Mahler: Symphony No.5 - Sir Jonn Barbirolli, New Philharmonia Orchestra

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No.5

Jonn Barbirolli, New Philharmonia Orchestra

Gramophone music magazine:Recommended Recording for Mahler's 5th symphony

01. I.Trauermarsch (In gemessenem Schritt. Streng. Wie ein Kondukt) [13:47.72]
02. II. Stuermisch bewegt (Mit groesster Vehemenz) [15:14.50]
03. III. Scherzo (Kraeftig, nicht zu schnell) [18:04.53]
04. IV. Adagietto (Sehr langsam) [09:51.47]
05. V. Rondo-Finale (Allegro) [17:28.00]

BBC music magazine

David Nice

Performance : ****

Sound : ****

Loose ensemble and the odd wrong entry come second to the earthy spirit of Barbirolli's Mahler. This baggy monster lumbers its way to well-earned victory; however tentative the playing, you can always feel the conductor's shaping force towards climaxes (and he's certainly Toscanini's equal in his vocal contribution). The end result may not be as magisterial in its urgency as Wyn Morris's (see June reissues), but it plays fairer with both dynamics and the adegietto. Vintage EMI sound quality. At the time Barbirolli made his now-celebrated recording of Mahler’s Fifth in 1969, no one could have believed that the work would become a calling-card for every orchestra in the world – or that the rough edges of Barbirolli’s exciting quest would be more or less ironed out in the process. If in some cases the sense of discovery has disappeared too, that’s certainly not the case with the Barenboim/Chicago partnership. This is progress indeed in the cut and thrust of the turbulent second and fifth movements. Barbirolli’s heavily thunderous approach to the funeral march’s stormy successor wears out his players by the two-thirds mark, while Barenboim’s equally vocal energy has a lightning force to which the Chicago team’s virtuosity is more than equal. Barbirolli does make a shining case for broad, Olympian laughter in the finale, but Barenboim’s rough, keenly articulated humour is closer to the movement’s origins in Mahler’s earthy imitation of a folksong. If Barenboim has a fault, it’s an unwillingness to loosen the reins. His Adagietto emerges more as a masterful demonstration of what the Chicago strings can achieve than as a love-song with wings. Bernstein’s even livelier Vienna Philharmonic performance weaves it less self-consciously into the argument, and proves that Barbirolli’s brand of excitement – if not his idiosyncrasies – can be wedded to today’s orchestral sophistication. Incidentally, the missing horn part of Barbirolli’s recording (starting at 12:18 minutes of track 3), surgically reinstated many years later for the last reissue, is now missing again – presumably in tribute to the nostalgic repackaging. Also : Barbirolli's EMI Mahler 5 was my introduction to the work - way back in 1970. I still remember buying the LPs; the experience - music, performance, sound - was overwhelming. It was easily the best orchestral recording I'd ever heard, and despite the passage of thirty years remains among EMI's finest achievements technically. The performance is very weighty and serious, almost dogged in places, with measured tempi and great concern over nuances of phrasing and balance. It sounds as though the conductor had rehearsed the work very thoroughly, making sure every detail was in place. The first two movements and finale are very disciplined, but the scherzo is less polished - ensemble and intonation could both be tighter. Recordings and performances of Mahler 5 were comparatively rare then, and doubtless the New Philharmonic were tackling a work they'd played infrequently -possibly never. But for the most part they play with the utmost precision and power. No question; Barbirolli's Mahler 5 set the standard for recordings of this work for decades to come, both musically and technically, and hearing it again confirms its reputation as a classic performance. For this new CD transfer, EMI have improved the sound, resulting in greater impact and transparency. Tape noise is lower too, and there's slightly more hall ambience (Watford town hall) compared to the previous Studio CD issue. A disc that should be in every Mahler collection!

Posted by Ice