Bernstein is the most overrated conductor of the twentieth century. Performs only for the audience; the orchestras traditionally ignored him completely. Lousy interpreter, performances riddled with little personal exaggerations that passes for great understanding is some circles. I keep several of his Mahler recordings to demonstrate how inferior he is to pretty much everybody else.
No matter your thoughts about this particular performance (I happen to think it's just fine. Ludwig is flawless)
We are all indebted to Lennie for being, in addition to one of America's greatest conductors, composers, revivers of Mahler's music, and just all around interesting man....a teacher! He was always explaining. If you haven't watched the Harvard - Norton lectures on "The Unanswered Question" you're missing something truly amazing.
No matter your thoughts about this particular performance (I happen to think it's just fine. Ludwig is flawless)
We are all indebted to Lennie for being, in addition to one of America's greatest conductors, composers, revivers of Mahler's music, and just all around interesting man....a teacher! He was always explaining. If you haven't watched the Harvard - Norton lectures on "The Unanswered Question" you're missging something truly amazing.
"The sun sinks beyond the hills, evening descends into the valleys with its cooling shade. See, like a silver boat the moon sails up into the lake of the sky. I sense a soft wind blowing beyond the dark fir-trees. The brook sings melodiously through the dark. The flowers grow pale in the twilight. The earth breathes a deep draught of rest and sleep.
All longing now will dream: tired people go homewards, so that they can learn forgotten joy and youth again in sleep! Birds sit motionless on their branches. It grows cool in the shade of my fir-trees. I stand and await my friend, I wait for him for our last farewell. O friend, I long to share the beauty of this evening at your side. Where do you linger? Long you leave me alone! I wander here and there with my lyre on soft grassy paths. O Beauty! O endless love-life-drunken world!
He asked him where he was bound and why it must be so. 'You, my friend, Fortune was not kind to me in this world! Where do I go? I am departing, I wander in the mountains. I am seeking rest for my lonely heart. I am making my way to my home, my abode. I shall never stray far away. My heart is still and awaits its moment.'
The beloved Earth blooms forth everywhere in Spring, and becomes green anew! Everywhere and endlessly blue shines the horizon! Endless... endless..."
Well, l am a Mahler's lover, and l cannot stop singing and listening to his Music. l sang some lieders sometimes ago and if may be the recording is not as good as nowadays, still l shall post it. l live and die with his Music. every time l sing it.
Joana, ipmoic was making a little joke. The correct phrase should be " Only For Mahler Lovers." To say "Mahler's Lovers" would be to imply that it was for Mahler's former mistresses or sexual partners.
Great work and I'm sure there are still millions of lovers of Mahler's music and of the man himself.
You won't find many of Mahler's lovers still around!!
The performance is terrifically moving and Bernstein's tempo keeps the wildness of this stirring music intact. True, the orchestra is far better today, but that is not Bernstein's fault.
What a voice and what a sympathetic accompaniment..
I like Bernstein's Mahler's, of course it's possible to dislike it, I'm not fond of Haitink for example, but I know that's me, it's all in the eye of the beholder, isn't it..
beautiful singing... lots of simplicity, like floating on those long phrases and yet the right amount of drama... I like it -and I am die hard fan of Ferrier/Walter's rendition of this..
Too fast and ugly in conception, but when the sublime Christa enters all is transformed into the way it needs to be. Check out her recording with Klemperer; that is how it should go.
Do you think so ?l think that some directors have their own way of feeling the score. l like both version. l don't think that is horrible. but you might have your opinion, important is to love MAHLER-
Bernstein (here) is great - with a very extreme conception. It seems he makes you here a new peace of music... I also like klemperer; did you listen to the Boulez-recording?
I believe Bernstein was after articulation and it's too brisk, but Ms. Ludwig takes it all back at her moment: 3:05 on. She is wonderful here, and in the Klemperer/Ludwig/ Wunderling recording.
@DieSonneSinkt I partly agree that it's too fast now and then. But nevertheless Bernstein is one of the greatest interpretators of Mahler, together with Bernard Haitink ofcourse! They both have a wonderful Mahler tradition with the Royal Concertgebouworchestra in Amsterdam.
@jefgong If anything, Klemperer's rendition would be more faithful to what Mahler wanted, as Mahler had been Klemperer's mentor, as well as Bruno Walter's.
@DieSonneSinkt all right. But Walter is much more rapid than Klemperer in the adagios or andante. So where is the truth ? in my opinion, here Ludwig and Bernstein are in a real osmosis, and that is the most important.
Oh, Christa!
edgluhrs 6 months ago
Bernstein is the most overrated conductor of the twentieth century. Performs only for the audience; the orchestras traditionally ignored him completely. Lousy interpreter, performances riddled with little personal exaggerations that passes for great understanding is some circles. I keep several of his Mahler recordings to demonstrate how inferior he is to pretty much everybody else.
michsturge 8 months ago
Fata viam invenient
lpipmp 1 year ago
WITH LOVE II
cosifangertrud 1 year ago
No matter your thoughts about this particular performance (I happen to think it's just fine. Ludwig is flawless)
We are all indebted to Lennie for being, in addition to one of America's greatest conductors, composers, revivers of Mahler's music, and just all around interesting man....a teacher! He was always explaining. If you haven't watched the Harvard - Norton lectures on "The Unanswered Question" you're missing something truly amazing.
flylooper 1 year ago
No matter your thoughts about this particular performance (I happen to think it's just fine. Ludwig is flawless)
We are all indebted to Lennie for being, in addition to one of America's greatest conductors, composers, revivers of Mahler's music, and just all around interesting man....a teacher! He was always explaining. If you haven't watched the Harvard - Norton lectures on "The Unanswered Question" you're missging something truly amazing.
flylooper 1 year ago
"The sun sinks beyond the hills, evening descends into the valleys with its cooling shade. See, like a silver boat the moon sails up into the lake of the sky. I sense a soft wind blowing beyond the dark fir-trees. The brook sings melodiously through the dark. The flowers grow pale in the twilight. The earth breathes a deep draught of rest and sleep.
cwcascales 1 year ago
All longing now will dream: tired people go homewards, so that they can learn forgotten joy and youth again in sleep! Birds sit motionless on their branches. It grows cool in the shade of my fir-trees. I stand and await my friend, I wait for him for our last farewell. O friend, I long to share the beauty of this evening at your side. Where do you linger? Long you leave me alone! I wander here and there with my lyre on soft grassy paths. O Beauty! O endless love-life-drunken world!
cwcascales 1 year ago
He asked him where he was bound and why it must be so. 'You, my friend, Fortune was not kind to me in this world! Where do I go? I am departing, I wander in the mountains. I am seeking rest for my lonely heart. I am making my way to my home, my abode. I shall never stray far away. My heart is still and awaits its moment.'
The beloved Earth blooms forth everywhere in Spring, and becomes green anew! Everywhere and endlessly blue shines the horizon! Endless... endless..."
cwcascales 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Thank you for Mahler and Christa Ludwig.
tzeleustremlennost 2 years ago
Comment removed
tzeleustremlennost 2 years ago
where's the rest of it?
musicalme27 2 years ago
Well, l am a Mahler's lover, and l cannot stop singing and listening to his Music. l sang some lieders sometimes ago and if may be the recording is not as good as nowadays, still l shall post it. l live and die with his Music. every time l sing it.
Joana.
joanabanyeres 2 years ago 2
Joana, ipmoic was making a little joke. The correct phrase should be " Only For Mahler Lovers." To say "Mahler's Lovers" would be to imply that it was for Mahler's former mistresses or sexual partners.
Great work and I'm sure there are still millions of lovers of Mahler's music and of the man himself.
cwcascales 1 year ago
@joanabanyeres
The same... the same...
TheDusio 1 year ago
You won't find many of Mahler's lovers still around!!
The performance is terrifically moving and Bernstein's tempo keeps the wildness of this stirring music intact. True, the orchestra is far better today, but that is not Bernstein's fault.
What a voice and what a sympathetic accompaniment..
ipmoic 2 years ago
The 4,5 points are becouse of the orchestra, which deserves 2-3.
dermotafan 2 years ago
The orchestra is the Israel Philharmonic
ernent 3 years ago
I like Bernstein's Mahler's, of course it's possible to dislike it, I'm not fond of Haitink for example, but I know that's me, it's all in the eye of the beholder, isn't it..
Anyway, I'm with joanabanyeres, love Mahler!
quintos34 3 years ago
Typical a Bernstein interpretation, very expressive. Listen also to Inbal/Jard van Nes or Bruno Walter/ Mildred Miller
HansVanEck58 3 years ago
beautiful singing... lots of simplicity, like floating on those long phrases and yet the right amount of drama... I like it -and I am die hard fan of Ferrier/Walter's rendition of this..
alejandra379 3 years ago
ZI do!! msg me on M.S.N. nfo in profile.
u should c me Wh
isaac5292 3 years ago
truly great
byronw14850 3 years ago
.... bernstein.. too fast??? the greatest mahler-conductor EVER???!!!... well if you think so, you should learn to listen to the music!!!...
JUST SENSATIONAL!
kubrickhh 3 years ago
I think that Sir Bernard Haitink and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam are hors categorie in their Mahler adaptations.
Boerenfox 2 years ago
Wonderful. Perhaps a modern tempo. Christa is genial.
cmmenah 3 years ago 4
Too fast and ugly in conception, but when the sublime Christa enters all is transformed into the way it needs to be. Check out her recording with Klemperer; that is how it should go.
billyguns2 3 years ago
My god, too fast, horrible. Listen to Klemperer's performance with Christa Ludwig.
DieSonneSinkt 3 years ago
Do you think so ?l think that some directors have their own way of feeling the score. l like both version. l don't think that is horrible. but you might have your opinion, important is to love MAHLER-
joanabanyeres 3 years ago
Bernstein (here) is great - with a very extreme conception. It seems he makes you here a new peace of music... I also like klemperer; did you listen to the Boulez-recording?
petatap 3 years ago
I believe Bernstein was after articulation and it's too brisk, but Ms. Ludwig takes it all back at her moment: 3:05 on. She is wonderful here, and in the Klemperer/Ludwig/ Wunderling recording.
JEP177777 3 years ago
@DieSonneSinkt I partly agree that it's too fast now and then. But nevertheless Bernstein is one of the greatest interpretators of Mahler, together with Bernard Haitink ofcourse! They both have a wonderful Mahler tradition with the Royal Concertgebouworchestra in Amsterdam.
KCOtutti1 1 year ago
@DieSonneSinkt
Thanks for sharing these treasures.
Too much fast... too much slow... Listen to...
Never too much beautiful or too much sensitive.
Always the same pretentious comments of the DOCTORS IN MUSICA.
dtolbiac 1 year ago
@DieSonneSinkt Is it allowed to say that Klemperer might be too slow ?
jefgong 9 months ago
@jefgong If anything, Klemperer's rendition would be more faithful to what Mahler wanted, as Mahler had been Klemperer's mentor, as well as Bruno Walter's.
DieSonneSinkt 9 months ago
@DieSonneSinkt all right. But Walter is much more rapid than Klemperer in the adagios or andante. So where is the truth ? in my opinion, here Ludwig and Bernstein are in a real osmosis, and that is the most important.
jefgong 9 months ago
Christa ludwig + Mahler= transporte hacia no se sabe donde. Gracias Joana.
juanoctavillas 4 years ago 6