Mahler: Symphony No. 6 "Tragic"

A very good performance. My only comment is why don't more deservedly eminent conductors follow Zander's lead and include am additional disc with their CD releases describing their methods and commenting on the work the listener has just heard. Barenboim rleases three complete cycles of Bruckner, but there's no such "discussion CD" with any of the three.In fact, the only other cycle I've acquired that includes such a CD is Tintner's Bruckner cycle on Naxos, which is immensely interesting, especially when Tintner plays musical examples from symphony 7 on that CD which illuminate his feeling for and approach to Bruckner--and, IMHO, why his Bruckner cycle, recorded when he was in his late 70s, is competitive, again IMHO, with Barenboim's, as well as Jochum's and Wand's.

I currently have ten different recordings of this symphony. It has been my favorite Mahler symphony since I first heard a magnificent live BBC performance by Norman Del Mar at Royal Albert Hall in 1962. I also have the original Zander performance with the Boston Philharmonic, and considering the semi-professional status of the performers, that performance remains electrifying, and a benchmark in my opinion. Like this studio recording, the hammer blows are shattering. I've also heard several live performances in person. For many years now, I've had a real feel for this symphony, almost instinctively knowing how it should sound, especially the first movement. In this recording, Zander comes close to perfection in the first movement, although some of his tempos in the middle sections of the first movement seem just a tad bit slow, and it lacks a certain lightness of touch I believe should be there in the Alma theme. But the coda is as thrilling as any performance I've ever heard, with the fast tempo being just right. The best performance of the first movement I have on disk is a little known recording by Evgeni Svetlanov and the USSR Academic Symphony Orchestra. I remember the review appearing in American Record Guide, where the reviewer wondered what a Russian was doing turning out one of the best performances of the Mahler 6th ever recorded.I'm not going to say anything more about this latest Zander performance, but would like to make a couple comments on the recording and Zander's opinion on the merits of the revised last movement. Unlike a previous reviewer who thought he heard several flaws in this recording, I have only one complaint about it. There seems to be a peculiar turning down of the sound level of the orchestra just before the first hammer blow, in both the original and the revised versions, which Zander blesses us with on the second disk. The orchestral volume level is magically back to "normal" just after the hammer blow. Perhaps this gradual lowering of the volume was done to achieve a more dramatic contrast when the hammer does finally hit, or perhaps there was a fear of overmodulating the disk. But this latter explanation doesn't fly, because on the third disk, when Zander demonstrates this part, there IS no lowering of the volume and it sounds much more dramatic. Anyhow, maybe I'm hearing things, but I listened to this three times in both versions, and my sense that the volume is being turned down just before the hammer strikes just won't go away. Note that this lowering of the orchestral level (which is at fortissimo at the time) only occurs just before the FIRST hammer blow.Then, as for Zander's opinion that Mahler was "correct" in his first version and compromised in the removal of the third hammer blow and thinning of the orchestration in the revised version, I personally am not so sure. Maybe it's because I've rarely heard the original version, but I think I like the cleaner textures of the revised version. I'm going to go along with Mahler's final thoughts on this one, at least until I get to know the original version better. It's interesting that Zander's timing of the two versions differs by only one second.

How do you choose one musical performance over another? Isn't it all just subjective--my perferences and yours or hers?In the first place, it's hard to describe in words, what Mahler was describing in complex combinations of musical notes.I have liked something about ALL the performances I've heard of Mahler's Sixth. Some are played faster, some softer, some clearer, some emphasize the strings, some just use cowbells, or a hammerschlag instrument that are more to my liking.Fortunately, this particular CD set has something that sets it apart: a third CD with 80 minutes of comments on Mahler's Sixth by conductor Benjamin Zander.Ben Zander provides insight into the symphony by providing biographical information about what was going on in Mahler's life at that time. For instance, he suggests that the three "hammer blows" in the symphony's last movement may refer to Mahler's losing his position at Vienna because of rampant anti-Semitism, his young daughter's untimely death, and his doctor's prognosis that Mahler had an incurable heart infection.Zander also illuminates the Sixth's "Classical" form, and things such as what kind of sound Mahler desired for the "Hammerschlag" sounds and the various bells in the score.You probably wouldn't still be reading this if you are not one who enjoys Mahler, so I will tell you simply that since you like Mahler, you'll find Zander's many comments a joy which will help you appreciate Mahler even more.

I have become a big fan of Mr. Zander's. The CD discussions of the symphonies are worth the price alone. He is clearly passionate about the music, as well as what's behind the music, delving into the composers life and perhaps Mahler's perspective. After listening to Zander's discussions and taking in his performance, it is quite interesting to go back to other versions I own and listen to them. Luckily, Mahler's genius is so great, that any well performed interpretation stands on it's own even if you disagree with certain aspects of it. Highly recommended.

This is a definitive release. You can have here everything you can think about: a disc with comments, two options of the Finale, perfect performance, and there is so much in the music itself.

This is a great, three CD set. It sounds amazing!

Zander's Mahler recordings are very impressive, but it fails to move me despite ticking all boxes right. Maybe that's the very reason why. I think Mahler's symphony calls for something unexpected, uncalculated, like nature which is infinitely varied and rich. Seeking perfection is symptomatic of many conductors of our generation (maybe it's listers' and critics' fault?), Abbado, Boulez and above all Rattle that control freak! Zander's 6th, I'm afraid, falls into this category. His insightful lecture on the symphony as bonus track is more eloquent than the performce itself!There used be many imperfect yet memorable Mahler recordings in 60-70s, by Stokowski, Horenstein, Solti, Bernstein, Ormandy, Klemperer, Levine, Kubelik. I want to go back to that era in time machine!

Eine packende Einspielung und man lernt auch noch was dabei. Zander zählt nach meinem Dafürhalten zu den "objektiveren" Mahler-Interpreten. Wir erleben eine partiturgetreue Wiedergabe, die ihre Eloquenz nicht (wie etwa bei Bernstein) aus einer sentimentalen Selbstreflexion bezieht, sondern den Willen des Komponisten sehr genau befolgt. Klingt das langweilig? In keinem einzigen Takt! Benjamin Zander stürzt sich mit größtem Engagement in die Aufgabe. Mahler liegt ihm hörbar am Herzen. Er übernimmt Gestaltungsprizipien, die auch seinen anderen Einspielungen zugrunde liegen (etwa das elastische rubato in den langsamen Sätzen) und zieht die Spannung und Sprengkraft aus der sorgfältigen und vorbehaltlosen Umsetzung Mahlers zahlreicher Anweisungen.Wie immer bei Zander gibts eine gesprochene Einführung (englisch) auf der letzten CD. Wir erfahren, warum sich der Dirigent für die Reihenfolge der Erstausgabe entschieden hat und das Scherzo als zweiten (nicht dritten) Satz spielt. Er fasst (wie Mahler bei der ursprünglichen Komposition) das Scherzo als direkte und düstere Fortsetzung des Eingangssatzes auf (gleiche Tonart, ähnliches thematisches Material), welches die erreichte Auflösung in A-dur untergräbt und in das grimmige a-moll des Anfangs zurückzwingt. Zander spricht von einer "Falle, aus der es kein Entrinnen gibt". Außermusikalische Gründe haben Mahler später zur Umstellung der Sätze motiviert, was auch an der harmonischen Konstruktion sichtbare Bruchstellen hinterlassen hat. Die ersten zehn Takte des Schlussatzes dienen als Modulation vom Andante (Es-dur) zurück zur "Tonika" der Symphonie (a-moll). Überflüssig, wenn das a-moll Scherzo direkt vor den Schlussatz gerückt wird. Die ursprüngliche Fassung entwickelt sich musikalisch stringenter.Zwei oder drei Hammerschläge im Finale? Benjamin Zander folgt auch hier der ursprünglichen Kompositionsidee Mahlers. Aus fundierter Kenntnis dessen Biografie erklärt er die Erwägungen, die Mahler zur Änderung veranlassten: seine abergläubische Furcht, eine selbsterfüllende Prophezeiung zu komponieren, die in drei Schicksalsschlägen sein eigenes Ende heraufbeschwört, gleich dem des tragischen Helden in der Komposition. Er radierte den dritten, tödlichen Hammerschlag aus. Der nervöse und angespannte Mahler habe die Schlusstakte der Symphonie abgemildert, die emotionale Wirkung verwässert, um überhaupt eine Aufführung leiten zu können. Demnach existieren zwei Fassungen der tragischen Symphonie: der vorbehaltlose, radikale Entwurf des Komponisten Mahler, dessen emotionaler Kraft der Dirigent Mahler jedoch nicht gewachsen war. Allein aus diesem Grund gibt es die revidierte, gemilderte (heute gebräuchlichere) Fassung, welche der Dirigent Mahler aufführen konnte.An solche Überlegungen, argumentiert Benjamin Zander, sind heutige Wiedergaben der Symphonie nicht gebunden. Mit diesen Einsichten ausgestattet bevorzuge ich nun ebenfalls die ursprüngliche Version mit drei Schlägen. Der Zuhörer kann selbst entscheiden, welchen Schlussatz er hören möchte, Zander und das Philhamonia Orchestra haben ihn in beiden Versionen eingespielt. In überragender audiophiler Tonqualität. Fünf Sterne.

Klangtechnisch errecht die Zander Einspielung unter dem Label TELARC hier souveräne 5 Sterne, obwohl sie von der Dynamik messtechnisch der von Abbado und den Berliner Philharmonikern (Label DG) unterliegt. Aber die "gehörte Dynamik" empfinde ich bei Zanders Einspielung als höher! Bereits im ersten Satz ist dieser wunderbar harmonische, ausgedehnte und messerscharfe Klang zu vernehmen. Alles kommt deutlich am Ohr an - ein Genuss(Ich höre auf einem 5.1 System). Im zweiten Satz kommt es dann zu einem Punktabzug: Hier wechselt Zander das Tempo zu hektisch - das ist sehr schade. Der Unterschied (besonders zum ersten Satz) ist deutlich wahrnehmbar.5 Sterne gibt es für den Klang, insgesamt aber nur 4 wegen der Patzer im 2 Satz.Dennoch eine Kaufempfehlung an dieser Stelle, wenn der Preis stimmt.