Carnegie Hall Presents Mahler: The Complete Symphonies

by Blair Sanderson Critical opinions of Leonard Bernstein's intensely personal readings of Gustav Mahler's symphonies have run the gamut from adulatory to dismissive, and time has not yet brought a consensus on these historic performances with the New York Philharmonic, originally released on Columbia and presented in this 2009 box set from Sony. Few can deny Bernstein's lasting importance in promoting Mahler's cause, for in the 1960s and early '70s there was only a handful of conductors of comparable magnitude who specialized in this music, and his work in this first-ever complete cycle and in his later Deutsche Grammophon recordings certainly caught the attention of the world. Whatever one may think of Bernstein's dubious choices of dynamics and tempos or his excessive self-identification with the composer (the leading reasons why some listeners avoid these renditions in favor of recordings made by more faithful and self-effacing conductors), he certainly threw himself wholeheartedly into the effort, provoked enough interest in the symphonies to create a full-blown revival, and left a challenging and often exciting record of what Mahler meant to him and the rising generation of musicians in that period. Exploring this set is certainly educational, not merely for knowing how the quirky but charismatic Bernstein interpreted the nine symphonies, Das Lied von der Erde, and the Adagio from the unfinished Tenth Symphony, but also for hearing the reminiscences of associates and musicians who performed under Mahler and shared their thoughts in a 1967 recording, which is included on disc 2. That bonus adds great value for anyone curious about Mahler's behavior and impact on his contemporaries, but by no means makes owning this set compulsory. For that matter, having all of Bernstein's Mahler recordings in one box may not be the best option for collectors who prefer to have different conductors handling these works; the listener who likes the way Bernstein treats the Fourth, say, or finds his take on the Seventh intriguing can still buy these recordings separately. This package is recommended for the serious Mahler collector or Bernstein aficionado, though its appeal as an affordable gift for any music lover is worth noting. Works on This Recording 1. Symphony no 1 in D major "Titan" by Gustav Mahler ■ Conductor: Leonard Bernstein ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: New York Philharmonic ■ Period: Romantic ■ Written: 1888/1896 ■ Date of Recording: 10/04/1966 ■ Venue: Philharmonic Hall, NYC 2. Symphony no 2 in C minor "Resurrection" by Gustav Mahler ■ Performer: Jennie Tourel (Mezzo Soprano), Lee Venora (Soprano) ■ Conductor: Leonard Bernstein ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: New York Philharmonic ■ Period: Romantic ■ Written: 1888/1896; Germany ■ Date of Recording: 09/29/1963 ■ Venue: Manhattan Center, NYC 3. Symphony no 3 in D minor by Gustav Mahler ■ Performer: Martha Lipton (Mezzo Soprano) ■ Conductor: Leonard Bernstein ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: New York Philharmonic, Schola Cantorum New York, New York Philharmonic Chorus ■ Period: Romantic ■ Written: 1893-1896; Hamburg, Germany ■ Date of Recording: 04/03/1961 ■ Venue: Manhattan Center, NYC 4. Symphony no 4 in G major by Gustav Mahler ■ Performer: Reri Grist (Soprano) ■ Conductor: Leonard Bernstein ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: New York Philharmonic ■ Period: Romantic ■ Written: 1892-1900; Vienna, Austria ■ Date of Recording: 02/01/1960 ■ Venue: St. George Hotel, NYC 5. Symphony no 5 in C sharp minor by Gustav Mahler ■ Conductor: Leonard Bernstein ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: New York Philharmonic ■ Period: Romantic ■ Written: 1901-1902; Vienna, Austria ■ Date of Recording: 01/07/1963 ■ Venue: Philharmonic Hall, NYC 6. Symphony no 6 in A minor "Tragic" by Gustav Mahler ■ Conductor: Leonard Bernstein ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: New York Philharmonic ■ Period: Romantic ■ Written: 1904/1906; Austria ■ Date of Recording: 05/1967 ■ Venue: Philharmonic Hall, NYC 7. Symphony no 7 in E minor by Gustav Mahler ■ Conductor: Leonard Bernstein ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: New York Philharmonic ■ Period: Romantic ■ Written: 1904-1905; Vienna, Austria ■ Date of Recording: 12/14/1965 ■ Venue: Philharmonic Hall, NYC 8. Symphony no 8 in E flat major "Symphony of A Thousand" by Gustav Mahler ■ Performer: Donald McIntyre (Bass), Vladimir Ruzdjak (Baritone), Norma Procter (Mezzo Soprano), Anna Reynolds (Mezzo Soprano), Dame Gwyneth Jones (Soprano), Erna Spoorenberg (Soprano), Gwenyth Annear (Mezzo Soprano), John Mitchinson (Tenor) ■ Conductor: Leonard Bernstein ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: London Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Chorus ■ Period: Romantic ■ Written: 1906; Vienna, Austria ■ Date of Recording: 04/1966 ■ Venue: Walthamstow Assembly Hall, London 9. Symphony no 9 in D major by Gustav Mahler ■ Conductor: Leonard Bernstein ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: New York Philharmonic ■ Period: Romantic ■ Written: 1908-1909; Austria ■ Date of Recording: 12/16/1965 ■ Venue: Philharmonic Hall, NYC 10. Symphony no 10 in F sharp minor/major: 1st movement, Adagio by Gustav Mahler ■ Conductor: Leonard Bernstein ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: New York Philharmonic ■ Period: Romantic ■ Written: 1910; Austria ■ Date of Recording: 04/08/1975 ■ Venue: Columbia 30th Street Studio, NYC 11. Das Lied von der Erde by Gustav Mahler ■ Performer: Christa Ludwig (Mezzo Soprano), René Kollo (Tenor) ■ Conductor: Leonard Bernstein ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Israel Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: Romantic ■ Written: 1908-1909; Vienna, Austria ■ Date of Recording: 05/1972 ■ Venue: Frederick Mann Auditorium, Tel Aviv