December 23, 2015

  • Last Minute Gift Idea? How About a Classic Mahler Concert Performance?

     

    Mahler: Symphony No. 6 in a
    New York Philharmonic/Dimitri Mitropoulos
    Archipel 440
    Total Time:  72:57
    Recording:   ****/****
    Performance: ****/****

    There is a generation of music lovers that have yet to discover the foundation upon which later conductors came to the music of Mahler.  Nowhere is that more true than in the performances led by Dimitri Mitropoulos whose scintillating performances appeared with the New York Philharmonic long before Bernstein’s commercial recordings appeared.  Truth be told, the latter are not really among my personal favorites, though a few of Bernstein’s interpretations have made their way into my music library.  My entry to this sixth symphony was in an intense performance by Klaus Tennstedt on EMI/Angel.  The performance had a weight to it perhaps further intensified by the conductor’s own health issues.  Michael Tilson-Thomas’ newer cycle with the San Francisco orchestra may be the one to really set aside and treasure.  And for the budget minded, there is George Szell’s equally fine recording on a budget Sony reissue.  Enter Archipel’s “Desert Island Collection” series which has brought a long-respected performance of Mitropoulos with his own New York Philharmonic recorded as part of an afternoon live broadcast on April 10, 1955.  The concert, also featured an overture by Weber (not included here).  Mahlerians will have perhaps tracked this down when it appeared as part of a special collector’s set from the NY Philharmonic but now this single release can bring this historic performance to a broader audience.  This was a symphony that the NY Philharmonic had performed in the later 1940s with Mitropoulos, always with the slow movement second—these would be the American premieres of the work.

    One of the things to keep in mind here is that this performance comes prior to some of the intensified interest in Mahler’s music.  The text precedes a critical edition and so holds its own unique placement allowing you to hear the work somewhat with new ears.  The performance practice followed, as previously noted, is for the andante to be second with the scherzo to follow following the second and third editions of the score, and the practice Mahler adapted for the Essen premiere.  This decision took place evidently after he was in rehearsals for the first work and after the piece had been sent to his publisher.  So, it is hard to say still what might be his preferred order.  Part of the confusion lies in later performances with Mengelberg who, with direction from Alma Mahler, reversed the order to have the scherzo first.  So Mitropoulos performance certainly creates an opportunity to explore the way the piece unfolds.  The slow movement seems to have better energy here at any rate with more lyrical and warm writing to balance the exciting first-movement finish.

    For the monoaural broadcast the sound is still pretty good, a bit dry perhaps, but actually capturing the hall well.  Balance is overall good to boot.  The wind lines might sometimes be a bit more prominent when strings are pizzicato in quiet sections.  But really what one is listening for here is the phrase shaping and the way the music’s drama unfolds between the flashes of semi-macabre lightness and intense thematic statements.  One can for the most part, sit back and for just a moment pace themselves at this intriguing intersection of musical history from this live concert.  Minimal audience noise is present, about what one might expect for an average concert.  None of this detracts from the listening experience.  The second movement is perhaps amongst the most magical moments the NY Philharmonic ever managed to capture.  I am a bit conflicted about having the movement before the scherzo.  On the one hand it provides a momentary pause to catch our breath before the brasher scherzo begins to unfold before us.  One can always program the movements the other way I suppose if they prefer though.  The performance here gradually grows more intense with the macabre moments providing a balance to more traditional-sounding moments.  The ending of the scherzo actually segues very well into the final movement connecting them dramatically.

    The real unfortunate aspect of the release is the complete absence of program or historical notes for the recording.  This certainly cuts in to the discovery aspect of the performance and will force more versatile listeners to head to the internet to learn more about the music and this particular performance.  Now that said, some will find the ensemble to be a bit ragged in spots, a sort of conflict from one section to the next still trying to find a perfect balance, but this seems to add to the energy of the performance.  Mitropoulos would record the work with a Cologne orchestra a couple years later and that is an equally fine rendition.

    For fans of Mahler’s music, this will be a great discovery, or re-discovery as it were.  It is a fascinating window into the way audiences were being slowly awakened to the music of this great composer.  It is a desert island disc indeed, though there are many great modern recordings of this work that one would never suffice.