Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Edith Mathis - Mahler: Symphony No. 4
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Artist: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Edith MathisComposer: Gustav Mahler
Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
Edition: Music CD
Audio: German (Unknown); German (Published)
Format: Import
CD Release Date: 1990-09-10
Music Label: Dg Imports
Soundtracks:
- Sym No.4 in G: 1. Bedachtig. Nicht Eilen
- Sym No.4 in G: 2. In Gemachlicher Bewegung. Ohne Hast
- Sym No.4 in G: 3. Ruhevoll
- Sym No.4 in G: 4. Sehr Behaglich
Music reviews of Mahler: Symphony No. 4
Music Review: Often more to Herbie than meets the eye!
Rating: 5 Stars
My favourite observation about Karajan comes from his time in London when Sir Thomas Beecham dubbed him 'a kind of musical Malcolm Sargeant'. Bitchy, yes, double-edged and incomparably witty, but there's more than an element of truth in it; Karajan was interested in self-promotion and appearance for sure, but beneath that was a love of music and gift for its realization developed over decades of hard work, coupled with a huge technical facility and a Toscanini-like memory. He also had an eye for the future and his own recorded immortality. Like Mr Pappolino, I'd have to say that Furtwangler's best records move me more; but nowhere, based on the recorded evidence, is there a legacy like Karajan's. You may hate the idea of him and object to his approach, but the fact is that he produced more great records from more diverse composers than any other conductor: Mozart, Beethoven, Bruckner, Brahms, Verdi, Puccini, Tchaikovsky, Ravel, Sibelius, Schonberg to name but a few. And yes, it's all marked, as Mr Pappolino points out, by a concern for beauty. Perhaps Leonard Bernstein gets close to K's achievement in some ways, though the quality of his legacy is hugely more variable. What's more, considering the conditions which obtain in music today, nobody else is likely to 'beat' this phenomenal achievement. It doesn't always work for individual listeners, but the body of work is impossible to dismiss. There are many Karajan myths, but he was a complex, hugely-gifted man, so it's better not to buy into any of them.
It's well-known that he came to Mahler late, like Furtwangler, who played three of the symphonies in Berlin in the 1920s but only chose to record some of the songs, which he, like me, felt contained the best of this composer's output. My feeling is that, for whatever reason, Karajan didn't much *like* Mahler either.
Now, Karajan's approach, for me, doesn't work too well in his realizations of symphonies 5&6, although the slow movement of the latter is incomparably done. Either of his celebrated Ninths leave me cold personally, but this recording is beautifully-realized; yes, it has lush sound and some thick textures but there's also a deep feeling for this most 'Austrian' of Mahler symphonies. The first movements have an openness and joy which is very special and the Ruhevoll is raptly-beautiful in a way, again, which won't suit everybody; but string ensemble playing of this quality is very rare. Edith Mathis is wonderful in the finale too.
This is a five-star disc, no doubt. If Mahler's your thing then I also recommend Szell and Tennstedt which are both favourably-priced and will satisfy many who feel they're 'allergic' to Karajan. But if Mahler isn't particularly your thing and beauty of sound is a first concern, then this record may be all you want.
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