bobtheknob
12-12-2016, 10:23 AM
OK, call me an attention whore for posting this, but I'm too excited to keep this to myself.
Of all the symphonies of Gustav Mahler, his 8th, calling for literally over 1000 performers on stage, is easily the most difficult to successfully perform and especially to record in a manner that achieves and reflects the truly gargantuan massiveness of this towering masterpiece.
I have over 20 different recordings of it in my collection, and while 2 or maybe 3 of them do a pretty good job (and the rest are simply non-starters), not a single one of them really, truly conveys the awesome potential that Mahler put into this score. Every recording I have has something about it that is really disappointing. (Even my favorite Chailly-Amsterdam has some things about it that really irritate me.)
BUT...................
After over 30 years of searching, I think I might have finally found just a few hours ago �The One� that is really, truly equal to the task.
Here is an mp3 file (only 15 megabytes) of the final six minutes, where the biggest climax in all of Mahler (maybe even in all of the standard orchestral repertoire) occurs at the end:
https://www.mediafire.com/?7j5idzjh5a4kbb6
(Sample link deleted - This complete package is now available for download in this thread right here (Thread 213308).)
Is that not the most incredible ending of Mahler's 8th that you've ever heard in your life???? I think even Mahler himself would be impressed.
You'll never guess who it is! It's Antoni Wit conducting the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus on Naxos. Who woulda thought??????????????????
(I didn't even know they have an orchestra in Warsaw!)
I also went through all the listening samples (you can almost hear the whole symphony that way) on amazon.com and I have to say that everything I heard sounded spot-on perfect. There wasn't a single moment I heard where I thought, "Oh man, why'd they have to do that?" like I do with every other Mahler 8th I've heard. (Admittedly, I still haven't heard the whole recording yet, but as picky as I am, to even get this far with nothing bothering me is near-miraculous.)
One thing I also noticed in going through reviews is that people are repeatedly commenting about how "lyrical" or "melodic" sounding this particular recording is. (Notice, for example, the soprano soloist at ca. 2:50 in the sample. That's certainly the most lyrical and expressive that I've ever heard anybody do that solo.) Most of the recordings I've heard treat Mahler's 8th like a monolithic mountain of music, where you have to put all your concentration into blowing the walls down while trying to trying to maintain some semblance of �clarity� (and also not getting your upper brass section hospitalized with hyperventilating asthma attacks). So for somebody to actually approach this piece like a song, where melodies are expressively shaped and sung/played through instead of just pounding out a sequence of notes ought to be a really nice change.
I was disappointed, however, when I found out it's on Naxos, thinking "Great, they only market standard CDs." Well, Mahler fans, I was in for a surprise, and so are you:
Naxos has this recording available in Blu-Ray Audio, both in Hi-Res Stereo - and in 5.1 DTS Surround Sound!!!
I have already ordered it direct from Naxos, and expect to receive it in about a week. As soon as I get it, I'll get started ripping it and get it posted here as quickly as possible.
But I couldn't keep this to myself, because I'm so excited about maybe FINALLY having a worthy Mahler 8th for the first time in my life!!!
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/42753709/Photobucket/woohoo.gif
Of all the symphonies of Gustav Mahler, his 8th, calling for literally over 1000 performers on stage, is easily the most difficult to successfully perform and especially to record in a manner that achieves and reflects the truly gargantuan massiveness of this towering masterpiece.
I have over 20 different recordings of it in my collection, and while 2 or maybe 3 of them do a pretty good job (and the rest are simply non-starters), not a single one of them really, truly conveys the awesome potential that Mahler put into this score. Every recording I have has something about it that is really disappointing. (Even my favorite Chailly-Amsterdam has some things about it that really irritate me.)
BUT...................
After over 30 years of searching, I think I might have finally found just a few hours ago �The One� that is really, truly equal to the task.
Here is an mp3 file (only 15 megabytes) of the final six minutes, where the biggest climax in all of Mahler (maybe even in all of the standard orchestral repertoire) occurs at the end:
(Sample link deleted - This complete package is now available for download in this thread right here (Thread 213308).)
Is that not the most incredible ending of Mahler's 8th that you've ever heard in your life???? I think even Mahler himself would be impressed.
You'll never guess who it is! It's Antoni Wit conducting the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus on Naxos. Who woulda thought??????????????????
(I didn't even know they have an orchestra in Warsaw!)
I also went through all the listening samples (you can almost hear the whole symphony that way) on amazon.com and I have to say that everything I heard sounded spot-on perfect. There wasn't a single moment I heard where I thought, "Oh man, why'd they have to do that?" like I do with every other Mahler 8th I've heard. (Admittedly, I still haven't heard the whole recording yet, but as picky as I am, to even get this far with nothing bothering me is near-miraculous.)
One thing I also noticed in going through reviews is that people are repeatedly commenting about how "lyrical" or "melodic" sounding this particular recording is. (Notice, for example, the soprano soloist at ca. 2:50 in the sample. That's certainly the most lyrical and expressive that I've ever heard anybody do that solo.) Most of the recordings I've heard treat Mahler's 8th like a monolithic mountain of music, where you have to put all your concentration into blowing the walls down while trying to trying to maintain some semblance of �clarity� (and also not getting your upper brass section hospitalized with hyperventilating asthma attacks). So for somebody to actually approach this piece like a song, where melodies are expressively shaped and sung/played through instead of just pounding out a sequence of notes ought to be a really nice change.
I was disappointed, however, when I found out it's on Naxos, thinking "Great, they only market standard CDs." Well, Mahler fans, I was in for a surprise, and so are you:
Naxos has this recording available in Blu-Ray Audio, both in Hi-Res Stereo - and in 5.1 DTS Surround Sound!!!
I have already ordered it direct from Naxos, and expect to receive it in about a week. As soon as I get it, I'll get started ripping it and get it posted here as quickly as possible.
But I couldn't keep this to myself, because I'm so excited about maybe FINALLY having a worthy Mahler 8th for the first time in my life!!!
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/42753709/Photobucket/woohoo.gif
