Mahler: Symphony No 6, 1st movement (Valery Gergiev, London Symphony Orchestra)

[leppardas]

Girl with a French Horn! Cute!

[rachelebusch]

Bravo. There was a social experiment in the Metro area in NYC that tested the current appreciation of the arts. A world famous violinist played in a terminal. Of thousands, only 20 put money in his violin case, only 6 stopped to watch. I would have been the one to watch.

Any ways, the night before, Carnegie Hall was packed.

[wuting0987]

@rachelebusch that experiment makes no sense. passerbys probably heard a couple bars only, which isn't enough for classical pieces to express their ideas. people nowadays are used to listening to pop songs, which are constructed with hooks that are one or two bars. that people have less patience and want concise musical ideas doesn't mean they lack appreciation for the arts.

[rachelebusch]

@wuting0987 well done

[Balingeo]

Il a un air de Jack Nicholson dans "The Shinning"! :)

[montclairification]

I thought Vanessa Mae was in this.

[hwq99818]

The guy looks like that he's going to faint

[JWentu]

this time he's using a horribly long toothpick :P

[KG22122]

Excellent .

[eminboztepe]

Simply amazing.

[Nadz3813]

lol that was a weird experience...i though when i first saw the conductor that he looked a bit like Hugh Laurie >.< dunno why :D i can see it looks nothing like him...just one of my weirder moments i guess! this is a great piece, love it!

[Hassaanness]

I pressed "Like" before watching it

[martimtavares]

where's this?

[Lso]

@martimtavares this was recorded at the LSO's home venue, the Barbican Centre in London

[honron21]

HE IS THE DOCTOR HOUSE OF CONDUCTING!!!

[jamieblond1]

When I watch Gergiev conduct, sometimes he makes me think of torches, pitchforks and vampire fangs :o)

[ErinaceousOutrageous]

Time Bandits anyone?

[hergotics]

Prekrasnoooo...Jedva čekam da čujem uživo u Zagrebu...!!!



[Lucian86]

@morristhemoron

when you listen it live it's a different thing ! don't make comparison between that and youtube

[cpthornman]

I like how at 1:00 the 2nd horn had a total brain fart. Nice to see that even the finest musician in the world have those moments too.

[Interioroutbreak69]

I prefer these darker classical pieces, any others like this?

[PCFDD]

@Interioroutbreak69 You can't go wrong with Mahler.

[jeanpi314159]

Mahler said there were not 2 bars at the same tempo ... So the tempo is one thing , the fluctuation inside the tempo from a bar to the following bar is another..

.

At this time , Einstein found E=mc² ...there is certainly something similar in the music ( Energy becomes mass and mass energy). Just as Mahler composed his symphony ,

Relativity considers time is not absolute ...The question of time (not only of tempo) in Mahler's symphonies is very interesting and philosophical .

[musoderelict]

From the dimensions of the video you can see they're travelling at near warp-speed.

[musoderelict]

From the video, you can see they're travelling at near warp-speed.

[pointreyes6]

The alma theme sounds like shes running through central park

[alliancedie]

this is the best illustration of this symphony, yes the tempo is a little fast but its the 1st time i heard it like this and im liking it. oh also too Valery Gergiev has always been knowen for his fast tempo

[alliancedie]

this is the best illustration of this symphony, yes the tempo is a little fast but its the 1st time i heard it like this and im liking it.

[AntiProUltra]

the one disadvantage of a quicker-than-average tempo in the march section is you have to maintain that tempo for the second subject (the 'Alma theme') also, which sacrifices the potential lyrical breadth of that theme

just sayin'

[knifenewbie456]

i like this pace of the piece it makes it feel like they are going to war and are trying to get to the battlefield. and they keep seeing tragedies on the way.

[NANPASA17]

พวกกดดิสไลท์

ควายละ ไม่มีหัวใจดนตรี!!

[jeanpi314159]

@NANPASA17

May be you are right , may be not : isikoa anao mitendrinesa , azono raha volaniko ...that's what I tell you .

[gabamanutube]

Probably seems fast to me too because I'm used to the Philharmonia/Sinopoli recording

[McFlury9687]

The basses are in charge of the tempo in the begining. That means they need to keep the tempo going or else the balence of time will be lost with the rest of the orchestra. It's like jazz band. It all comes down to basses.

[fuzzynavel46]

2nd trombone looks like Jermaine from Flight of the Conchords

[bellinianodoc]

Too fast or too slow, it's always the usual Mahler: bombastic, empty of ideas, that makes a lot of noise, simply not knowing where to go.

According with Natalie Bauer-Lechner, a Mahler's friend, he said that often his musical ideas were suggested in a dream by Beethoven or Wagner...

What ludicrous bullshit.

[imsleepyanddead]

@bellinianodoc You're depriving yourself of lots of potential for yourself if your first impressions of mahler are without doing some research, if you think mahler is noisy and empty, i'd strongly suggest songs of a wayfarer, instead something as loud the 6th, there's a reason it's the least popular symphony.

[bellinianodoc]

@imsleepyanddead

Thanks for politeness of your advice. But I think I’ve listened Malher enough to be struck by the almost complete emptyness of musical ideas in his works. And there's nothing worse in music than creative sterility put together with bombastic arrogance.

Schubert or Bellini, for example, can move to tears with four, slender notes. But they were true genius.

[imsleepyanddead]

@bellinianodoc i'm sorry you see it that way, but yes, it does make sense. i can give examples of mahler doing the same with four notes, but i'd rather not start a flame war over nonsense. although der lindenbaum is quite a spectacle.

[KiwiExpat34]

Yes - too fast. Way faster than I am used to and it sounds rushed as a result. The "stamping" rhythm at the opening should be a relentless plod not a superficial sprint. And the exposition beyond that should be given time to unfold, not romped-through. Compare youtube.com/watch?v=lPqUTl2aNM­A&feature=related

[Wranger243]

@KiwiExpat34 There are no "relentless plods" in a piece written to be "fast and lively". Consider it the speed with which death takes us all.

[callasnuts]

Garbich

[pointreyes6]

The Thomas Sanderling recording is the greatest performance i have ever heard.

Mahler told me that Gergiev's tempo here is just too fast and not marchable.

[Impressionist1]

@pointreyes6 You should listen Neeme Järvi, he does it even faster :D

[danesandy]

oh my! ...is that Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords @ 1:08

[intelectus1]

buena

[JonBrooksComposer]

One of my favourite scores! :-)

[Kapputschino12]

Strings are out of tune many, many places. Not everything in life you can solve looking like a Gone-mad-Rasputin.

[Kapputschino12]

The problem is not the tempo. The problem is the rushing. Its like the basses are in another hall trying not to loose tempo. Horrible, really.

[Brunildilla]

@Kapputschino12 no..., no, no.., the tempo is great, really great !! I thought it was too fast , but after listen carefully I think Gergiev give a truly fabulous, superb !!!, is a fantastic and energic rendition !!

[Kapputschino12]

@Brunildilla Third and fourth bar are rushing, are faster than the first. That is terrible at that place. It ruins practically the whole symphony. You cant be insistent and rush at the same time. As I said, the problem is not the tempo but the rushing.

[GabMelonius]

The orchestra plays wonderfully, the conductor finds a lot of amazing subtleties in the score, the dynamics are superb and all you can say is that the tempo is too fast? Why can't you just like a change in the standardized tempi, dear music lovers?

[fayemarilynh]

Best symphony to listen to whilst walking.

[aang94479]

Aaaaaaaaaaaand..........Gergie­v looks demented from 0:01-4:02.

[mibi1946]

As Oscar Wild said "The cynic knows the price of everything and the value of nothing." Your critiscms of orchestras are childish and beneath any serious music lover. All orchestras are made up of human beings and conductors who all strive to do their best.

[Roozbeh218]

very well.

[unitednerdsbeproud]

No toothpick? :(

[guitarvibe75]

where can i find the whole movement from lso?

[faemdia]

no me gusta. esta demasiado energico. agitato. la orquesta espectacular. no se como pueden seguir los gestos del director.

[faemdia]

no me gusta. esta demasiado energico. agitato. la orquesta espectacular no se como pueden seguir los gestos del director.

[SThpunk1]

Never listened to music that makes me so happy.

[heirihunziker]

Valery Gergiev looks like he just escaped from an asylum, a prison, or both.

but that has nothing to do with his great skill, of course!

[destroydavid]

fantastico...

[SuckerForRockers]

8 people missed the like button

[curtalguy]

Gergiev is THE BOMB! So is the LSO! Love it!

[0707NicePlayer]

Amazing! Mahler was such a genius, so intelligent, he really composed a magic music, mistic, music for soul and at the same time music for brain...

[falstocat]

This should say that it was an excerpt. How disappointing!

[EDGJZConglomerate]

The musicians play with such expertise it makes this all look so easy! But we all know that is most certainly not the case . . . technically AND emotionally.

[EDGJZConglomerate]

This (Gergiev/LSO) is the best recording I know of the opening movement to Mahler 6. It possesses a savage ferocity as well as an all-consuming beauty. Though many argue otherwise, I think the tempi are perfect. The marches need to be overwhelming. The moments of beauty need to be fleeting. The colors are magnificent. Hands down one of Mahler's most astounding yet puzzling movements despite the simplicity of its form compared to some other of his movements. One of his best symphonies!

[unclejuniorsoprano]

@EDGJZConglomerate Yours is by far the best comment I've read thus far on YT. All of your statements are well substantiated & you use just the right adjectives; e.g., "savage ferocity." Written like a musicological mastermind.

I completely agree with you about Gergiev as a conductor, as well. He is "The Maestro" of the 21st century. My other favorite Mahler conductor was Karajan. I didn't like him for everything, but his somewhat cold, dissonant tone was perfect for the drama in much of Mahler.

[jgesselberty]

Gergiev and Mahler simply don't mix well, in my opinion. He is a superb conductor of the Russian repertory, but falls short with Mahler.

[bikiniboys]

皆さん、こんばんは

直言極限の時間です

[007strauss]

Too fast! That's no horse-race!

[konanuk]

Excellent

[iplongnin]

So fast!

But perhaps this is his character. Nonetheless, the fire he shows in Mahler 2 and 6 is stunning.

[clearevil]

It's fast enough, slowing it down facks it up

[LLJtbone]

Wow, just superb playing. Nice low brass <3. Damn, the horns are pretty tight too. The whole orchestra is just amazing sounding.

[drengnikrafe]

@xerxes52 You are absolutely right. My mind must have escaped me when I posted my foolish comment. Looking back, I question why such words even escaped my fingertips. Truly, my mindset was regretable.

[amistrymister]

Uses the oboes really nicely. Awfully tense, Mahlerian symphonies. Imagine what he must have been feeling when writing this.

[mercer240]

i wish there was a video of gergiev conducting mahler 5....that would be bad ass.

[alanmorrisonsongs]

Absolutely, Jacotrumpet! Eschenbach actually becomes the music. You can see it in his eyes just before the opening. What is truly amazing is how he got a French orchestra to play Mahler as if their lives depended on it. Normally, they miss the point completely with Austro-Germanic music and should stick to Saint-Saens or Debussy! But you can see what wonders Eschenbach has done with that orchestra. I say it again: See Christophe Eschenbach & the Orchestre de Paris doing Mahler 6 on YouTube now!

[drengnikrafe]

I read about this song while looking for epic, dark music. I got exactly what I was looking for. Win.

[xerxes52]

@drengnikrafe It's not a song

[alanmorrisonsongs]

Tomenicus I have Szell's version and I agree it is great. Sadly it has a major flaw: it doesn't have the exposition repeat in the first movement. In the days when it was recorded audiences couldn't take the length of these works, so cuts like this were made. Boyofdestiny, we're not arguing - just discussing. Mahler buffs are somewhat prone to discussing Mahler endlessly! And tempi are a hot potato. The tempo in mov't 1 of the 6th has to have gravitas but without any capelmeisterish pomp! :-)

[boyofdestiny1123]

I really don't think Mahler gets enough credit for his genius.

I don't think any of us should be arguing amongst ourselves about the tempo when really the important thing is that we all care and don't become the people who are obsessed with today's modern music: Rap, hip-hop, Heavy metal...

... Focus on your goal to care about the classics.

[dajohnthomas69]

this has more contrast in tempo then one is used to

[alanmorrisonsongs]

IMO, this is too fast and thus loses its darkness. Some conduct it too slow (eg. Boulez) and then it loses its bite and momentum. There has to be that biting darkness throughout. It's interesting that Mahler 9 is usually conducted well by most who tackle it; whereas Mahler 6 seems to present a challenge which very few can meet successfully. Even Bernstein doesn't get #6 like he did #9. For a truly astounding Mahler 6 performance & conducting see the vid with Eschenbach and the Orchestre de Paris

[tomenicus]

@alanmorrisonsongs NO! That is a little too slow. I have some like half a dozen recordings of Mahlers 6 and listen only of those of George Szell and Cleveland S.O. That was made... well, consequently. Try it and see, I'm mean hear of course...

[jacotrumpet]

@alanmorrisonsongs holy crap i see what u mean. i just watched some of eschenbach's and the orch de paris's rendition.. they are much more intense in thier quarter notes, but its not just taht- eschenbach really brings out dark colors from all over and does a much better job at creating the mood the piece calls for. thanx for the tip about watching the other vid :)

[martinusB95]

I've heard Gergiev with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra,

conducting mahler /5/7/8/9 wich were really, really great

I have no doubt, he is capable to conduct Mahler's symphonies.

(Gergiev is going to conduct Mahler 2, Ressurection with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, on it's ''Gergiev Festival'', in Rotterdam, in September.

@LovVaBLeFiQa: I love it too, they play Paxmans if im right.

[Mainharfa]

Wow !!was für eine Bühnenpräsenz! Gergiev ist grandios!

[mouraviola]

simplesmente o que há de melhor no ramo sinfonico!!

[doubleotwentyone]

Too fast? Better than Haitink ~ too slow...

[LoVaBLeFiQa]

i love the sound of french horn!!!

[007strauss]

A bit too fast, IMHO

[Maralegar2009]

I like so much Gergiev since " Firebird" ....

You making me love this tragic symphony , usualy i prefer the ressurection or Titan ....

Thanks To LSO

Need the 4 th mouvement please :=)

[lusilla1]

Bravo, orchestra! Bravo, Maestro!

[JonBrooksComposer]

So emotive - love it!

Thanks to the LSO for posting.

[ilbacioditosca]

It is a performance plenty of energy and musical commentaries, contrasting and makes it so interesting. It think Mahler needs totally romanctic aproach, on tempis and sound, if not it sound too dry.

[Mahlerialiszt]

It is just a tad to fast, but this is preferrable to the dirge-like tempo Chailly took with the Concertgebouw. Abbado, Maazel, and Eschenbach took it a little slower and I think it gives the movement the kind of sweeping gandeur it needs without dragging it out.

[Violetatorelli]

Perfect version! (From every single point of view) Bravo, Maestro!!!

PS: Odinnshred, you are not serious... are you? The tempo is correct. You should check it again. I have a version by Bern. Htik. Deceive no more, please...

[odinnshred]

Although the music does work at this tempo (due entirely to Mahler's genius), Gergiev is conducting this far too quickly; the first movement of this fantastic symphony is supposed to be the obstinate and inevitable march of fate which, ultimately, consumes and destroys the composer. I doubt anybody would be afraid of an army of people with an obviously struggling gait trying to march as quickly as Gergiev would expect them to.

[absmart]

Haha the violist at 1:15, top right corner, made my day! Where the hell is his energy?! The "LSO Powerhouse Strings" label was achieved with no help from him! Paul Silverthorne and the others are doing all the work!

Other than that guy, it's a DAMN good interpretation - I swear by it. LSO is the best orchestra in the world.

[USAFp90x]

agreed. LSO For the Win. my no. 1 favorite orchestra

[Violetatorelli]

Outstanding version! Bravo, Maestro!!!

[princegarbsen]

HfM&Co.

[EDGJZConglomerate]

This is just amazing music.

One of my favorite pieces, and some of the best music ever written.

[quinto34]

Since Einstein time is relative, so is tempi..

[ilbacioditosca]

and the Atoms started to be broken everywhere, and we know the results.

Many scientists quit atomic research because they know is not good.

[quinto34]

@ilbacioditosca You can quit whatever you like, time is still relative..and so is tempi lol

[sereda008]

my god, you rock.

[culturejamming]

i love it, but i agree it might be a bit too fast. but that gives it more energy for the crowd

[dragmio]

Too fast? Try explaining "ma non troppo" to a Russian. ;)

No, really, I like it. It's definitely not over the top.

[foodmore]

@dragmio Definitely not too fast. Similar to Georg Solti's recording with the CSO.

[Wolfinho007]

Much too fast ...

[suumr]

I agree completely.

[am39exocet]

in my point of viwe the rithm is a bit too hight and the violin is not enough present in the 10 first seconds...

[RationalDischarge]

I never could figure out why this wasn't one of Mahler's more famous symphonies. The march in the first movement blisters and crackles with a passion not normally found in 20th century music.

[quinto34]

Faster then I'm used to, but it's exciting, I like :)

[tzhuff]

gergiev is just what london needs. i'm sure there are more than a few londoners still stammering around wondering what the hell is going on, even after a few years

[twigglesjworth]

i love how characteristically russian he looks

[etucker82]

Well, at this tempo it doesn't sound much like any Mahler I know, but it's certainly exciting.

[moopsymoo]

I'm really so amused on the comments on here about this movement being the Imperial march from StarWars . but then again this is u tube ....

[MarkoKassenaar]

Sometimes he asks for 9 nine horns, when the first part is doubled (because it is such a strain to play the high notes and the solo's all by yourself)

[comaradella]

I'll have whatever the director is having, ( with all due respect)

[MarkoKassenaar]

hahaha, he always moves like that. And yes, to watch it IRL is really electrifying!

[munky6933]

im with you one that one

[blackmoon092]

HOLY CRAP!!! There are 8 french horns!! Aren't there usually only around four or five? Doesn't matter! HORN POWER!! hehe

[DSCHShostaMaestro]

Mahler actually specifies 8 French Horns for the instrumentation of this symphony - But yeah, you're right, it provides massive power on that front:)

[endlsswing]

reminds me of imperial march

[crawfordsjamie]

HOW?

[Bethreze]

Imperial March from Star Wars :)

[CarzorStelatis]

It isn't exactly the same, but I can hear the similarity as well. Particularly the opening, but the rest of it as well.

[cellofellow1223]

Yeah. I played mahlers 2nd yesterday. He calls for 8 horns, something like 8 trumpets, 4 trombones. Loud.

[porq2esmejorq1]

He calls 8 horns for 1st symphony, too

[Scissors8311]

That's much too fast!!!!

[hanserblich]

If you think this is too fast, you shouldn't listen to Kubelik's interpretation with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks. That's even faster.

I think this is the perfect tempo for this mouvement. It's not a funeral march!

[iwanabana]

i think it's only a BIT too fast. well, the tempo is marked allegro energico ma non troppo, right?

[sirmattbelios]

You're correct.

[bekkaannnn]

Listen to this performance adding &fmt=18.

You'll just murmur Bravo ...

[osetian111]

dont be stupid Valerij Abbisalovich Gergiev IS 10000000 % O S E T I A N

and we osetians proud of him and love him for he was in ZHIVALL to express hattress all osetian people for barbarian american agression against osetian people

[xthorl]

Excuse me if I'm curious, but what has Gergiev's nationality to do with watching this video in HQ?

[eliasaris]

amazing

[ThaSchwab]

My favorite Mahler movement after the finale of Symphony No. 7.

[webrunnerqw]

Interesting point of view. But I don´t think any other orchestra can sound so together and on the beat as the LSO. That´s a fact.

[webrunnerqw]

I must say: Gergiev is not the right conductor for this no 1 orchestra in the world, maybe for Shostakovich but not Mahler. To "squarish", no real emotions, he just beats the tempo, nothing more. They could have had MTT or Harding, that would have been something else! Even the Mahler 6th with LSO / Jansons is much better than this.

[rabengeraun]

Perhaps it's just beacause he's not known for Mahler; people said similar things about Haitink when he started conducting Wagner purely because he'd always been known for his Mahler and Bruckner. I can't say either that I go along with your assessment of the LSO as the number 1 orchestra in the world; surely the Vienna, Berlin, Concertgebouw, Dresden and others produce a more polished and professional sound than the LSO musters. The Philharmonia is also an over-rated band, in my view.