says it's gone, but I'll take a not, too, thanks brownie!

[Claude]

Thinking of the gift aspect, the Reiner looks classy in it's Living Stereo reissue:

http://www.amazon.de/Living-Stereo-Sinfoni.../dp/B0009U55SI/

If your mother is a newcomer to Mahler, you might just add a few bucks and get her the complete symphonies set on Brilliant Classics (the Inbal recordings, not the other Brilliant compilation)

http://www.amazon.de/Sinfonien-1-10-Radio-...k/dp/B00008Q03A

http://jamrek.com/SPIP-v1-7-2/article.php3?id_article=14

Edited December 16, 2006 by Claude

[Epithet]

How about Kubelik?

[king ubu]

I also love Riccardo Chailly's version with soprano Barbara Bonney and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam on Decca 289 466 720-2

Got this one. The Kletzki and the Reiner were the only others they had. The Gatti is OOP since 2002 (after having been in print a mere 3 years), and the Mengelberg is so long OOP that it wouldn't even show in their system any longer.

No serious store over here carries the Brilliant Classic boxes, but I might have to look for that one for my own pleasure. That box would have been overkill for my mother (I also got Chailly over Kletzki because of sound, in the end... she's not deep enough into this stuff to really go lengths and listen to various versions, and I figured she'd prefer one in very good sound).

[mikeweil]

If your mother is a newcomer to Mahler, you might just add a few bucks and get her the complete symphonies set on Brilliant Classics (the Inbal recordings, not the other Brilliant compilation)

The Inbal is the top choice for many insiders over here, and at that price, you can't go wrong.

For Brahms, my recommendation would be the MacKerras:

[Stefan Wood]

Thinking of the gift aspect, the Reiner looks classy in it's Living Stereo reissue:

http://www.amazon.de/Living-Stereo-Sinfoni.../dp/B0009U55SI/

If your mother is a newcomer to Mahler, you might just add a few bucks and get her the complete symphonies set on Brilliant Classics (the Inbal recordings, not the other Brilliant compilation)

http://www.amazon.de/Sinfonien-1-10-Radio-...k/dp/B00008Q03A

http://jamrek.com/SPIP-v1-7-2/article.php3?id_article=14

I second the Reiner Mahler 4th.

[Spontooneous]

Oops, I'm late.

The Chailly is not bad, the best I've heard among those made in the last 15 years or so.

Faves here are Kletzki, Mengelberg and Walter.

[mikeweil]

George Szell's version of Mahler 4 with soprano Judith Raskin and his Cleveland Orchestra is still one of my favourites: Sony SBK 46535.

In a letter to his wife, Hindemith once called the other work on this CD "Lieder eines fahrenlassenden Gesellen" .......

[Bright Moments]

enjoyed the gatti - thanks for the recommendation!

[king ubu]

So where did you find the Gatti?

[Claude]

There is a cheap one here

http://www.amazon.com/Mahler-Symphony-No4-...3/dp/B000026CBF

Edited January 17, 2007 by Claude