Mahler

[Joseph K]

Also, my introduction to the 9th, some years earlier, was via my father's only Beethoven LP, that of the 5th and just the final movement of the 9th conducted by Schuricht. It was thus quite a revelation when I heard what I had taken to be its very own themes prefigured in the first three movements when I eventually got to hear them.

… I had a similar experience, except the opposite way round - When I was first getting into classical music I made a tape of various things in my grandmother's CD collection, though I think I must have not written down exactly what pieces I recorded were. So, for a long time I listened to and loved Chopin's B flat minor sonata without knowing what piece it was, though I knew it was Chopin, but I ran out of tape some point in the second movement. I was surprised, but pleased when I eventually discovered its third movement!

[ostuni]

Answering Oakapple's #50: there's a long interview on ArtsDesk by David Nice, asking Markus Stenz about his concert and recording of M8, back in 2012. The bit about mandolins is towards the end of the interview: as Stenz points out, the passage from fig 187 (p196 in my UE study score) is marked 'mehrfach besetzt', and Stenz had a further 6 mandolins which he'd bribed some of his viola section to play!

Lots of other nice little details in the interview: Stenz's recording was already probably my favourite of those recorded during the last decade, so I was glad to read about all the careful thought that went into its preparation.

Here's the interview: https://theartsdesk.com/node/58149/view

[Serial_Apologist]

… I had a similar experience, except the opposite way round - When I was first getting into classical music I made a tape of various things in my grandmother's CD collection, though I think I must have not written down exactly what pieces I recorded were. So, for a long time I listened to and loved Chopin's B flat minor sonata without knowing what piece it was, though I knew it was Chopin, but I ran out of tape some point in the second movement. I was surprised, but pleased when I eventually discovered its third movement!

It can be quite revelatory to find out that well-known composers often come to appreciate existing musics in unco-ordinated order - I'm probably not alone in imagining that composer A of music with distinct Schoenbergian influences must at an early stage have discovered Mozart and Beethoven before going on to discover Wagner and Brahms, and only then encountering Schoenberg, because surely - my "reasoning" went - composer A would have needed in the first instance to know all that was needed to be known in composers whose music had influenced Schoenberg. But of course it's often not like that at all - and I was merely reflecting my own "privileged" position as a general listener of gradually having familiarised myself with different composers' music in my own leisurely time! And it's similar with jazz musicians, as someone such as Mike Westbrook could tell us, having first discovered the Buck Clayton recordings of the early 1950s before turning to Gerry Mulligan and then on to Mingus while by passing Bebop entirely. Similarly with Michael Garrick's initial attraction to George Shearing at a time when he was still finding Bebop "incomprehensible"! I seem to remember him saying he worked backwards!

[bluestateprommer]

This may have been mentioned in another thread about cancelled festivals (probably by Petrushka), but just in case, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam has created a "Mahler Festival Online" page in lieu of the cancelled festival:

https://www.concertgebouw.nl/mahler-festival-online

Most of the videos of the symphonies look to be already on the KCO's website, and also on DVD (I have that DVD set). So the more interesting material may be the shorter videos.

[richardfinegold]

This may have been mentioned in another thread about cancelled festivals (probably by Petrushka), but just in case, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam has created a "Mahler Festival Online" page in lieu of the cancelled festival:

https://www.concertgebouw.nl/mahler-festival-online

Most of the videos of the symphonies look to be already on the KCO's website, and also on DVD (I have that DVD set). So the more interesting material may be the shorter videos.

Gave it the quick once over as I am supposed to be working but yes, it does largely look like previously released materials. I have the set that you have on Blu Ray, presumably it was released in both formats

[Nick Armstrong]

Interesting review of Stephen Johnson’s new book:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/20...ual-creativity

[jayne lee wilson]

Interesting review of Stephen Johnson’s new book:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/20...ual-creativity

.....thanks for highlighting...forgot earlier mentions..... ordered immediately.... another comfort blanket alongside Beethoven Piano Concertos....

[Petrushka]

Interesting review of Stephen Johnson’s new book:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/20...ual-creativity

Thanks for this. One for my upcoming birthday.

[kernelbogey]

I couldn't find any reference to the date of yesterday's National Youth Orchestra/Rattle Mahler 8 Prom televised on BBC4. The date on the film was 2020. Does anybody know?

[cloughie]

I couldn't find any reference to the date of yesterday's National Youth Orchestra/Rattle Mahler 8 Prom televised on BBC4. The date on the film was 2020. Does anybody know?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08kyd5r

Could it have been this?

[kernelbogey]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08kyd5r

Could it have been this?

Thank you - I was looking just after the broadcast ended, and that hadn't yet appeared.

[Bryn]

I couldn't find any reference to the date of yesterday's National Youth Orchestra/Rattle Mahler 8 Prom televised on BBC4. The date on the film was 2020. Does anybody know?

Prom 30, 11 Aug 2002.

[Petrushka]

Prom 30, 11 Aug 2002.

I remember it very well indeed and had a fantastic seat in O stalls just below Stephanie Hughes who was presenting the Prom for both R3 and BBC2. A joy to see this again and a reminder of the excellent Ms Hughes. I did wonder while watching last night how all those fine young players have fared in the intervening 18 years and how many have found their way into our orchestras.

May one or two of them be on this Forum perhaps?

[kernelbogey]

I did wonder while watching last night how all those fine young players have fared in the intervening 18 years and how many have found their way into our orchestras. May one or two of them be on this Forum perhaps?

On a whim, I looked up the leader, Kirsty Mangan, who has certainly done well professionally. Rather touching to see these players eighteen years ago - one reason I was curious to learn the date of the performance.

However, I think this symphony works least well for me of all of Mahler's.

[LMcD]

On a whim, I looked up the leader, Kirsty Mangan, who has certainly done well professionally. Rather touching to see these players eighteen years ago - one reason I was curious to learn the date of the performance.

However, I think this symphony works least well for me of all of Mahler's.

For me, the most problematical is the 7th.
Apparently people started queuing from 6 a.m. to see this particular Prom.