But I think it a rather great handling of an unwieldy symphony, at least from a traffic controller point of view.
Musically, Georg Solti goes gangbusters in the first half, but has trouble imbuing life into the second. Although, he does hand it off to a fine octet.
Solti doesn't have his own Margaret Hillis-trained Chicago chorus here, but instead has a troupe of Viennese singers, both youths and adults. Everyone seems to be ready to execute Solti's harrowing vision.
This is an infamous recording of an infamous symphony. It either works for you or it doesn't. There are plenty to choose from, but one should probably get around to this one eventually, for better or for worse.
A review from 2006
Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand", like his second symphony, requires great forethought and is quite problematic to perform, nonetheless record with some semblance of quality. This Decca Legends digital transfer of Sir Georg Solti's great 1971 Vienna performance was the first to translate well to a recorded medium, where others failed.
The first problem in putting together the Symphony No. 8 is instrumentation. A large woodwind section, brass section with 8 horns, 8 trumpets, 8 trombones, celeste, piano, organ, harmonium, mandolin, not to mention eight soloists, two mixed choirs, and a children's choir is tough to balance, not to mention perform. The symphony is in two parts: the first part is on a Latin text, the famous Veni, Creator Spiritus. The opening with full organ and double chorus brings me to the second problem in putting the work together, the music is terribly difficult. Solti has combined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, two Viennese choruses, and the Vienna Boy's Choir; by all accounts, a world class occasion. The musicians tackle the virtuosic music in stride, on both the instrumental and vocal sides. The 20+ minute first part is a unceasing, breathless praise to God.
The music's extreme ranges and quickly changing harmonic foundations are performed with reckless abandon here, as Solti does anything but dwell, but instead forges ahead. The soloists, all legends of their time (and this time as well) are a treat. Each are heard well over the orchestra (the tenor is sometimes overwhelmed by the orchestra and soprano soloists) and the same goes for the chorus. The ending Gloria is taken at break-neck speed and ends as stated in the text, gloriously. The second section is in German and sets the final scene of Goethe's Faust. A scene of redemption, it fills the rest of this 79 minute CD. A bit more subdued, the lovely opening instrumental gives a breather after the first part. The rest that follows is rather operatic in nature, with arias, duets, ensembles, and chorus work. The last six minutes, which begins extremely soft in the chorus and strings, is the last great build-up to the conclusion of the work, a splendid finale.
The third problem in putting together the work, especially from a modern perspective, is quality of sound and balance. Suffice to say, with the 1971 transfer, it is very difficult to tell the age of the recording. All voices speak well across the board, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra cannot be beat by any other ensemble, especially the brass section, and only on rare occasions are their signs of the recordings' age. The voices are clear and the text is conveyed satisfactorily. Each classical music fan has their favorite "Symphony of a Thousand" by Gustav Mahler; this is mine.
Listen on YouTube
Work
Symphony 8 in E-flat Major 'Symphony of a Thousand'I. Part 1 (23.15)
II. Part 2 (56.23)
Soloists
Heather Harper, soprano
Lucia Popp, soprano
Arlene Auger, soprano
Yvonne Minton, contralto
Helen Watts, contralto
Rene Kollo, tenor
John Shirley-Quirk, baritone
Martti Talvela, bass
Ensembles
Vienna Boys Choir
Vienna Singverein
Vienna State Opera Choir
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Georg Solti, conductor
Label: Decca
Year: 1972 / 1999 / 2006 / 2013
Total Timing: 79.48
A favorite recording of mine, but I can understand some not liking Solti's vision.
This recording has been remastered and remastered and remastered. There was a short-lived audio blu-ray too, but any should be fine.
Find more Mahler recordings HERE!
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