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DVD : Mahler - Symphony No. 9 / Claudio Abbado, Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, Accademia Di Santa Cecilia, Rome |
- The best orchestral recording I have ever heardThis is one of the most extraordinary discs I have seen. Bernstein's recording of the Mahler Ninth with the Vienna Philharmonic, the one often packaged with his lecture, "Four Ways to Say Farewell," is ultimately the benchmark by which I judge others. The strength of the Bernstein performance is his supreme affinity with Mahler, the passion that he brings to it, and the glorious playing of the Vienna Philharmonic. Thus when I say that this performance comes near to that in almost all respects, I could hardly praise it more. The Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, composed of young musicians from all over the world, but primarily Europe, plays with amazing accuracy and with more enthusiasm than the Vienna Philharmonic or any other world-class ensemble. The commitment and excitement of these young people is palpable and thrilling. To be fair to the more expert ensembles, I would guess that much more rehearsal time was required to bring these relatively inexperienced musicians to this level of achievement; and it really paid off. With the exception of a couple of minor missed cues in the first and last movements, the ensemble playing was impeccable, amazing for a live performance. To refer back to Bernstein, keeping the orchestra precisely together was not a priority for him; he was willing to let things get a little sloppy as he poured all his effort into the most passionate and sympathetic interpretation possible. Abbado and the assistant director who no doubt laid the advance groundwork for him brought these young musicians to a very high level of precision playing while retaining almost as much excitement as the Bernstein. In using the word "almost" I am trying to imagine this performance as a strictly aural experience; however, when I factor in the infectious excitement generated by *seeing* these energized twenty-somethings, I have to say that watching this DVD was the most compelling Mahler experience I have ever had, apart from attending live performances.
Sonically, I think this is the best orchestral recording I have ever heard; and I am a long-time collector of at least 2000 LPs and CDs, and a few DVDs. I have to warn the potential buyer, however, that not only is such a judgment always subjective, it depends a great deal on the kind of speakers used, how they are placed, the acoustics of the listening environment, and, in this case, the choice of surround-sound parameters. I have to acknowledge that my speaker system de-emphasizes the lower mid-range of the audio frequency spectrum, a deliberate choice on my part to avoid avoid any muddiness or tubbiness. This DVD, especially in the DTS 5.1 mode, brings a richness to the inner voices (violas and cellos) that surpasses anything I've previously heard; and it does so without sacrificing one iota of clarity--in fact, the mid-frequency strings come through with superior articulation. For listeners with larger main speakers, which already provide a very warm sound in the lower midrange, *may* find this DVD to sound a little muddy in the DTS mode; however, a little boost in the treble would probably correct the situation. The important thing is that the microphone placement and other aspects of the engineering have insured that all the sonic information is available, and the listener may then balance it to his/her needs. Finally, the wide dynamic range of this recording does full justice to Mahler's extreme fortes and whisper-quiet pianissimos.
This DVD provides the listener with three audio modes: PCM Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1, and DTS 5.1. PCM Stereo is CD quality (just a little higher in theory because of the higher sampling rate on the DVD), and will probably be the favorite of audiophile purists (those who have been able to tear themselves away from vinyl). I, however, prefer surround sound, not just because it dissolves the walls of my listening room into the ambient acoustics of the concert hall, but also because the five discrete channels aid considerably in rendering each section of the orchestra distinct. I believe that this is one reason that the lower midrange sound can be both warm and clear at the same time. As to the choice between Dolby Digital and DTS, I recommend that the reader Google "Dolby Digital versus DTS" to look at the pros and cons of each format. The bottom line seems to be that DTS is the better format in terms of technical measurements and that it tends to push more sound to the rear speakers. Depending on how the engineers originally balance the channels, either format could have an advantage. In the case of this DVD, I found the part about DTS's throwing more sound to the rear to be true; and for my taste and listening environment I found that to be a real advantage. The orchestra sounds broadly spread out in front and a little to the sides, while one gets a pleasant reverberation from the rear of the hall; and for whatever it's worth, I felt as if I were in the audience when there was applause. Some, however, will prefer the Dolby Digital option because it focuses the orchestra more toward the center; it therefore produces a more blended and less analytical sound, and also lightens up on the lower mid-range frequencies. I think it is absolutely marvelous to have a choice of aural perspectives.
Rating:
- Passionate and deeply feltAfter what he's been through, you have to believe Mahler's 9th has a special meaning for Claudio Abbado. The conductor who survived stomach cancer (so far, at least--as of this writing, it's alarming that he has just canceled a bunch of upcoming concerts at the advice of his doctors) here gives Mahler's most unflinching look at death a deep interpretation. The work almost seems like a catharsis for Abbado. Or maybe a religious excursion would be more like it. At any rate, this is a Mahler 9 for the ages.
You'd think, listening with eyes closed, that such playing would have to come from a big name orchestra of seasoned players--Berlin, Vienna, Amsterdam--right? But we are hearing the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra, which Mr. Abbado himself founded. These young musicians--some disarmingly young--play like the best of the pros. Their enthusiasm is evident--I also have a superb CD by them of the Mahler 5th and 10th symphonies conducted by Rudolph Barshai, which I have reviewed here. That recording is also a must-own.
This is one stunning performance, with some of the best-defined counterpoint I've ever heard in a Mahler 9th. There are string passages in the heart of the first movement's development that have never made complete sense to me before, until I heard them clarified here. If you want to hear some of these passages, go to YouTube and type in "Mahler Last Symphony." It's a preview of this DVD with samples, and the very first one shows the orchestra in full cry in one of the knottiest sections of the first movement. Hearing that passage alone made me immediately order this DVD.
The rest doesn't disappoint. The second movement has the lovely dance lilt that many of the more lead-footed readings lack. The singing lyricism in the later parts, though, are perhaps done better by Walter (1962) but that's a high bar. And the third movement burlesque doesn't have the sinister bite and out-of-control passions of Lenny, but again, high standards. It *does* have the sweetest plaintive cry in the trumpet of what becomes the finale's main theme that I think I have ever heard, and this really send shivers down my spine. To me this moment has always marked Mahler stopping the glitzy society entertainments to ask to consider what is *really* important in life. The music then rebuffs this plea with a snicker. Really magical, and Abbado makes the most of it. It's deeply felt.
"Deeply felt" doesn't begin to describe the finale. This movement is tricky; it can come off heavy-handed and "full of oneself" if taken the wrong way. Previously I've actually preferred cooler-headed conductors such as Haitink here, but Abbado takes it at full passion and makes it work. Again, although I try not to always read personal lives into performances, since artists, like you and me, often just work their job, I have to believe Abbado poured a lot of his own experiences and thoughts into his approach here. This is powerful stuff, but it never (at least to my ears) topples over into self-pity and wallowing. And although I find stage effects incongruous with serious music, I have to admit the ending, where they gradually dim the lights as the music fades, to be effective and appropriate. It may have even helped the musicians and conductor. The last few bars are silence, and Abbado "conducts" this silence as well as he conducts the notes. A brilliant, brilliant ending to a great classical music DVD.
The picture--anamorphic, 16:9, is crisp and beautiful. It's region-free, so you can play it anywhere, on any player. (I hope this becomes a trend.) I'm watching it on an HDMI DVD player that upscale converts, so that helps somewhat, but still, this is an outstanding DVD. Sound is good and warm and rich, and audience noise is well-suppressed. There's only one annoying flat to me, but it does bear mentioning: the sound and picture are not perfectly synched, so that sound is about three or four frames ahead. This isn't noticible in most ordinary passages, but when the timpaninst solos or the violins pluck, it's evident. What's frustrating is it would have been easy to fix, if only the people who produce this stuff were paying a little closer attention to their work.
Overall, though, this would be a desert island DVD for me, and is a better live Mahler 9th than I've ever experienced live in concert (Haitink in Amsterdam, Rattle in New York, Rattle in Berlin) and better than any live performance CD I have. The youth orchestra--filled with fresh-faced young men and women clearly eager to please their conductor--respond beautifully and give a very nuanced performance. You can't go wrong, so just grab it now--what are you waiting for?
Rating:
- Rarified Mahler ...Let's just assume that you love Mahler's Ninth Symphony, and that you are partial to what Claudio Abbado usually achieves when handling this music ...
Then here, on this DVD, right from bar one you feel that Claudio Abbado is 'your man' for Mahler's Ninth Symphony. Like with his magnificent live recording of this symphony with the Berliner Philharmoniker, there is, right from the very first instant, a sense of forward momentum (there are absolutely no agogic hesitations to be found in that arresting, very first 'sighing' theme) that immediately grabs your attention. But at the same time it is Claudio Abbado's genius to leave room for all of the intricate orchestral phrasings and instrumental colorings to register to the full when needed or asked for. This is not a 'hasty' Ninth at all, but it does have quite a sense of 'flow' that keeps things together wonderfully (also the attention of the listener). All events seem to have a well-defined purpose within the 'grand dramatic scheme', or at least, so it feels to me.
At the same time that Claudio Abbado's Mahler is 'purposely forward going', it is, I think, 'under-sentimentalized' Mahler, or Mahler 'afresh' (what others might call 'lyrical'), which is good. As with seemingly all of Claudio Abbado's later (live) recordings of Mahler, there is a superb sense of forward momentum with wonderfully stylish dramatic accents. All instrumentalists are given their chance to shine and 'show off' their unique, fresh talents, and the microphones catch all of the detail and pianissimos (what exquisite last few minutes!) brilliantly, with instruments fairly directly recorded, but at the same time the sound is nicely blended within a beautifully natural soundscape. This is not so much 'dry-eyed' Mahler, it is more a 'purified' or 'rarified' Mahler in the best possible senses of the words. The final few bars have maybe never sounded more like a 'purification of the soul' as right here, without any of the sentiments of deep sadness or utter despair that other performances might convey.
Anyhow, whatever (misguided) qualifying desriptions on my part, I believe Claudio Abbado is as sure-footed and confident a guide through Mahler's eventful and precipitous soulscape as one could ever wish. And also, what joy to be able to see this maestro at work here, with his delicate and graceful but very confident gestures, inspiring these wonderful young and handsome musicians to give their very best, which is all quite something to behold!
With the help of maybe on of the best orchestra's in the world at the moment, and recorded in the best possible digital manner (audio as well as video!), the music of Gustav Mahler has maybe never sounded so fresh and inspired - so utterly and completely truthful and convincing.
A magnificent aural and visual experience. Very highly recommended.
Rating:
- Mahler - Symphony No 9/ Claudio Abbado Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, Accademia Di Santa Cecilia, RomeMahler's 9th symphony is fantastic in all aspects.
Whatever piece Claudio Abbado is conducting the viewer/listener
can be assured of a performace that is unsurpassed by 99.9% of
conductors today. In addition to this, purchasing all of
Beethovens symphonies being conducted by Abbado on DVD is an
additional treat to the eyes and ears
Rating:
- Superlative Mahler, Incredible OrchestraIf ever a composer wrote music for the future, it was Gustav Mahler. While his music is best heard live, it is also extremely enjoyable on CD and even better on DVD, especially when it is played by a great youth orchestra. Too see and hear all these good looking young people play Mahler is a real treat. They play with incredible passion and their virtuosity is simply stunning. I have heard Mahler 9 three times in concert and this performance was the best played. And one of those performances was by George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra, one of the greatest conductor, orchestra cominations of all time. The interpretation by Claudio Abbado is wonderfully conservative. He does not seem interested in draining every ounce of drama out of this great masterpiece. It is a lyrical performance that rises to very great heights. If you love great orchestral music, this DVD is a must.
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