Mahler Lieder: Your Recommendations

[Jared]

I know this subject has been touched upon in the 'currently listening to' thread, but I was wanting to get your suggestions for favourite recordings of the following works:

Das Lied von der Erde
My thoughts: Ferrier/ Patzak/ Walter (purchased) : Ludwig/ Wunderlich/ Klemperer

Das klagende Lied/ Kindertotenlieder/ Ruckert Lieder/ Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen
My thoughts: Fassbaender/ Dunn/ Chailly : Baker/ Barbirolli

Das Knaben Wunderhorn
My thoughts: Schwarzkopf/ Szell

Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen/ Lieder und Gesange/ Im Lenz/ Winterlied
My thoughts: Baker/ Parsons

I am wanting to build up a basic library of classic recordings of these works, and was hoping for your thoughts. I have omitted the Haitink 2CD on Philips, owing to the duplication of all these pieces, but realise this also contains highly thought of recordings.

Many thanks...

[Fergus]

Other than the excellent choices that you have mentioned above Jared I can also strongly recommend the following....






This one by Wynn Morris comes with a different cover from Nimbus





....and I am sure that you will get plenty of other options to keep you occupied for a while. Good luck with your choices and enjoy the music

[John F]

Janet Baker's recording of the five Rückertlieder is very fine, but this earlier recording of "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen" is even better:



The Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen are really best from a male singer, and while Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau is the obvious choice - I like his early recording with Furtwängler - the version by Heinrich Schlusnus is magnificently sung and with just as much passion:

[maestrob]

I know this subject has been touched upon in the 'currently listening to' thread, but I was wanting to get your suggestions for favourite recordings of the following works:

Das Lied von der Erde
My thoughts: Ferrier/ Patzak/ Walter (purchased) : Ludwig/ Wunderlich/ Klemperer

You already know my thoughts here.

Das klagende Lied/ Kindertotenlieder/ Ruckert Lieder/ Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen
My thoughts: Fassbaender/ Dunn/ Chailly : Baker/ Barbirolli

Good choices, Jared, although I agree with John that a male voice is preferable in the Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen. I love Janet Baker though, and would not want to be without her recording.

Das Knaben Wunderhorn
My thoughts: Schwarzkopf/ Szell



Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen/ Lieder und Gesange/ Im Lenz/ Winterlied
My thoughts: Baker/ Parsons

Janet Baker is an extraordinarily good choice for these works.

I am wanting to build up a basic library of classic recordings of these works, and was hoping for your thoughts. I have omitted the Haitink 2CD on Philips, owing to the duplication of all these pieces, but realise this also contains highly thought of recordings.

Many thanks...

[josé echenique]

I think you already have very sound recommendations for most works, but I would like to add a recording I feel very strong about: for Das Knaben Wunderhorn #1 for me would be the live DG Lucia Popp/Andreas Schmidt/Royal Concertgebouw/Leonard Bernstein. Personally speaking, I´d take it any day over the Szell, mostly because of Lucia Popp, but others may feel different.

[Seán]

Here are my two recommendations apart from the Haitink/Das Lied of course:

[Chalkperson]

This takes your request a little more literally than the others people have posted...

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/alb ... _id=250728

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/alb ... m_id=92333

[Jared]

^^ thank you Chalkie, I'd not thought of searching out versions without full orchestra at this stage, but that's a great help.


Thanks to you all once again for the recommendations given; I know these must have appeared to be very basic questions about 'bread & butter' material to you all, but it's all very new to me, and building up a quality basic library of this repertoire is presently very high on my shopping list...

[Marc]

I think you already have very sound recommendations for most works, but I would like to add a recording I feel very strong about: for Das Knaben Wunderhorn #1 for me would be the live DG Lucia Popp/Andreas Schmidt/Royal Concertgebouw/Leonard Bernstein. Personally speaking, I´d take it any day over the Szell, mostly because of Lucia Popp, but others may feel different.

I feel the same.

This takes your request a little more literally than the others people have posted...

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/alb ... _id=250728

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/alb ... m_id=92333

Another vote here for the Genz/Vignoles issue!

And I also like this DVD, with Bernstein conducting and with some very good singing performances:

[rogch]

For me there is only one Das Lied von der Erde: Singers Violeta Urmana and Michael Schade with Pierre Boulez and the Vienna Phiharnonic. Yes, i have heard many of the legendary names: Klemperer, Haitink, Bernstein (on DVD) and Kubelik. Kubelik is the only one who comes close actually (on Audite). But the Boulez recording has so many thing going for it: First of all it does not start with a wall of sound which is a problem in many recordings. In many ways, the recording is more soft-spoken than others. But the climaxes are there, the singers are tender rather than sentimental (but very moving) and the orchestra underlines every word. Very transparent orchestral sound too. This is really a thoughtfull Mahler recording rather than a majestic one and that is what this work needs. In my view this is not only the best recording of this work, but one of the best recordings i have heard of any work.

Herbert von Karajan and Christa Ludwig are very moving in the Ruckert lieder and Kindertotenlieder. Ludwig is really good in Mahler.

Some good recordings of Das Knaben Wunderhorn have been mentioned. But check out Philippe Herrewehge with his Orchestre des Champs-Elysees and Sarah Connolly and Dietrich Henschel on Harmonia Mundi. The singers are well known, but i really did not know what to expect from Herreweghe in this music. He is actually very good, very few of the mannerisms that we sometimes hear from period instrument conductors. It sounds like Herreweghe likes Mahler just as much as Bach and Mozart. It shouldn't really be a surprise, Herreweghe has conducted just abuot everything from Gesualdo to Kurt Weill.

[Fergus]

For me there is only one Das Lied von der Erde: Singers Violeta Urmana and Michael Schade with Pierre Boulez and the Vienna Phiharnonic. Yes, i have heard many of the legendary names: Klemperer, Haitink, Bernstein (on DVD) and Kubelik. Kubelik is the only one who comes close actually (on Audite). But the Boulez recording has so many thing going for it: First of all it does not start with a wall of sound which is a problem in many recordings. In many ways, the recording is more soft-spoken than others. But the climaxes are there, the singers are tender rather than sentimental (but very moving) and the orchestra underlines every word. Very transparent orchestral sound too. This is really a thoughtfull Mahler recording rather than a majestic one and that is what this work needs. In my view this is not only the best recording of this work, but one of the best recordings i have heard of any work.

This is a work that I still have some difficulty in fully coming to terms with so perhaps a change of emphasis is what is required for me to fully appreciate the work. Perhaps I should investigate the Boulez version as your description certainly intrigues me.

[Seán]

For me there is only one Das Lied von der Erde: Singers Violeta Urmana and Michael Schade with Pierre Boulez and the Vienna Phiharnonic. Yes, i have heard many of the legendary names: Klemperer, Haitink, Bernstein (on DVD) and Kubelik. Kubelik is the only one who comes close actually (on Audite). But the Boulez recording has so many thing going for it: First of all it does not start with a wall of sound which is a problem in many recordings. In many ways, the recording is more soft-spoken than others. But the climaxes are there, the singers are tender rather than sentimental (but very moving) and the orchestra underlines every word. Very transparent orchestral sound too. This is really a thoughtfull Mahler recording rather than a majestic one and that is what this work needs. In my view this is not only the best recording of this work, but one of the best recordings i have heard of any work.

This is a work that I still have some difficulty in fully coming to terms with so perhaps a change of emphasis is what is required for me to fully appreciate the work. Perhaps I should investigate the Boulez version as your description certainly intrigues me.

If you don't have the Haitink/RCO mentioned above then perhaps you might want to consider that then?

[val]

My choice:

Das Lied von der Erde/ Ludwig, Wunderlich, Klemperer

Das Klagende Lied / Fassbaender, Hollweg, Chailly

Kindertotenlieder / Ferrier, VPO, Walter

Lieder eines Fahrenden Gesellen / Fischer Dieskau, Furtwängler

Rückert Lieder / Janet Baker, Barbirolli

Das Knaben Wunderhorn / Norman, Shirley-Quirk, Haitink

[Fergus]

If you don't have the Haitink/RCO mentioned above then perhaps you might want to consider that then?

Thanks for that Seán

[Jared]

My choice:

Das Lied von der Erde/ Ludwig, Wunderlich, Klemperer

Das Klagende Lied / Fassbaender, Hollweg, Chailly

Kindertotenlieder / Ferrier, VPO, Walter

Lieder eines Fahrenden Gesellen / Fischer Dieskau, Furtwängler

Rückert Lieder / Janet Baker, Barbirolli

Das Knaben Wunderhorn / Norman, Shirley-Quirk, Haitink

thanks Val, that's a wonderful list...

[rogch]

Isn't it strange that Claudio Abbado has not recorded Das Lied von der Erde? The man has made so many Mahler recordings that you almost need to be a librarian to know all of them and tell them apart. I am sure he could hand-pick any orchestra and soloists he would like. And hand-picking is exactly what he does in Lucerne, so perhaps we can hope that he preforms it there as part of one of the festivals.

I have tried a google search, and can only find one concert preformance with Abbado in this work. And that was only the last movement, with the Gustav Mahler Jugend Orchestra. This orchestra is of course created by Abbado and they have played the work in concerts with other conductors. But Abbado himself seems to show little interest in the work for some reason.

[RebLem]

Now, you know I think George Szell was the greatest conductor who ever lived. But his recording of Des Knaben Wunderhorn, while very good, is not, IMNSHO, the best. That honor belongs to the recording by the Vienna Festival Orchestra conducted by Feliz Prohaska with Maureen Forrester and Heinz Rehfuss. Whatever else you get, you must have this. Its on the Vanguard label with the Abravanel recording of the First Symphony.

[Chalkperson]

Now, you know I think George Szell was the greatest conductor who ever lived. But his recording of Des Knaben Wunderhorn, while very good, is not, IMNSHO, the best. That honor belongs to the recording by the Vienna Festival Orchestra conducted by Feliz Prohaska with Maureen Forrester and Heinz Rehfuss. Whatever else you get, you must have this. Its on the Vanguard label with the Abravanel recording of the First Symphony.

I would buy it Rob, but I can't stand Forrester's Voice...sorry guys...