George Solti's infamous recording of Mahler's 8th Symphony is an electric performance, setting a bar for aural excellence.
Color me surprised when Rafael Kubelík's 1970 live recording appeared on Audite some 7 minutes quicker. And that is taking into account the goodly amount of applause included on this recording as well!
That means this recording has some of the same beats as Solti, however Kubelík excels in some of the more contemplative moments more handily, which pervade the second portion.
On the other hand, the sound isn't State of the Art. This is a live performance, and while the audience is quiet, there is shuffling between movements, a slightly noisy soundstage, and ensemble slips.
That is not to belittle this recording, it is just noticeable. But it is also exciting, and there is that 'live performance' drive behind the music making here. As with the other Audite recordings of Kubelík in Mahler, these are slightly preferable to his DG studio recordings. For those really interested, the SACD layer contains the original, non-remastered audio in addition to the remastered, but golly, I can't stand listening to it.
A review from 2022
At
73 minutes, Rafael Kubelík’s 1970 live performance of Gustav Mahler’s
8th Symphony (of a Thousand) is on the swift side. Audite’s SACD has
both the remastered performance and the unprocessed original; the
original version is only playable if you have an SACD player, although
the remastered version can be heard on any old CD player.
There
is much to commend regarding this recording. For a live setting, there
is little-to-no noise from the audience and players, except for a bit of
shuffling during the short break between the two major movements.
Furthermore, the orchestra, soloists, and chorus are heard very well for
such a production, with the soloists out in front of the chorus
sonically.
We also get the intense energy generated from a live
performance, and even though this hasn’t been retouched up in a studio
for perfection, none of the occasional loose ensemble moments detract at
any point. The team of soloists is of extremely high quality, and each
get their shining moments. The Bavarian Radio SO sound lovely here, and
Kubelík judges all of Mahler’s transitions intuitively without drawing
attention to the music at any time. A stellar performance!
Altogether, Kubelík’s has all of the excitement of Sir Georg Solti’s, perhaps not as in such dynamic, wide-ranging audio, or
laser-cut orchestral spectacle, but he also shines in the ruminative
moments with beautiful German woodsiness, plus judicious fluidity and
momentum from his Teutonic performers. Those looking for more mystery
and lyricism in their Mahler would be better off with Kent Nagano and
his German ensemble, who lovingly caresses much of this music opposite Mahler’s inherent grandiose majesty.
For
those who like a lean, mean Mahler 8th, though, Audite’s recording
comes in remarkably good sound for a 70’s live presentation with a
stellar line up of soloists.
Work Symphony 8 in E-flat Major 'Symphony of a Thousand'
I. Part 1 (21.30) II. Part 2 (52.06)
Soloists Martina Arroyo, soprano Edna Spoorenberg, soprano Edith Mathis, soprano Julia Hamari, contralto Norma Procter, contralto Donald Grobe, tenor Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone Franz Crass, bass
Ensembles Regensburg Cathedral Choir Bavarian Radio Chorus North German Radio Chorus West German Radio Chorus Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra Rafael Kubelík, conductor
Label: Audite Year: 1970 / 2005 Total Timing: 73.37
For those who enjoy their Mahler brisk and lively, Kubelík's live 1970 recording should please many.
Its ensemble and fidelity aren't perfect, but there is more to enjoy here than not.
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