Gustav Mahler: Symphonie Nr. 1 D-dur, "Titan" - Leonard Bernstein, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
XLD | FLAC (tracks) | No Log/cue-sheet | Frontcover embedded, High-def JPEG | ~251 MB
Classical | DDD | DGG 427 303-2 (1989)
The Symphony No. 1 in D major was first composed between 1884 and 1888 (with heavy subsequent revisions through 1894). The initial premiere was in Budapest in 1889, where it was presented as a five-movement symphonic poem under the title "Symphonische Dichtung in zwei Teilen" (symphonic poem in two parts). In subsequent performances in Hamburg (1893) and Weimar (1894), the piece was titled "Titan," eine Tondichtung in Symphonie-form (a tone poem in the form of a symphony). After further revisions, Mahler eventually dropped the title, the descriptive movement titles, and the Andante second movement, titled "Blumine". The piece "premiered" again in Berlin in 1896 as the unnumbered "Symphony in D major", with a duration of approximately 55 minutes. When the symphony first appeared in print in 1899, it received its ultimate title, "Symphony No. 1".
"Leonard Bernstein had a reputation for getting slower, heavier, and more portentous as his interpretations matured. Well, here's the disc that gives the lie to the myth. This sunny, superbly played, magnificently recorded performance captures Bernstein at his uninhibited best. Where his first recording seemed at times contrived and lacking in flow, this version has all of the naturalness, charm, and grace of a spring morning. The third-movement funeral march, here taken at a very fast tempo, has exactly the character of cartoon music that Mahler intended–this performance has its tongue firmly in its cheek. Given the fact that the Concertgebouw is one of the world's great Mahler orchestras, the result is without question the finest modern version of the symphony–period."
- David Hurwitz (Amazon.com)
Enjoy!
Track listing:
1. Langsam. Schleppend
2. Kräftig bewegt
3. Feierlich und gemessen, ohne zu schleppen
4. Stürmisch bewegt
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