Mahler Symphony No.8 - Ending of Part 1 - Haitink/ACO

Mahler symphony no.8 performed by Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Bernard Haitink. In April 1988. It was Haitink's farewell concert as chief conductor of ACO.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• mahler
• haitink
• concertgebouw

[oronopolo]

some people suggest that mr. Haitinks gesture at the 27th second of this clip was unnecessary. It was not. It was a signal to his personal-assistent to put an earlier that evening ordered pizza into the microwave.

[Alexias030692]

For those of you who are asking about the gesture Haitink does at 00:27 and 00:28, it was purely intentional. He was gesturing to a guy offstage to put a previously ordered pizza into the microwave.

[beatrusa]

fantastic music!

[imsleepyanddead]

@melbapatti Unless Mahler specifically wrote it in the music (which he almost always does in exact instructions), then that's up to who ever is performing. Unless you're a mahler scholar or performer, I'd take haitink's word over yours.

[melbapatti]

All kidding about pizza aside, Mr. Haitink definitely gets the tempo of this finale all wrong. What a shame. Do you see his line-up of soloists???? Shheeesh!!! Just imagine the climax they could have given him if he had not dragged the tempo so badly. These grand Mahlerian finales (like the finale of the 2nd Symphony) MUST move forward. The forward movement is the life-force of the music. Can't rush, can't drag. Bernstein and Chung GET it.

[martinusB95]

@etucker82

In my opinion Haitink is one of the greatest conductors that have ever lived.



[mvuorsalo82]

Total MADNESS at the end of this mvt. The "Drengend" is taken WAY too seriously! It does NOT signify an accelerando to hysterical speeds, but merely a "enlivement" to the tempo, as so not to drag the ending, and make it sound as if the musicians actually ARE praising The Creator Spirit!

[sayhi2death]

wayyyyyy too slow too be honest lol

[etucker82]

Well, I certainly don't believe he hates all of Mahler. But he recently said in an interview with Norman Lebrecht that he thinks Mahler 8 is a 'musical monstrosity' that he's managed to conduct only three times and would be very glad not to conduct again. I think this is nothing more than a dutiful performance. Conductors who really get the piece: like Bernstein, Rattle, Tennstedt, and Abbado never sound like they're going through the motions.

[grabit1]

Haitink has often said that he used to hate Mahler when he was young, that it made him sick.

I've never believed it. My ears tell me otherwise.

[jgesselberty]

If he hates this magnificent symphony, it's pretty difficult to tell by this masterful performance.

[etucker82]

He's certainly one of the great ones (I really like the CSO #6) but Haitink has now said in a live radio interview that he hates Mahler 8. He doesn't sound very inspired by it here.