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Some reflections on Mahler by Sir John Barbirolli
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Oscar
Nov 10, 2014, 11:45:54 PM11/10/14
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From the liner notes of the original 2LP set, EMI SLS 785, from 1969: Mahler Symphony No.5 with Five Rückert Songs (Janet Baker, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli). Opposite William Mann's incisive notes on the works.
Q. Your name, Sir John, and the name of Gustav Mahler are almost synonymous to audiences wherever you conduct. Do you feel you have been one of the pioneers of what is described as the 'Mahler Renaissance'?
J.B. Yes, I think I may well have been. Actually the original Mahler pioneer was Bruno Walter, but sometimes he lacked the proper facilities. When I came to Berlin for the first time to conduct the Philharmonic Orchestra, I was very surprised to find that these musicians had previously hardly performed any Mahler at all. I then decided to conduct Symphony No.9, which I believe is his greatest in musical substance.
It is a source of great satisfaction that in the meantime, Mahler has become one of the most popular composers in England. Even in Italy, at the Scala, Milan, in Naples and Genoa, in each of these towns, they wanted to hear a Mahler Symphony conducted by me--and they did! Just imagine--in Italy! This made me very happy.
Q. Is there a new readiness on the part of the public to listen to this music in a different way, more attentively than before?
J.B. Previously people did not have much opportunity to hear Mahler. However, it may well be a point of interest that it is ordinary people who start loving Mahler, move by his humanity. Basically it was always the musicologists who have made critical pronouncements on Mahler, on his problems of form and other aspects. At the 1968 London 'Proms' I conducted the Mahler 6. There we had an audience of 7,000 people, many of them young: the majority of those in the arena stood in silence, for over one hour twenty minutes to listen. The next day in Venice, I conducted Symphony No.4. Few in the audience had ever heard the work, but such music touches the emotions. This is the uniqueness of it, that everything comes from the expressiveness of these scores. Mahler had so much to say (it is a long time since a composer had anything essential to say) and much of what he wrote strikes one in its language as new music. I think we agree that today no really great music is written, but good music, very interesting music that one should hear and know.
One of the most distinguished music critics is Sir Neville Cardus. Some ten or 12 years ago he came to see me and said 'John, my boy, you do not know it, but this music was written for you.' So I began to study Mahler symphonies--if you want to conduct Mahler well his music must be under your skin and in your bones. Because I subsequently spent two years studying one of these scores, I have, as it were, enriched myself in doing so, and it is a joy to me in my advancing years that I have found something which, apart from the connoisseurs, is new to people and is also of such mighty dimensions. Mahler's name is no longer a mystery--he has at long last become a monument.
Q. What do you regard as the specific details of Mahler interpretation?
J.B. There were people who laughed at me when I told them that I spent two years studying a Mahler symphony. Of course it does not take me two years to read these scores, but if you prepare for a journey through such immeasurably wide musical spaces, you must know exactly where the musical ideas begin and where they end, and how each fits into the pattern of the whole. In Mahler's symphonies there are many highlights but only one real climax, which one must discover. To do so needs less a simple study of the score than an all-embracing aesthetic reflection--which, incidentally, was also peculiar to Bruno Walter.
--Based on interview given by Sir John Baribirolli to the magazine 'Die Welt'.
Q. Your name, Sir John, and the name of Gustav Mahler are almost synonymous to audiences wherever you conduct. Do you feel you have been one of the pioneers of what is described as the 'Mahler Renaissance'?
J.B. Yes, I think I may well have been. Actually the original Mahler pioneer was Bruno Walter, but sometimes he lacked the proper facilities. When I came to Berlin for the first time to conduct the Philharmonic Orchestra, I was very surprised to find that these musicians had previously hardly performed any Mahler at all. I then decided to conduct Symphony No.9, which I believe is his greatest in musical substance.
It is a source of great satisfaction that in the meantime, Mahler has become one of the most popular composers in England. Even in Italy, at the Scala, Milan, in Naples and Genoa, in each of these towns, they wanted to hear a Mahler Symphony conducted by me--and they did! Just imagine--in Italy! This made me very happy.
Q. Is there a new readiness on the part of the public to listen to this music in a different way, more attentively than before?
J.B. Previously people did not have much opportunity to hear Mahler. However, it may well be a point of interest that it is ordinary people who start loving Mahler, move by his humanity. Basically it was always the musicologists who have made critical pronouncements on Mahler, on his problems of form and other aspects. At the 1968 London 'Proms' I conducted the Mahler 6. There we had an audience of 7,000 people, many of them young: the majority of those in the arena stood in silence, for over one hour twenty minutes to listen. The next day in Venice, I conducted Symphony No.4. Few in the audience had ever heard the work, but such music touches the emotions. This is the uniqueness of it, that everything comes from the expressiveness of these scores. Mahler had so much to say (it is a long time since a composer had anything essential to say) and much of what he wrote strikes one in its language as new music. I think we agree that today no really great music is written, but good music, very interesting music that one should hear and know.
One of the most distinguished music critics is Sir Neville Cardus. Some ten or 12 years ago he came to see me and said 'John, my boy, you do not know it, but this music was written for you.' So I began to study Mahler symphonies--if you want to conduct Mahler well his music must be under your skin and in your bones. Because I subsequently spent two years studying one of these scores, I have, as it were, enriched myself in doing so, and it is a joy to me in my advancing years that I have found something which, apart from the connoisseurs, is new to people and is also of such mighty dimensions. Mahler's name is no longer a mystery--he has at long last become a monument.
Q. What do you regard as the specific details of Mahler interpretation?
J.B. There were people who laughed at me when I told them that I spent two years studying a Mahler symphony. Of course it does not take me two years to read these scores, but if you prepare for a journey through such immeasurably wide musical spaces, you must know exactly where the musical ideas begin and where they end, and how each fits into the pattern of the whole. In Mahler's symphonies there are many highlights but only one real climax, which one must discover. To do so needs less a simple study of the score than an all-embracing aesthetic reflection--which, incidentally, was also peculiar to Bruno Walter.
--Based on interview given by Sir John Baribirolli to the magazine 'Die Welt'.
Marc P.
Nov 11, 2014, 12:40:26 AM11/11/14
to
Marc Perman
Frank Berger
Nov 11, 2014, 9:26:55 AM11/11/14
to
was surprised that the BPO didn't play Mahler. That seems a little
naive, doesn't it? During the Nazi era, I assume (correctly?) that
Mahler was forbidden. I don't suppose the BPO played other Jewish (or
Jewish-born) composers during that time either. What about before the
Nazi era? Based on the Jewish artists that we know left Germany (or,
sadly, weren't able to) we know they had success there before the Nazis
came to power. What about Mahler? I have some recordings of Mahler
vocal music by the Berlin State Opera Orchestra from the late 20s and
early 30s, and a symphony #2 from the same orchestra from 1924 by Oscar
Fried. But not a single other Mahler recording out of Germany until
1951. Comments?
---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
http://www.avast.com
graham
Nov 11, 2014, 10:34:24 AM11/11/14
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On 11/11/2014 7:26 AM, Frank Berger wrote:
>
> I'm curious about the history of Mahler performance. Barbirolli said he
> was surprised that the BPO didn't play Mahler. That seems a little
> naive, doesn't it? During the Nazi era, I assume (correctly?) that
> Mahler was forbidden. I don't suppose the BPO played other Jewish (or
> Jewish-born) composers during that time either. What about before the
> Nazi era?
I think JB didn't conduct Mahler there until the 60s, well into HvK's
>
> I'm curious about the history of Mahler performance. Barbirolli said he
> was surprised that the BPO didn't play Mahler. That seems a little
> naive, doesn't it? During the Nazi era, I assume (correctly?) that
> Mahler was forbidden. I don't suppose the BPO played other Jewish (or
> Jewish-born) composers during that time either. What about before the
> Nazi era?
tenure.
Graham
Christopher Webber
Nov 11, 2014, 10:53:41 AM11/11/14
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On 11/11/2014 15:34, graham wrote:
> I think JB didn't conduct Mahler there until the 60s, well into HvK's
> tenure.
Correct. JB's surprise was warranted: in truth, "Fluffy" was a famously
> I think JB didn't conduct Mahler there until the 60s, well into HvK's
> tenure.
late convert to the Mahler Cause, and when JB turned up the BPO still
weren't that familiar with much of his music.
Frank Berger
Nov 11, 2014, 11:07:57 AM11/11/14
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Frank Berger
Nov 11, 2014, 11:09:58 AM11/11/14
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Mahler experience?
marcus...@fastmail.fm
Nov 11, 2014, 11:19:46 AM11/11/14
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Op dinsdag 11 november 2014 16:53:41 UTC+1 schreef Christopher Webber:
As Mahler himself said: "My time is yet to come."
1960 might have been a turning point: some half-century Mahler celebrations were organized, Cooke completed his 1st performing edition of Mahler's Tenth, Goldschmidt aired it, Alma Mahler was brought to tears, and the rest is, as they say, 'history'.
After that, it was not just Walter or Klemperer who tried to push Mahler's fame internationally, but also (and especially) guys like L. Bernstein, M. Abravanel, J. Barbirolli, R. Kubelik and others.
The only country where Mahler was already popular during his lifetime, and after that, was The Netherlands, thanks to Mahler's friend Willem Mengelberg and later on Eduard van Beinum, and where the literature Nobel prize candidate Simon Vestdijk wrote many articles about Mahler and was subsidized by the Dutch government to write a book about his oeuvre, published in the half-centenary year 1960 (again). This book had a huge infleunce on a certain Bernard Haitink, and thus the Amsterdam/Dutch Mahler tradition was secured (again).
Anyway, Mahler's fame worldwide really began to grow since the 1960s. Before that, his music had its admirers, but it was still considered by many as being, uhh, let's say, 'a bit odd.'
1960 might have been a turning point: some half-century Mahler celebrations were organized, Cooke completed his 1st performing edition of Mahler's Tenth, Goldschmidt aired it, Alma Mahler was brought to tears, and the rest is, as they say, 'history'.
After that, it was not just Walter or Klemperer who tried to push Mahler's fame internationally, but also (and especially) guys like L. Bernstein, M. Abravanel, J. Barbirolli, R. Kubelik and others.
The only country where Mahler was already popular during his lifetime, and after that, was The Netherlands, thanks to Mahler's friend Willem Mengelberg and later on Eduard van Beinum, and where the literature Nobel prize candidate Simon Vestdijk wrote many articles about Mahler and was subsidized by the Dutch government to write a book about his oeuvre, published in the half-centenary year 1960 (again). This book had a huge infleunce on a certain Bernard Haitink, and thus the Amsterdam/Dutch Mahler tradition was secured (again).
Anyway, Mahler's fame worldwide really began to grow since the 1960s. Before that, his music had its admirers, but it was still considered by many as being, uhh, let's say, 'a bit odd.'
Christopher Webber
Nov 11, 2014, 11:19:52 AM11/11/14
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On 11/11/2014 16:07, Frank Berger wrote:
> Of course. But that has nothing to do with my questions, does it?
It does. It shows that they'd not been playing much Mahler between 1945
> Of course. But that has nothing to do with my questions, does it?
and Barbirolli's arrival in the late 1960's.
You might read your own posts, at least. As YOU YOURSELF pointed out in
an earlier post, other German orchestras had been playing and recording
Mahler from 1951.
The BPO was "behind the ball" compared with other German orchestras,
because of Fluffy's well-attested aversion to tackling Mahler. It wasn't
until 1970 that he performed 'Das Lied von der Erde' with them, and some
of the symphonies started trickling through in 1973.
Was it Barbirolli's Mahlerian success with the BPO which made Karajan
rethink the situation? I'm sure that others may have the answer to that
question.
marcus...@fastmail.fm
Nov 11, 2014, 11:41:57 AM11/11/14
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Op dinsdag 11 november 2014 17:19:52 UTC+1 schreef Christopher Webber:
Well, at least HvK did perform Das Lied von der Erde thrice in the Anniversary Year 1960 in Vienna (with the Wiener Phil).
Pro-Mahler conductors 'around the world' (before 1960) were Walter, Klemperer, Mengelberg, Moralt, Adler, Horenstein, Van Beinum, Mitropoulos, Kubelik, to name but a few. (Apologies to those I forgot.)
Pro-Mahler conductors 'around the world' (before 1960) were Walter, Klemperer, Mengelberg, Moralt, Adler, Horenstein, Van Beinum, Mitropoulos, Kubelik, to name but a few. (Apologies to those I forgot.)
Lionel Tacchini
Nov 11, 2014, 11:49:19 AM11/11/14
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On 11.11.2014 17:41, marcus...@fastmail.fm wrote:
> Well, at least HvK did perform Das Lied von der Erde thrice in the
> Anniversary Year 1960 in Vienna (with the Wiener Phil). Pro-Mahler
> conductors 'around the world' (before 1960) were Walter, Klemperer,
> Mengelberg, Moralt, Adler, Horenstein, Van Beinum, Mitropoulos,
> Kubelik, to name but a few. (Apologies to those I forgot.)
Scherchen ;-)
> Well, at least HvK did perform Das Lied von der Erde thrice in the
> Anniversary Year 1960 in Vienna (with the Wiener Phil). Pro-Mahler
> conductors 'around the world' (before 1960) were Walter, Klemperer,
> Mengelberg, Moralt, Adler, Horenstein, Van Beinum, Mitropoulos,
> Kubelik, to name but a few. (Apologies to those I forgot.)
Not that many, really, and of the big recognised names, only those who
had been his friends.
Has the BPO ever played Shostakovich? More than a couple of times?
--
Lionel Tacchini - very lazy today
marcus...@fastmail.fm
Nov 11, 2014, 11:57:02 AM11/11/14
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Op dinsdag 11 november 2014 17:49:19 UTC+1 schreef Lionel Tacchini:
Scherchen, indeed!
And Schuricht.
And ....
(Krips?)
:-)
About DSCH: I must admit, I dunno. As much as I have a 'click' with Mahler's music, somehow Shos doesn't seem to work for me.
And Schuricht.
And ....
(Krips?)
:-)
About DSCH: I must admit, I dunno. As much as I have a 'click' with Mahler's music, somehow Shos doesn't seem to work for me.
Frank Berger
Nov 11, 2014, 12:03:56 PM11/11/14
to
On 11/11/2014 11:19 AM, Christopher Webber wrote:
> On 11/11/2014 16:07, Frank Berger wrote:
>> Of course. But that has nothing to do with my questions, does it?
>
> It does. It shows that they'd not been playing much Mahler between 1945
> and Barbirolli's arrival in the late 1960's.
>
Didn't we, and Barbirolli, already know that?
> On 11/11/2014 16:07, Frank Berger wrote:
>> Of course. But that has nothing to do with my questions, does it?
>
> It does. It shows that they'd not been playing much Mahler between 1945
> and Barbirolli's arrival in the late 1960's.
>
> You might read your own posts,
>at least. As YOU YOURSELF pointed out in
> an earlier post, other German orchestras had been playing and recording
> Mahler from 1951.
>
> The BPO was "behind the ball" compared with other German orchestras,
> because of Fluffy's well-attested aversion to tackling Mahler. It wasn't
> until 1970 that he performed 'Das Lied von der Erde' with them, and some
> of the symphonies started trickling through in 1973.
>
> Was it Barbirolli's Mahlerian success with the BPO which made Karajan
> rethink the situation? I'm sure that others may have the answer to that
> question.
Christopher Webber
Nov 11, 2014, 12:14:00 PM11/11/14
to
On 11/11/2014 16:49, Lionel Tacchini wrote:
> Has the BPO ever played Shostakovich? More than a couple of times?
I witnessed them personally doing the 4th Symphony (superbly, with
> Has the BPO ever played Shostakovich? More than a couple of times?
Rattle) in the Philharmonie not so long ago. I had the impression that
this was not the first Shostakovich he'd performed with them, but I
don't have chapter and verse.
graham
Nov 11, 2014, 12:17:10 PM11/11/14
to
On 11/11/2014 9:19 AM, marcus...@fastmail.fm wrote:
> After that, it was not just Walter or Klemperer who tried to push Mahler's fame internationally, but also (and especially) guys like L. Bernstein, M. Abravanel, J. Barbirolli, R. Kubelik and others.
>
> The only country where Mahler was already popular during his lifetime, and after that, was The Netherlands, thanks to Mahler's friend Willem Mengelberg and later on Eduard van Beinum, and where the literature Nobel prize candidate Simon Vestdijk wrote many articles about Mahler and was subsidized by the Dutch government to write a book about his oeuvre, published in the half-centenary year 1960 (again). This book had a huge infleunce on a certain Bernard Haitink, and thus the Amsterdam/Dutch Mahler tradition was secured (again).
>
> Anyway, Mahler's fame worldwide really began to grow since the 1960s. Before that, his music had its admirers, but it was still considered by many as being, uhh, let's say, 'a bit odd.'
>
In his entry in the 9th edition (1955) of the Oxford Companion To Music
> After that, it was not just Walter or Klemperer who tried to push Mahler's fame internationally, but also (and especially) guys like L. Bernstein, M. Abravanel, J. Barbirolli, R. Kubelik and others.
>
> The only country where Mahler was already popular during his lifetime, and after that, was The Netherlands, thanks to Mahler's friend Willem Mengelberg and later on Eduard van Beinum, and where the literature Nobel prize candidate Simon Vestdijk wrote many articles about Mahler and was subsidized by the Dutch government to write a book about his oeuvre, published in the half-centenary year 1960 (again). This book had a huge infleunce on a certain Bernard Haitink, and thus the Amsterdam/Dutch Mahler tradition was secured (again).
>
> Anyway, Mahler's fame worldwide really began to grow since the 1960s. Before that, his music had its admirers, but it was still considered by many as being, uhh, let's say, 'a bit odd.'
>
it states: "he wrote symphonies (of a sort)"
Graham
Christopher Webber
Nov 11, 2014, 12:24:37 PM11/11/14
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On 11/11/2014 17:03, Frank Berger wrote:
>
> Didn't we, and Barbirolli, already know that?
He was "surprised", because he didn't know that the BPO was behind the game.
>
> Didn't we, and Barbirolli, already know that?
He would have known perfectly well that Mahler wasn't performed in Nazi
Germany, if that's what you are getting at. And that's completely
irrelevant to his "surprise" in the late 1960's.
The interesting question remains, did Barbirolli's Mahlerian success
with the BPO encourage Karajan to take up this composer with his Berlin
orchestra?
Ed Romans
Nov 11, 2014, 1:22:13 PM11/11/14
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On Tuesday, November 11, 2014 5:24:37 PM UTC, Christopher Webber wrote:
> The interesting question remains, did Barbirolli's Mahlerian success
> with the BPO encourage Karajan to take up this composer with his Berlin
> orchestra?
I would have guessed that it was more because of the general fashion of the time, and the successful record sales of other conductors, etc.
> The interesting question remains, did Barbirolli's Mahlerian success
> with the BPO encourage Karajan to take up this composer with his Berlin
> orchestra?
Ed
Ed Romans
Nov 11, 2014, 1:32:11 PM11/11/14
to
On Tuesday, November 11, 2014 5:03:56 PM UTC, Frank Berger wrote:
> Didn't we, and Barbirolli, already know that?
>
It's not unusual for conductors (and admirers of conductors) to slightly exaggerate the facts about teaching orchestras. For instance didn't Bernstein claim the VPO didn't know Mahler when he came along in the late 60s, which is IIRC contradicted by their performance history at the time as Norman Lebrecht showed in one of his books.
> Didn't we, and Barbirolli, already know that?
>
Ed
gggg...@gmail.com
Nov 11, 2014, 1:44:06 PM11/11/14
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- At a time when the music of...Mahler was seldom heard from American orchestras, Reiner offered Cincinnati performances of...songs with orchestra and the Second, Fourth, and Seventh symphonies.
http://books.google.com/books?id=4AMPNyaD-CkC&pg=PA33&dq=%22At+a+time+when+the+music+of+Bruckner+and+Mahler%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=2ldiVIjGJsO_iAK_sIGoBw&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22At%20a%20time%20when%20the%20music%20of%20Bruckner%20and%20Mahler%22&f=false
Lionel Tacchini
Nov 11, 2014, 2:10:43 PM11/11/14
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twice, Janssons did a 1st, Rattle did the 1st and 14th, a 5th by
Sanderling, the old 7th by Celibidache…
While Shostakovich is getting full cycles everywhere now, the BPO still
hasn't really recorded his symphonies and I assume the same could be
said for Mahler in the 1970s. They might be amongst the latest adopters
in term or repertoire.
--
Lionel Tacchini
Mark K
Nov 11, 2014, 2:13:48 PM11/11/14
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Randy Lane
Nov 11, 2014, 2:25:02 PM11/11/14
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Did Haitink do DSCH during his BPO years?
Christopher Webber
Nov 11, 2014, 2:59:35 PM11/11/14
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On 11/11/2014 19:10, Lionel Tacchini wrote:
> While Shostakovich is getting full cycles everywhere now, the BPO still
> hasn't really recorded his symphonies and I assume the same could be
> said for Mahler in the 1970s. They might be amongst the latest adopters
> in term or repertoire.
I think that 4th I heard is to be had on DVD - or at least, it was.
> While Shostakovich is getting full cycles everywhere now, the BPO still
> hasn't really recorded his symphonies and I assume the same could be
> said for Mahler in the 1970s. They might be amongst the latest adopters
> in term or repertoire.
jrsnfld
Nov 11, 2014, 3:30:58 PM11/11/14
to
On Tuesday, November 11, 2014 11:25:02 AM UTC-8, Randy Lane wrote:
> Did Haitink do DSCH during his BPO years?
What were Haitink's BPO years?
> Did Haitink do DSCH during his BPO years?
--Jeff
jrsnfld
Nov 11, 2014, 3:43:55 PM11/11/14
to
On Tuesday, November 11, 2014 11:10:43 AM UTC-8, Lionel Tacchini wrote:
> On 11.11.2014 18:13, Christopher Webber wrote:
> > On 11/11/2014 16:49, Lionel Tacchini wrote:
> >> Has the BPO ever played Shostakovich? More than a couple of times?
> >
> > I witnessed them personally doing the 4th Symphony (superbly, with
> > Rattle) in the Philharmonie not so long ago. I had the impression that
> > this was not the first Shostakovich he'd performed with them, but I
> > don't have chapter and verse.
>
> I can find very little in terms of recordings. Karajan recorded the 10th
> twice, Janssons did a 1st, Rattle did the 1st and 14th, a 5th by
> Sanderling, the old 7th by Celibidache...
> On 11.11.2014 18:13, Christopher Webber wrote:
> > On 11/11/2014 16:49, Lionel Tacchini wrote:
> >> Has the BPO ever played Shostakovich? More than a couple of times?
> >
> > I witnessed them personally doing the 4th Symphony (superbly, with
> > Rattle) in the Philharmonie not so long ago. I had the impression that
> > this was not the first Shostakovich he'd performed with them, but I
> > don't have chapter and verse.
>
> I can find very little in terms of recordings. Karajan recorded the 10th
> twice, Janssons did a 1st, Rattle did the 1st and 14th, a 5th by
You're forgetting the Bychkov recordings.
>
> While Shostakovich is getting full cycles everywhere now, the BPO still
> hasn't really recorded his symphonies and I assume the same could be
> said for Mahler in the 1970s. They might be amongst the latest adopters
> in term or repertoire.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Orchestra got in on Shostakovich early and often with Stokowski and then Ormandy. They've recorded the 4th twice while many orchestras have barely touched it.
While they still play the music well and knowingly, nowadays one hardly assumes the Philadelphians have a special aptitude for Shostakovich nowadays (not any more than many other composers).
Actually, the Berlin Phil has recorded two Shostakovich symphonies--the 8th and 11th--that the Philadelphians have not recorded on disc, as far as I can tell.
--Jeff
Randy Lane
Nov 11, 2014, 3:54:42 PM11/11/14
to
That's generally the period I have in mind.
wanwan
Nov 11, 2014, 7:19:24 PM11/11/14
to
Until the Nazi's banned Jewish composers music, Mahler was performed in Germany much more than one would suspect.
Furtwangler himself did 1,3,4, Das Lied, and orchestral Lieder prior to the Nazi's taking over.
See the following from the Mahler List Archives. There is more, but I haven't had time to look further.
http://listserv.uh.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0312E&L=MAHLER-LIST&P=R3030&I=-3&m=38939
----------------
Eric
Frank Berger
Nov 11, 2014, 7:21:43 PM11/11/14
to
Mr. Mike
Nov 16, 2014, 3:05:02 PM11/16/14
to
On Tue, 11 Nov 2014 17:13:56 +0000, Christopher Webber
<zarz...@zarzuela.invalid.net> wrote:
>I witnessed them personally doing the 4th Symphony (superbly, with
>Rattle) in the Philharmonie not so long ago. I had the impression that
>this was not the first Shostakovich he'd performed with them, but I
>don't have chapter and verse.
There are 14 entries in the BPO's digital concert hall for
<zarz...@zarzuela.invalid.net> wrote:
>I witnessed them personally doing the 4th Symphony (superbly, with
>Rattle) in the Philharmonie not so long ago. I had the impression that
>this was not the first Shostakovich he'd performed with them, but I
>don't have chapter and verse.
Shostakovich:
http://www.digitalconcerthall.com/en/concerts/composer_dmitri%20shostakovich
Quite some time ago, I watched Semyon Bychkov doing #11 ... very
impressive and it featured what was probably the biggest orchestral
bell I've ever seen.
Phlmaestro75
Dec 6, 2014, 1:54:21 PM12/6/14
to
On Tuesday, November 11, 2014 3:43:55 PM UTC-5, jrsnfld wrote:
>
>
> Actually, the Berlin Phil has recorded two Shostakovich symphonies--the 8th and 11th--that the Philadelphians have not recorded on disc, as far as I can tell.
>
> --Jeff
>
I think they were the orchestra for the 11th in Jansons' EMI cycle.
>
>
> Actually, the Berlin Phil has recorded two Shostakovich symphonies--the 8th and 11th--that the Philadelphians have not recorded on disc, as far as I can tell.
>
> --Jeff
>
The 8th is near the top of my list of pieces I'm dying to hear them perform live. I've only heard the piece live once, and not here in Philadelphia. I guess it's possible someone conducted it here at some point, but I don't recall it over the past two or three decades. I'd say the best shot of it happening now would be during one of Vladimir Jurowski's guest appearances. He's been coming here just about every season for close to a decade now and he has either led or will lead the 8th this season with the London Philharmonic.
The conductor I saw lead it live was Gergiev with his Russian orchestra in NYC. But it was at Avery Fisher Hall and I had a lousy seat. He would be another conductor who could potentially lead it here as he guest conducts in Philadelphia maybe once every five years or so. He's here this season. The main piece on the program is the Prokofiev 5th. I imagine it will be on the orchestra's weekly broadcast at some point.
jrsnfld
Dec 6, 2014, 4:11:39 PM12/6/14
to
On Saturday, December 6, 2014 10:54:21 AM UTC-8, Phlmaestro75 wrote:
> On Tuesday, November 11, 2014 3:43:55 PM UTC-5, jrsnfld wrote:
> >
> >
> > Actually, the Berlin Phil has recorded two Shostakovich symphonies--the 8th and 11th--that the Philadelphians have not recorded on disc, as far as I can tell.
> >
> > --Jeff
> >
>
> I think they were the orchestra for the 11th in Jansons' EMI cycle.
You're right! My memory completely blanked on that one--and it's right there on my shelf glaring at me.
> On Tuesday, November 11, 2014 3:43:55 PM UTC-5, jrsnfld wrote:
> >
> >
> > Actually, the Berlin Phil has recorded two Shostakovich symphonies--the 8th and 11th--that the Philadelphians have not recorded on disc, as far as I can tell.
> >
> > --Jeff
> >
>
> I think they were the orchestra for the 11th in Jansons' EMI cycle.
>
> The 8th is near the top of my list of pieces I'm dying to hear them perform live. I've only heard the piece live once, and not here in Philadelphia. I guess it's possible someone conducted it here at some point, but I don't recall it over the past two or three decades. I'd say the best shot of it happening now would be during one of Vladimir Jurowski's guest appearances. He's been coming here just about every season for close to a decade now and he has either led or will lead the 8th this season with the London Philharmonic.
> The conductor I saw lead it live was Gergiev with his Russian orchestra in NYC. But it was at Avery Fisher Hall and I had a lousy seat. He would be another conductor who could potentially lead it here as he guest conducts in Philadelphia maybe once every five years or so. He's here this season. The main piece on the program is the Prokofiev 5th. I imagine it will be on the orchestra's weekly broadcast at some point.
--Jeff
Phlmaestro75
Dec 6, 2014, 5:31:12 PM12/6/14
to
On Saturday, December 6, 2014 4:11:39 PM UTC-5, jrsnfld wrote:
>
> I've maxxed out on Gergiev Prokofiev 5s but I'll tune in to the broadcast, for sure. I think the only Shostakovich 8th I've heard live was CSO/Solti, and it was fabulous but overshadowed by the Schubert 5 that opened the program.
>
> --Jeff
>
I forgot when writing that last post that I enjoyed the Philadelphia broadcast of the 11th with Bychkov last season very much. I was supposed to see it live, but something came up and I had to trade in the ticket for another concert. I was very sorry about that after hearing the broadcast.
>
> I've maxxed out on Gergiev Prokofiev 5s but I'll tune in to the broadcast, for sure. I think the only Shostakovich 8th I've heard live was CSO/Solti, and it was fabulous but overshadowed by the Schubert 5 that opened the program.
>
> --Jeff
>
dk
Dec 7, 2014, 12:34:27 AM12/7/14
to
1946, not long after WWII ended! They must not have felt very happy I
suppose! You may be able to find it on YT.
dk
gggg...@gmail.com
Dec 7, 2014, 4:02:58 AM12/7/14
to
On Tuesday, November 11, 2014 6:49:19 AM UTC-10, Lionel Tacchini wrote:
Concerning Klemperer, the following is a recent radio program about him and Mahler:
http://www.npr.org/2014/07/16/331996325/every-composer-needs-a-great-storyteller
> On 11.11.2014 17:41, wrote:
> > Well, at least HvK did perform Das Lied von der Erde thrice in the
> > Anniversary Year 1960 in Vienna (with the Wiener Phil). Pro-Mahler
> > conductors 'around the world' (before 1960) were Walter, Klemperer...
> > Well, at least HvK did perform Das Lied von der Erde thrice in the
> > Anniversary Year 1960 in Vienna (with the Wiener Phil). Pro-Mahler
Concerning Klemperer, the following is a recent radio program about him and Mahler:
http://www.npr.org/2014/07/16/331996325/every-composer-needs-a-great-storyteller
Terry
Dec 7, 2014, 10:06:59 AM12/7/14
to
On Wednesday, 12 November 2014 03:07:57 UTC+11, Frank Berger wrote:
> On 11/11/2014 10:34 AM, graham wrote:
> > tenure.
> > Graham
I reckon that most people would think that it does.
> On 11/11/2014 10:34 AM, graham wrote:
> > On 11/11/2014 7:26 AM, Frank Berger wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> I'm curious about the history of Mahler performance. Barbirolli said he
> >> was surprised that the BPO didn't play Mahler. That seems a little
> >> naive, doesn't it? During the Nazi era, I assume (correctly?) that
> >> Mahler was forbidden. I don't suppose the BPO played other Jewish (or
> >> Jewish-born) composers during that time either. What about before the
> >> Nazi era?
> >
> > I think JB didn't conduct Mahler there until the 60s, well into HvK's
> >
> >>
> >> I'm curious about the history of Mahler performance. Barbirolli said he
> >> was surprised that the BPO didn't play Mahler. That seems a little
> >> naive, doesn't it? During the Nazi era, I assume (correctly?) that
> >> Mahler was forbidden. I don't suppose the BPO played other Jewish (or
> >> Jewish-born) composers during that time either. What about before the
> >> Nazi era?
> >
> > tenure.
> > Graham
> >
>
> Of course. But that has nothing to do with my questions, does it?
>
> ---
>
> Of course. But that has nothing to do with my questions, does it?
>
I reckon that most people would think that it does.
Al Eisner
Dec 8, 2014, 5:18:25 PM12/8/14
to
On Sat, 6 Dec 2014, jrsnfld wrote:
> I think the only Shostakovich 8th I've heard live was CSO/Solti,
You weren't at this one with Rostropovich?
> I think the only Shostakovich 8th I've heard live was CSO/Solti,
https://www.sfcv.org/arts_revs/sfsym_2_11_03.php
(I was at that concert, and impressed by the 8th, although I have to
say that the work was fairly new to me at the time.)
--
Al Eisner
jrsnfld
Dec 8, 2014, 5:29:55 PM12/8/14
to
--Jeff
Mike Painter
Dec 9, 2014, 12:14:09 AM12/9/14
to
On Mon, 8 Dec 2014 14:18:18 -0800, Al Eisner wrote
(in article <alpine.LRH.2.00.1...@iris03.slac.stanford.edu>):
I was at the one on 2/7. It was a pleasure to hear Rostropovich's
interpretations and see his rapport with the orchestra whenever he was in
town.
cheers,
Mike
(in article <alpine.LRH.2.00.1...@iris03.slac.stanford.edu>):
interpretations and see his rapport with the orchestra whenever he was in
town.
cheers,
Mike
Alan Dawes
Dec 9, 2014, 6:41:28 AM12/9/14
to
In article <alpine.LRH.2.00.1...@iris03.slac.stanford.edu>,
His performance on 3/4th Nov 2004 of the 8th with the LSO at the Barbican
London is available on the LSO Live label SACD LSO0527. Recording
engineers find the sound a problem there but to my ears the surround sound
SACD layer is good (clearer and allowing a better awareness of where the
instruments are spatially) and better than the stereo CD layer.
See: http://lso.co.uk/shostakovich-symphony-no-8
Alan
--
alan....@argonet.co.uk
alan....@riscos.org
Using an Acorn RiscPC
London is available on the LSO Live label SACD LSO0527. Recording
engineers find the sound a problem there but to my ears the surround sound
SACD layer is good (clearer and allowing a better awareness of where the
instruments are spatially) and better than the stereo CD layer.
See: http://lso.co.uk/shostakovich-symphony-no-8
Alan
--
alan....@argonet.co.uk
alan....@riscos.org
Using an Acorn RiscPC
Alan Dawes
Dec 9, 2014, 3:47:30 PM12/9/14
to
In article <547348e072...@argonet.co.uk>,
I've just spent an enjoyable time listening again to this recording in 5.1
SACD. It is an impressive performance and the sound is good - I wasn't
mistaken in my memory of it. I have also sampled the stereo CD layer and
the stereo SACD layer both of which do not seem quite so clear as the 5.1
SACD - more difficult to sharply pinpoint the instruments. I don't think I
can detect enough difference in the sound quality for me to be able to
choose which is the CD and which the SACD stereo layer.
SACD. It is an impressive performance and the sound is good - I wasn't
mistaken in my memory of it. I have also sampled the stereo CD layer and
the stereo SACD layer both of which do not seem quite so clear as the 5.1
SACD - more difficult to sharply pinpoint the instruments. I don't think I
can detect enough difference in the sound quality for me to be able to
choose which is the CD and which the SACD stereo layer.
Al Eisner
Dec 9, 2014, 4:45:48 PM12/9/14
to
the same performance reviewed, only that I heard that program (I
don't recall on which date). But I agree with you. Of the
several Shostakovich symphonies I heard him do in SF, this was
the one I found most memorable.
--
Al Eisner
D. Nada
Dec 9, 2014, 5:20:31 PM12/9/14
to
> The only country where Mahler was already popular during his lifetime, and after that, was The Netherlands
This is a common misconception that has been disproven by recent research. Allow me to quote from "A Performance History of Mahler's Works" by de la Grange:
Allow me to quote from the appendix of de la Grange's Mahler biography an article entitled "A Performance History of Mahler's Works":
"By the 1920s, in spite of the reservations of many musicians and critics, Mahler's works had won a permanent place in the concert repertoires of a number of countries: Czechoslovakia, Austria, the Netherlands, Germany, and to some extent, Russia and the United States. Since we often think of Mahler's "time" as "having come" in the 1960s, it is surprising to learn how frequently his works were given in Europe prior to 1933 ... To date, more than 2,000 individual European performances of his orchestral works have been confirmed between his death and the outbreak of war in 1939, as well as another 200 or so that took place in the United States; in likelihood, the true number is even higher."
The record shows that Mahler was conducted by the likes of Fried, Nikisch, Mengelberg, Walter, Stokowski, Bodansky, Kajanus, and Strauss, as well as Walter. Mahler was apparently popular enough that Furtwangler, who made no secret of disliking his work, was compelled to conduct. The historical record shows that between 1919 and 1930, he gave multiple performances of symphonies 1, 2, and 3, the Fahrenden cycle and Kindertotenlieder, and also a one-off of Das Lied in 1916.
Lionel Tacchini
Dec 10, 2014, 2:48:14 AM12/10/14
to
On 09.12.2014 23:20, D. Nada wrote:
> Since we often think of Mahler's "time" as "having come" in the
> 1960s, it is surprising to learn how frequently his works were given
> in Europe prior to 1933 ...
The time of frequent performance and the time of wide acceptance in the
> Since we often think of Mahler's "time" as "having come" in the
> 1960s, it is surprising to learn how frequently his works were given
> in Europe prior to 1933 ...
repertoire are indeed different. I remember a friend in the early 80s
telling me that Mahler was still considered something special, something
others were a little surprised to see you listening to, something for
the curious.
--
Lionel Tacchini
D. Nada
Dec 10, 2014, 2:25:20 PM12/10/14
to
>
> The time of frequent performance and the time of wide acceptance in the
> repertoire are indeed different. I remember a friend in the early 80s
> telling me that Mahler was still considered something special, something
> others were a little surprised to see you listening to, something for
> the curious.
D. Nada
Dec 10, 2014, 2:31:31 PM12/10/14
to
>
> Not that many, really, and of the big recognised names, only those who
> had been his friends.
>
Lionel Tacchini
Dec 10, 2014, 2:50:58 PM12/10/14
to
On 10.12.2014 20:25, D. Nada wrote:
>
>>
>> The time of frequent performance and the time of wide acceptance in
>> the repertoire are indeed different. I remember a friend in the
>> early 80s telling me that Mahler was still considered something
>> special, something others were a little surprised to see you
>> listening to, something for the curious.
>
> I would suggest that for all practical purposes, "frequent
> performance" and "wide acceptance in the repertoire" are the same
> thing.
In which case that point in time is located somewhere in the 1980s for
>
>>
>> The time of frequent performance and the time of wide acceptance in
>> the repertoire are indeed different. I remember a friend in the
>> early 80s telling me that Mahler was still considered something
>> special, something others were a little surprised to see you
>> listening to, something for the curious.
>
> I would suggest that for all practical purposes, "frequent
> performance" and "wide acceptance in the repertoire" are the same
> thing.
Mahler's music. Not before was his work a staple of the standard
repertoire of upcoming major conductors.
But let us not waste time trying to define terms like "frequent" or
"wide". Mahler's music was seriously supported by important conductors
beyond his own friends already in the 1930s, became an important item of
interest for the US and UK audiences around 1960, championed by the
likes of Horenstein or Barbirolli in addition to Bernstein, then moved
to some sort of near mandatory status in the 1980s.
--
Lionel Tacchini
gggg...@gmail.com
Jan 13, 2015, 9:57:02 PM1/13/15
to
On Tuesday, November 11, 2014 at 8:44:06 AM UTC-10, gggg...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Tuesday, November 11, 2014 6:41:57 AM UTC-10, marcus...@fastmail.fm wrote:
> > Op dinsdag 11 november 2014 17:19:52 UTC+1 schreef Christopher Webber:
> > > and Barbirolli's arrival in the late 1960's.
> > >
> > > You might read your own posts, at least. As YOU YOURSELF pointed out in
> > > an earlier post, other German orchestras had been playing and recording
> > > Mahler from 1951.
> > >
> > > The BPO was "behind the ball" compared with other German orchestras,
> > > because of Fluffy's well-attested aversion to tackling Mahler. It wasn't
> > > until 1970 that he performed 'Das Lied von der Erde' with them, and some
> > > of the symphonies started trickling through in 1973.
> > >
> > > Was it Barbirolli's Mahlerian success with the BPO which made Karajan
> > > rethink the situation? I'm sure that others may have the answer to that
> > > question.
>
> - At a time when the music of...Mahler was seldom heard from American orchestras, Reiner offered Cincinnati performances of...songs with orchestra and the Second, Fourth, and Seventh symphonies.
>
> http://books.google.com/books?id=4AMPNyaD-CkC&pg=PA33&dq=%22At+a+time+when+the+music+of+Bruckner+and+Mahler%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=2ldiVIjGJsO_iAK_sIGoBw&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22At%20a%20time%20when%20the%20music%20of%20Bruckner%20and%20Mahler%22&f=false
According to Boulez, Mahler was not performed in France when B. was young:
https://books.google.com/books?id=_Es3-1X3EbQC&pg=PA24&dq=%22mahler+was+not+performed%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Gtq1VNjSMtCTyQTH9oDACw&ved=0CB8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22mahler%20was%20not%20performed%22&f=false
> On Tuesday, November 11, 2014 6:41:57 AM UTC-10, marcus...@fastmail.fm wrote:
> > Op dinsdag 11 november 2014 17:19:52 UTC+1 schreef Christopher Webber:
> > > On 11/11/2014 16:07, Frank Berger wrote:
> > > > Of course. But that has nothing to do with my questions, does it?
> > >
> > > It does. It shows that they'd not been playing much Mahler between 1945
> > > > Of course. But that has nothing to do with my questions, does it?
> > >
> > > and Barbirolli's arrival in the late 1960's.
> > >
> > > You might read your own posts, at least. As YOU YOURSELF pointed out in
> > > an earlier post, other German orchestras had been playing and recording
> > > Mahler from 1951.
> > >
> > > The BPO was "behind the ball" compared with other German orchestras,
> > > because of Fluffy's well-attested aversion to tackling Mahler. It wasn't
> > > until 1970 that he performed 'Das Lied von der Erde' with them, and some
> > > of the symphonies started trickling through in 1973.
> > >
> > > Was it Barbirolli's Mahlerian success with the BPO which made Karajan
> > > rethink the situation? I'm sure that others may have the answer to that
> > > question.
> >
> > Well, at least HvK did perform Das Lied von der Erde thrice in the Anniversary Year 1960 in Vienna (with the Wiener Phil).
> > Well, at least HvK did perform Das Lied von der Erde thrice in the Anniversary Year 1960 in Vienna (with the Wiener Phil).
> > Pro-Mahler conductors 'around the world' (before 1960) were Walter, Klemperer, Mengelberg, Moralt, Adler, Horenstein, Van Beinum, Mitropoulos, Kubelik, to name but a few. (Apologies to those I forgot.)
>
> According to this Reiner bio:
>
>
> - At a time when the music of...Mahler was seldom heard from American orchestras, Reiner offered Cincinnati performances of...songs with orchestra and the Second, Fourth, and Seventh symphonies.
>
> http://books.google.com/books?id=4AMPNyaD-CkC&pg=PA33&dq=%22At+a+time+when+the+music+of+Bruckner+and+Mahler%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=2ldiVIjGJsO_iAK_sIGoBw&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22At%20a%20time%20when%20the%20music%20of%20Bruckner%20and%20Mahler%22&f=false
According to Boulez, Mahler was not performed in France when B. was young:
https://books.google.com/books?id=_Es3-1X3EbQC&pg=PA24&dq=%22mahler+was+not+performed%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Gtq1VNjSMtCTyQTH9oDACw&ved=0CB8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22mahler%20was%20not%20performed%22&f=false
Paul
Jan 24, 2015, 5:55:43 AM1/24/15
to
gggg gggg
Jan 1, 2022, 3:25:13 AM1/1/22
to
On Monday, November 10, 2014 at 6:45:54 PM UTC-10, Oscar wrote:
> From the liner notes of the original 2LP set, EMI SLS 785, from 1969: Mahler Symphony No.5 with Five Rückert Songs (Janet Baker, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli). Opposite William Mann's incisive notes on the works.
>
> Q. Your name, Sir John, and the name of Gustav Mahler are almost synonymous to audiences wherever you conduct. Do you feel you have been one of the pioneers of what is described as the 'Mahler Renaissance'?
>
> J.B. Yes, I think I may well have been. Actually the original Mahler pioneer was Bruno Walter, but sometimes he lacked the proper facilities. When I came to Berlin for the first time to conduct the Philharmonic Orchestra, I was very surprised to find that these musicians had previously hardly performed any Mahler at all. I then decided to conduct Symphony No.9, which I believe is his greatest in musical substance.
>
> It is a source of great satisfaction that in the meantime, Mahler has become one of the most popular composers in England. Even in Italy, at the Scala, Milan, in Naples and Genoa, in each of these towns, they wanted to hear a Mahler Symphony conducted by me--and they did! Just imagine--in Italy! This made me very happy.
>
> Q. Is there a new readiness on the part of the public to listen to this music in a different way, more attentively than before?
>
> J.B. Previously people did not have much opportunity to hear Mahler. However, it may well be a point of interest that it is ordinary people who start loving Mahler, move by his humanity. Basically it was always the musicologists who have made critical pronouncements on Mahler, on his problems of form and other aspects. At the 1968 London 'Proms' I conducted the Mahler 6. There we had an audience of 7,000 people, many of them young: the majority of those in the arena stood in silence, for over one hour twenty minutes to listen. The next day in Venice, I conducted Symphony No.4. Few in the audience had ever heard the work, but such music touches the emotions. This is the uniqueness of it, that everything comes from the expressiveness of these scores. Mahler had so much to say (it is a long time since a composer had anything essential to say) and much of what he wrote strikes one in its language as new music. I think we agree that today no really great music is written, but good music, very interesting music that one should hear and know.
> From the liner notes of the original 2LP set, EMI SLS 785, from 1969: Mahler Symphony No.5 with Five Rückert Songs (Janet Baker, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli). Opposite William Mann's incisive notes on the works.
>
> Q. Your name, Sir John, and the name of Gustav Mahler are almost synonymous to audiences wherever you conduct. Do you feel you have been one of the pioneers of what is described as the 'Mahler Renaissance'?
>
> J.B. Yes, I think I may well have been. Actually the original Mahler pioneer was Bruno Walter, but sometimes he lacked the proper facilities. When I came to Berlin for the first time to conduct the Philharmonic Orchestra, I was very surprised to find that these musicians had previously hardly performed any Mahler at all. I then decided to conduct Symphony No.9, which I believe is his greatest in musical substance.
>
> It is a source of great satisfaction that in the meantime, Mahler has become one of the most popular composers in England. Even in Italy, at the Scala, Milan, in Naples and Genoa, in each of these towns, they wanted to hear a Mahler Symphony conducted by me--and they did! Just imagine--in Italy! This made me very happy.
>
> Q. Is there a new readiness on the part of the public to listen to this music in a different way, more attentively than before?
>
>
> One of the most distinguished music critics is Sir Neville Cardus. Some ten or 12 years ago he came to see me and said 'John, my boy, you do not know it, but this music was written for you.' So I began to study Mahler symphonies--if you want to conduct Mahler well his music must be under your skin and in your bones. Because I subsequently spent two years studying one of these scores, I have, as it were, enriched myself in doing so, and it is a joy to me in my advancing years that I have found something which, apart from the connoisseurs, is new to people and is also of such mighty dimensions. Mahler's name is no longer a mystery--he has at long last become a monument.
>
> Q. What do you regard as the specific details of Mahler interpretation?
>
> J.B. There were people who laughed at me when I told them that I spent two years studying a Mahler symphony. Of course it does not take me two years to read these scores, but if you prepare for a journey through such immeasurably wide musical spaces, you must know exactly where the musical ideas begin and where they end, and how each fits into the pattern of the whole. In Mahler's symphonies there are many highlights but only one real climax, which one must discover. To do so needs less a simple study of the score than an all-embracing aesthetic reflection--which, incidentally, was also peculiar to Bruno Walter.
>
> --Based on interview given by Sir John Baribirolli to the magazine 'Die Welt'.
(Y. upload):
> One of the most distinguished music critics is Sir Neville Cardus. Some ten or 12 years ago he came to see me and said 'John, my boy, you do not know it, but this music was written for you.' So I began to study Mahler symphonies--if you want to conduct Mahler well his music must be under your skin and in your bones. Because I subsequently spent two years studying one of these scores, I have, as it were, enriched myself in doing so, and it is a joy to me in my advancing years that I have found something which, apart from the connoisseurs, is new to people and is also of such mighty dimensions. Mahler's name is no longer a mystery--he has at long last become a monument.
>
> Q. What do you regard as the specific details of Mahler interpretation?
>
> J.B. There were people who laughed at me when I told them that I spent two years studying a Mahler symphony. Of course it does not take me two years to read these scores, but if you prepare for a journey through such immeasurably wide musical spaces, you must know exactly where the musical ideas begin and where they end, and how each fits into the pattern of the whole. In Mahler's symphonies there are many highlights but only one real climax, which one must discover. To do so needs less a simple study of the score than an all-embracing aesthetic reflection--which, incidentally, was also peculiar to Bruno Walter.
>
> --Based on interview given by Sir John Baribirolli to the magazine 'Die Welt'.
Review: Bulldog Barbirolli's Mahler Boxed
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