Mahler: Symphony No. 1; Adagio

Required Listening

I grew up on Mahler's first with Bernstein and the Concertgebouw which is a great performance. It was also one of the first CD's that I bought ever. Only now (after many many years) did I get this performance with the NYP. While the "style" is perhaps the same as the Concertgebouw, there is a certain amount of freshness and uncontrolled power that makes this performance uplifting and breathtaking. The performance is spotless the conducting along with the phrasing and the tempi are perfect. The inner movements are performed with full vigor -- the "dance" in the second movement is zesty and energetic an the "funeral" of the third movement puts one in exactly the right mindset for the death of the Titan. The first movement, sounds like nature (birds and wind and flowers) and comes to the final blowup that lets your spirit soar. The final movement is DARK and gloomy and has the recapitulation of the first movement perfectly inserted. The mixture of gloom and that beautiful, heart-breaking second theme is perfectly conducted and minipulated and "staged" by Bernstein. This is a free flowing, high momentum performance of this symphony that is hard to top. Definate 5 star performance.
The Adagio from the 10th symphony is perhaps the pearl of this disc. I have heard 2 other performances of this, both by Sir Simon Rattle (Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Berlin Symphony Orchestra) which are both great performances. However, this performance is really a treat. Bernstein really understood what was going on here. Both Rattle performances seem as if they were incompetely orchestrated. This Bernstein performance puts everything into perspective. Even the massive dissonances towards the end of the movement are perfectly in place and "make sense".
Putting together the first symphony and the last (incomplete)symphony show how Mahler's style developed during his lifetime. The first symphony is basically his most accessible symphony which is full of harmony and without too much dissonance. Yes, it takes you on a trip into another world, yet it is fairly "standard" in nature. The last symphony is a lesson in harmonic dissonance and progressions. The orchestration is completely difference in these 2 symphonies. The early one being very brassy and the later one being generally lighter with deeper harmonies and more challenging progressions and textures.
I would recommend this disc without hesitation. It is not expensive, and the sound is great. I would give the first symphony 5 stars but I would definately give the performance of the 10th (Adagio) many more stars if I could. Enjoy :) June 28, 2008

A true "Titan" of a recording

This is my first recording of Mahler's first symphony, as well as the Adagio from the tenth. I must say that after reading the reviews of this recording I had my hopes up. And I was not in the least bit disappointed. The symphony as a whole is a gigantic masterpiece, truly deserving its name "Titan". Leonard Bernstein's conducting of the work is as lively and vibrant as ever, and his handling of the orchestra is masterful. This is a must-own for all Mahler fans, and Leonard Bernstein fans alike! May 13, 2007

Best Recording of Mahler's First Symphony

This is the best recording of Mahler's First that I have ever heard. I have four other recordings of this piece by well-known conductors and this is by far the best. February 21, 2006

Choosing between Bernstein's two Mahler Firsts

Sometimes the later Bernstein significantly revised the ideas of the earlier Bernstein, but this isn't the case here. Bernstein recorded the Mahler First early on in his NY cycle. His 1960 version, coupled with a magnficient 1975 reading of the Adagio from the Tenth Sym., is virtually identical to the later live performance with the Concertgebouw released by DG in 1989.

In both cases the first movement is fairly deliberate--it slows down by over a minute in Amsterdam--and the nature painting of the hushed forest is enchantingly done. In its delicacy and musicalaity this could be the best movement in both interpretations. Contrary to some reviewers here, there is little exagerration or over-emphasis. The NY Phil. plays beautifully but without that special European stylishness which the Concertgebouw demonstrates. The later Bernstein also took more care to make the solo birdcalls and other nature sounds be more distinct.

In both readings the second movement is slow, deliberate, and heavy--a clog dance stamping on the earth--and Bernstein slows down even further for the trio sections. The third movement, with its parody of Frere Jacques as a funeral march, is not as satiric in either performance as one might anticipate. Certianly it isn't mannered in any way. Bernstein doesn't comically underline the Jewishness of the band which accompanies the dead to his grave (this movement was inspired by a comic engraving of forest animals acting as a solemn funeral procession for a fallen hunter). In both readings the last movmenet is a cosmic explosion, all stops out. It is as recklessly exciting as anything Bernstien ever found in Mahler. Perhaps the Concertgebouw is more unleashed, but it's close.

Reviewers have commented on the excellent digital sound of the DG release, which is true, but in 1960 CBS also gave Bernstein large-scale sound with great detail and imapct. Anyone will recognize these readings as extremely dramatic and committed, though not pushed and pulled around. The fact that the NY version contains such a powerfullly tragic reading of the Mahler Tenth Adagio, and comes at mid-price, may sway a buying decision in its favor. Otherwise, I found little to choose between them. October 31, 2005

very good recording

I don't have much experience in listening to recordings done of this piece. The only other ones I've heard were of Solti with the Chicago Symphony, and one done by London. Of the three recordings i've heard, this is my favorite. The performance is by no means pristine. Specifically, brass (*cough*trumpet*cough*) intonation is obviously not perfect. The sound quality is also not exactly the best i've ever heard, though its good enough never to really become an issue. Its the impression that I get from hearing Bernstien's exciting interpretation, and the enthusiastic (if flawed) performance from the orchestra that makes this my favorite recording of this symphony. The first and second movements in particular make me want to go pull out my copy of this music and practice it again, which is sort of my guage for how effective a recording is. The strings in particular seem un-characteristically agile and synchronized. Especially when compared to other Bernstien Century recordings I have in my collection like the Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherezade, and the Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique, which are both guilty of being sporadically very messy. If you're looking to buy a recording of Mahler's 1st symphony I really don't think anyone could be disappointed by this CD. September 13, 2004

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