Willem Mengelberg conducts Mahler Symphony 4; part 6 of 6

Movement 4: Sehr behaglich.

The dutch conductor Willem Mengelberg leads the Concertgebouw Orchestra on November 9, 1939 in Gustav Mahler's Symphony 4. Mengelberg had a very close relationship with the composer and was involved with this symphony's rehearsal and premiere. His conducting style is extreme and "romantic"; favoring big orchestras, many tempo changes, and a liberal usage of portamento. This style is probably close to that which Mahler himself would have used to conduct the piece.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• mengelberg
• mahler
• symphony
• concertgebouw

[themfromspace]

The soprano is Jo Vincent, whom I sadly don't know much about.

[78Maniac]

Jo Vincent (her real name is Johanna Marie van Ijzer-Vincent) is a Dutch soprano who was born in Amsterdam on March 6th 1898. She has been taught by Catherina van Rennes and Cornélie van Zanten and became the most famous soprano in her country. The only part she played was the Countess in Mozart's Figaro.. She was a concert-soprano and her repertoire was centered around Bach, Beethoven and Mahler. She gave up singing in 1953 and became a teacher.

[themfromspace]

Thank you!

[Mahlerianer]

@webxyz777 Wunderbar, daß es hier diese Aufzeichnung eines Dirigats dieses engen Mahler-Freundes gibt. Ich bin froh und dankbar dafür und finde, in einem Fall wie in Mengelbergs politischer Naivität sollte man die Vergangenheit ruhen lassen.

[billyguns2]

All too often conductors asked matronly sounding sopranos to sing this "Child's vision of heaven;" it is supposed to be the child singing. Listen to Reri Grist, Sylvia Stahlman, Edith Mathis, or Kathleen Battle among those who sound just right in this music; Bernstein even used a boy soprano!

[nog55]

Many thanks for taking the trouble to fupload such a wonderful performance.

It is now on my playlists & will get played a lot I'm sure.V. interesting to hear such an early recording by such an important interpreter.

[hobohemia999]

Incredible, when you think this was two months after the start of WWII, and exactly a month after Hitler declared war on the low countries, that there were still such large-scale concerts. I wonder how the musicians and the audience in the hall felt on this day.

[ValkiriouS]

The sound's like the mother...

[IpsaPaphum]

"............Sankt Ursula selbst dazu lacht!"

[webxyz777]

Unfortunately Mengelberg lost his credibility by his pro german attitude in the Netherlands during world war two. A great conductor, naive at least in his political views. Read his comment when the Nazis tear down the Mendelsohn statue in the mid 30's .