I don't know if I've ever listened to this recording. I can't get away from Klemperer , Ludwig and Wunderlich. I'll be sure to give this a go. I like Dame Janet with Kubelik, live. Plus many others.
No mention of Reiner's with Forrester and Lewis! The CSO plays better than the Philharmonia, Forrester and Lewis have very agreeable voices and the RCA is extremely well-recorded. The CSO strings are absolutely luminous. Moreover, I don't know another performance and recording where the "release" in the Finale is so well-balanced between the vocalist and delicate orchestration. Gosh, did Mahler know best? Just sayin'.
That was also my first. Glorious sonics, great orchestral playing, terrific singing. Born and bred in Amsterdam, I went to the Concertgebouw regularly, and I can hear the Great Hall's velvety acoustics. Yes, this is beautiful.
Yes it is a very special recording. I always feel that James King was somewhat underrated. It was such a handsome voice and his presence over several decades on the operatic stage allowed many important opera houses and festivals to perform large scale operas. Baker , Haitink and the concertgebouw. What is not to like?
I purchased the Philips LP of Haitink's Das Lied von der Erde not long after it was first issued in the late 1970's, when I was a college student in a rock-loving dormitory. It was done so well in all aspects that I never had a great itch to own many more recordings of the piece. I later purchased the Philips Silver Line CD reissue, but I now possess the Hi-Res digital remaster of the recording through the Decca Boxed Set with Blu-Ray Audio of Haitink's Concertgebouw Philips Mahler recordings. I believe it is a safe recommendation as a top stereo version. I also have on CD the Solti/CSO version, with René Kollo and Yvonne Minton on an Australian Eloquence reissue dedicated to Yvonne Minton's Mahler song recordings with Solti, and the Reference Recordings version with Eiji Oue and the Minnesota Orchestra; these are well-done and I can also recommend. I also inherited Bernstein's Israel PO recording when I acquired the most recent re-issue on CD of his NYPO Mahler cycle. I was first exposed to the piece in the mid 1970's through a live subscription performance of the National Symphony of Washington, D.C. directed by Antal Dorati, which was blessed with a great mezzo well-versed in the piece, Maureen Forrester, compellingly singing.
Thanks for mentioning Janet Baker, whose “Urlicht” with LB is heart-stopping; also her Ravel “Scheherazade” and Berlioz “Les Nuits d’ete” with Barbirolli.
Couldn't agree more. The Baker/Barbirolli collaborations are always ravishing and go to the heart of the music. The Ravel and Berlioz, but also the Mahler song cycles, and Elgar's Sea Pictures and Dream of Gerontius. For me, each of those is one of "the greatest recordings ever."
Your bicycle story reminded me of how I acquired my first DLVDE recording (Bruno Walter). My brother and I decided we liked Mahler after listening to his first symphony, so we wanted to hear more. We didn't know much about Mahler (this was the late 60s) but we knew Tom Leher's song "Alma" which has the lyric "I'm writing Das Lied Von Der Erde and she only wants to make love!" So we figured that was the one to get. Since we liked how Walter did the first we picked his version and were smitten. I have Haitink and Klemperer's (and many more), but you know your first love is always special...
Wow, this is the one I have in cd, paired with the 9th. Been very recently rediscovering this beautiful work with Bernstein and Vienna Phil and Tennsdedt. Then I picked up my cd and this recording has such a transparency and the soloists are beyond perfect, the greatest of this work indeed.
When I saw the title of the video, I thought the Klemperer would be a natch. But really, one cannot argue with the beautiful voice of Janet Baker, and Haitink definitely knows his Mahler.
Das Lied is one of those pieces I compulsively collect, so for me it's largely impossible to say that there's a single recording that's the greatest ever--and so much depends on one's preference for the soloists. I could never be without Reiner/Forrester/Lewis or Jochum/Merriman/Haefliger or van Beinum//Merriman/Haefliger (obviously a big fan of that rich throbbing Merriman sound), or when in the mood Kletzi/Dickie/F-Diskau. And sometimes I need to hear the Ormandy recording just for its distinctive and positively luscious music-making. But sure, Haitink & Co. are right up there.
A conductor has fairly complete control over what the orchestra does, but far less so in regard to solo singers. In a work where the singer is the essential element throughout each movement, making lightning strike in the same place twice is much less likely. Haitink probably decided that perfection was good enough.
I've often wondered why Bernstein never managed to conduct a satisfactory Das Lied, despite several attempts - of course, he was partially wedded to the baritone version, which is odd in itself....
I'm a little surprised that the Klemperer didn't get your nod here. What are some of the criteria that differentiate the Haitink from the Klemperer to give it pride of place? I love this performance, so I'm not in disagreement with you. I'm just curious about your opinion.
Dont know why people rave this recording so much. Sure Wunderlich and Ludwig were sensational but the interpretation, especially the fourth and last movement is like watching paint dry.
Hard if not pointless to choose Baker over Ludwig, but here is a thought: is Mahler's writing for the tenor voice as cruel as his friend Richard Strauss? Most of Mahler's songs are designed, and in my view, best sung by Baritone and Mezzo or Contralto voices -in fact I think other than DLvDe and Das Klagende Lied, the only other specifically tenor part Mahler wrote is in the 8th Symphony. For this reason I believe Fritz Wunderlich has the edge over James King because his voice was more lyrical and supple than the Heldentenor and navigates Mahler's score with an ease and confidence no other tenor has brought to the part, it is just one of those amazing recordings.
I don't know if I've ever listened to this recording. I can't get away from Klemperer , Ludwig and Wunderlich. I'll be sure to give this a go. I like Dame Janet with Kubelik, live. Plus many others.
This one along with klemperer/wunderlich /ludwig are sensational!
No mention of Reiner's with Forrester and Lewis! The CSO plays better than the Philharmonia, Forrester and Lewis have very agreeable voices and the RCA is extremely well-recorded. The CSO strings are absolutely luminous. Moreover, I don't know another performance and recording where the "release" in the Finale is so well-balanced between the vocalist and delicate orchestration. Gosh, did Mahler know best? Just sayin'.
That was also my first. Glorious sonics, great orchestral playing, terrific singing. Born and bred in Amsterdam, I went to the Concertgebouw regularly, and I can hear the Great Hall's velvety acoustics. Yes, this is beautiful.
Yes it is a very special recording. I always feel that James King was somewhat underrated. It was such a handsome voice and his presence over several decades on the operatic stage allowed many important opera houses and festivals to perform large scale operas. Baker , Haitink and the concertgebouw. What is not to like?
If I could I would give this one a two thumbs up.
Glad that Haitink made the cut to your ‘greatest recordings EVERRRRR!’ series, especially with this particular recording. Magnificent.
Beethoven 4 and 8 as well!
I purchased the Philips LP of Haitink's Das Lied von der Erde not long after it was first issued in the late 1970's, when I was a college student in a rock-loving dormitory. It was done so well in all aspects that I never had a great itch to own many more recordings of the piece. I later purchased the Philips Silver Line CD reissue, but I now possess the Hi-Res digital remaster of the recording through the Decca Boxed Set with Blu-Ray Audio of Haitink's Concertgebouw Philips Mahler recordings. I believe it is a safe recommendation as a top stereo version. I also have on CD the Solti/CSO version, with René Kollo and Yvonne Minton on an Australian Eloquence reissue dedicated to Yvonne Minton's Mahler song recordings with Solti, and the Reference Recordings version with Eiji Oue and the Minnesota Orchestra; these are well-done and I can also recommend. I also inherited Bernstein's Israel PO recording when I acquired the most recent re-issue on CD of his NYPO Mahler cycle. I was first exposed to the piece in the mid 1970's through a live subscription performance of the National Symphony of Washington, D.C. directed by Antal Dorati, which was blessed with a great mezzo well-versed in the piece, Maureen Forrester, compellingly singing.
Thanks for mentioning Janet Baker, whose “Urlicht” with LB is heart-stopping; also her Ravel “Scheherazade” and Berlioz “Les Nuits d’ete” with Barbirolli.
Couldn't agree more. The Baker/Barbirolli collaborations are always ravishing and go to the heart of the music. The Ravel and Berlioz, but also the Mahler song cycles, and Elgar's Sea Pictures and Dream of Gerontius. For me, each of those is one of "the greatest recordings ever."
Your bicycle story reminded me of how I acquired my first DLVDE recording (Bruno Walter). My brother and I decided we liked Mahler after listening to his first symphony, so we wanted to hear more. We didn't know much about Mahler (this was the late 60s) but we knew Tom Leher's song "Alma" which has the lyric "I'm writing Das Lied Von Der Erde and she only wants to make love!" So we figured that was the one to get. Since we liked how Walter did the first we picked his version and were smitten. I have Haitink and Klemperer's (and many more), but you know your first love is always special...
Yess!
Totally agree.
Especially Der Abschied is unbelievably beautiful in all its desolateness
This is one of those works I compulsively collect. Including this one, of course!
Wow, this is the one I have in cd, paired with the 9th. Been very recently rediscovering this beautiful work with Bernstein and Vienna Phil and Tennsdedt. Then I picked up my cd and this recording has such a transparency and the soloists are beyond perfect, the greatest of this work indeed.
Haitink once said in an interview that Das Lied scared him when he heard it for the first time.
Hard to pick between this and the Klemperer with Ludwig, so I'll take both.
When I saw the title of the video, I thought the Klemperer would be a natch. But really, one cannot argue with the beautiful voice of Janet Baker, and Haitink definitely knows his Mahler.
Das Lied is one of those pieces I compulsively collect, so for me it's largely impossible to say that there's a single recording that's the greatest ever--and so much depends on one's preference for the soloists. I could never be without Reiner/Forrester/Lewis or Jochum/Merriman/Haefliger or van Beinum//Merriman/Haefliger (obviously a big fan of that rich throbbing Merriman sound), or when in the mood Kletzi/Dickie/F-Diskau. And sometimes I need to hear the Ormandy recording just for its distinctive and positively luscious music-making. But sure, Haitink & Co. are right up there.
Once I had a choice between this one and the Klemperer one with the Philharmonia. My choice wins now 🙂
Don’t know this recording, however with Janet Baker, James King and the COA/Haitink you simply couldn’t go wrong. 😊
Indeed there is a second recording by Haitink, with Hampson, Heppner, and the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester from 1995.
That doesn't count. It wasn't a major label release. It was an RCO tape of a live performance.
It's pretty good too. He also conducted dlvde in 2006 and 2009 but nowhere better than the earlier ones.
A conductor has fairly complete control over what the orchestra does, but far less so in regard to solo singers. In a work where the singer is the essential element throughout each movement, making lightning strike in the same place twice is much less likely. Haitink probably decided that perfection was good enough.
I've often wondered why Bernstein never managed to conduct a satisfactory Das Lied, despite several attempts - of course, he was partially wedded to the baritone version, which is odd in itself....
I'm a little surprised that the Klemperer didn't get your nod here. What are some of the criteria that differentiate the Haitink from the Klemperer to give it pride of place? I love this performance, so I'm not in disagreement with you. I'm just curious about your opinion.
Dont know why people rave this recording so much. Sure Wunderlich and Ludwig were sensational but the interpretation, especially the fourth and last movement is like watching paint dry.
Sonics, those snake-charmer oboes, and a few typically eccentric tempos from Klemperer (even though I like them).
@@DavesClassicalGuide Thank you.
Hard if not pointless to choose Baker over Ludwig, but here is a thought: is Mahler's writing for the tenor voice as cruel as his friend Richard Strauss? Most of Mahler's songs are designed, and in my view, best sung by Baritone and Mezzo or Contralto voices -in fact I think other than DLvDe and Das Klagende Lied, the only other specifically tenor part Mahler wrote is in the 8th Symphony. For this reason I believe Fritz Wunderlich has the edge over James King because his voice was more lyrical and supple than the Heldentenor and navigates Mahler's score with an ease and confidence no other tenor has brought to the part, it is just one of those amazing recordings.