Mahler: Symphony No. 9
2004
Performed by the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra Read more
| Starring | Claudio Abbado, The Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra |
|---|---|
| Genres | Music/Musical |
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Most helpful members' reviews (3)
View all -
Mahler magic
A beautiful peice of music, excellantly executed. Dramatic and wistful at the same time (if that doesn't sound a contradiction).
The Gustav Mahler youth orchestra more than do it justice as they are (as the name implies) especially schooled in Mahlers works, and it shows. A great all-round preformance. A must for any Mahler fan. -
Superb
This really is the most beautiful performance - the young orchestra is completely tuned in and abbado is great - he really is out of the top draw.
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An Emotional Performance
The DVD has one work, Mahler's Ninth and last symphony.
Claudio Abbado, although born in Milan, is very much associated with German music and orchestras and founded the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra, which he is conducting here.
The first movement is known to be difficult for musicians to follow and for non-musicians to enjoy. It is quite depressing and justifies the common name for the symphony--The Farewell.
The second and third movements are much more lively and enjoyable. The fourth movement-Adagio-is for me reminiscent of the Adagio to an earlier symphony, played during the start of 'A Death in Venice'.
Abbadio uses every bit of the Adagio to increase the drama and towards the end, no matter how high I turned up the wick I couldn't hear the music. But who needed music when Abbadio gave such a performance. During the last seconds he slowly placed one hand on his breast and closed his eyes.
The well behaved audience, probably members of a Mahler Association, let a full fifteen seconds go by in absolute silence before the great applause burst out.
Audience, players and conductor all enjoyed the performance, and so did I. -
Most recent members' reviews (2)
View all -
An almost religious experience
Since the death of Bernstein and Tennstedt, Abbado surely has no equal in Mahler's music, and certainly has none in this, notwithstanding the unfinished tenth, his last completed symphonic statement. With five or six dozen brilliant teenagers, and resisting the temptation to linger over passages of great beauty, he keeps the pulse of the whole piece moving forward, and even in the great closing Adagio, at no time do we feel it becoming static - and the last few pages have a pulverizing concentration, leaving the audience dumbstruck when near-silence becomes total silence. Does anybody out there know of any conductor who can cast such a spell so regularly, as this modest Italian does?
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Customer Review
A joy to watch and hear. This performance by the Mahler Jugender Orch is played with utter sincerity and youthful enthusiasm, guided by Abbado who displays a masterly knowledge of the score and its many complexities.
I never thought to want to watch a DVD repeatedly, DVD's I own have not stood up to this kind of treatment.
It must be the sheer chemistry that is visible between players and conductor. I cannot fault either performance or production. Two of our grandchildren (ages 6 & 3) watched spell-bound for some 15 minutes!!
-
Mahler magic
A beautiful peice of music, excellantly executed. Dramatic and wistful at the same time (if that doesn't sound a contradiction).
The Gustav Mahler youth orchestra more than do it justice as they are (as the name implies) especially schooled in Mahlers works, and it shows. A great all-round preformance. A must for any Mahler fan. -
Superb
This really is the most beautiful performance - the young orchestra is completely tuned in and abbado is great - he really is out of the top draw.
-
An Emotional Performance
The DVD has one work, Mahler's Ninth and last symphony.
Claudio Abbado, although born in Milan, is very much associated with German music and orchestras and founded the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra, which he is conducting here.
The first movement is known to be difficult for musicians to follow and for non-musicians to enjoy. It is quite depressing and justifies the common name for the symphony--The Farewell.
The second and third movements are much more lively and enjoyable. The fourth movement-Adagio-is for me reminiscent of the Adagio to an earlier symphony, played during the start of 'A Death in Venice'.
Abbadio uses every bit of the Adagio to increase the drama and towards the end, no matter how high I turned up the wick I couldn't hear the music. But who needed music when Abbadio gave such a performance. During the last seconds he slowly placed one hand on his breast and closed his eyes.
The well behaved audience, probably members of a Mahler Association, let a full fifteen seconds go by in absolute silence before the great applause burst out.
Audience, players and conductor all enjoyed the performance, and so did I. -
A rival for Rattle
A superbly recorded and played Mahler Symphony No 9. Rather lacklustre visuals as usual. This version must now go to the top of a very short shortlist for the best available 9 on DVD.
This viewer found the stereo PCM track to be the most impressive. -
An almost religious experience
Since the death of Bernstein and Tennstedt, Abbado surely has no equal in Mahler's music, and certainly has none in this, notwithstanding the unfinished tenth, his last completed symphonic statement. With five or six dozen brilliant teenagers, and resisting the temptation to linger over passages of great beauty, he keeps the pulse of the whole piece moving forward, and even in the great closing Adagio, at no time do we feel it becoming static - and the last few pages have a pulverizing concentration, leaving the audience dumbstruck when near-silence becomes total silence. Does anybody out there know of any conductor who can cast such a spell so regularly, as this modest Italian does?
-
Customer Review
A joy to watch and hear. This performance by the Mahler Jugender Orch is played with utter sincerity and youthful enthusiasm, guided by Abbado who displays a masterly knowledge of the score and its many complexities.
I never thought to want to watch a DVD repeatedly, DVD's I own have not stood up to this kind of treatment.
It must be the sheer chemistry that is visible between players and conductor. I cannot fault either performance or production. Two of our grandchildren (ages 6 & 3) watched spell-bound for some 15 minutes!!
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Mahler: Symphony No. 9
Performed by the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra ...
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