Mahler: Symphony No. 1
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Composer: Gustav MahlerConductor: Pierre Boulez
Orchestra: Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 1999-04-13
Music Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Soundtracks:
- Symphony No.1: I. Langsam. Schleppend - Im Anfang sehr gemachlich
- Symphony No.1: II. Kraftig bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell
- Symphony No.1: III. Feierlich und gemessen, ohne zu schleppen
- Symphony No.1: IV. Sturmisch bewegt
Music reviews of Mahler: Symphony No. 1
Music Review: On balance, the best Mahler First
Rating: 5 Stars
It is often said, with justification, that Mahler's Seventh Symphony is the most difficult to perform properly. One must get behind the notes to enter fully the spirit of grotesquerie that Mahler wrote into them, and only a few conductors have been able to do so, among them Rafael Kubelik, Claudio Abbado, and - Pierre Boulez.
Boulez is an anomaly among Mahler conductors, just as he is an anomaly among French conductors. Most French conductors who preceded him did not like rehearsing, and in fact found it an impediment to the "sirit of improvisation" that they wished to arouse in performance. But when Boulez came to international prominence in the late 1960s, he brought with him a composer's mind and a fastidious approach to score preparation and rehearsal. His intent has always been to try to give exactly what the composer put on paper. Sometimes, most notable in his recordings of Webern's orchestral music and Berg's "Wozzeck," he surprisingly failed to do so, but in most other cases he has been successful.
The problem with Boulez has not generally been one of veering away from the score as it has been with expression. His orchestral sound is warm but not passionate. His strict attention to detail and structure sometimes leaves the listener wondering if Boulez EVER feels passion about any score he conducts. Most of his performances, live or on records, are emotionally cool to the point of complete emotional detachment.
Mahler's First Symphony, to judge by the large number of recordings available and the equally large number of failures, is almost as difficult to pull off as the Seventh. Of the many versions I've heard, only four - Sir Adrian Boult, Rafael Kubelik, Riccardo Muti and Boulez - have really penetrated the score in terms of both giving one what Mahler wrote and at least trying to impart the sense of "unbalance" and emotional angst which is that composer's hallmark. Boult did so by conducting the symphony much faster in every movement than the composer indicated, though his is still my favorite performance of the symphony in terms of giving us the Mahlerian spirit. Kubelik phrases it in a quirky style more suitable to Czech music than to Mahler, in my opinion, though his reading is equally intense.
Boulez takes a middle approach that, in this particular symphony, in this particular recording, works wonders. He follows the composer's instructions not only to the letter, but in the minutest detail. He phrases it romantically, using generous rubatos and portamenti. He walks a fine line between cleanliness of execution - often a sore point in this symphony, even with Boult and Kubelik - and passionate interpretation. Yes, there are places where he errs: certain phrases, here and there, seem a bit too clean, a little less gemüchtlich. But on the whole, the performance is remarkable. I hear details of orchestration in this recording that escape others, and this is achieved without exaggeration. I hear not only power but schmaltz. And I hear a reading that, in the end, is immensely satisfying as a cross-breed between structure and feeling.
Perhaps he was able to accomplish this because he used the Chicago Symphony, one of the great Mahler orchestras. Certainly, James Levine's Mahler Fourth works equally well for the same reason. The musicians may or may not have taken emotional control of the symphony away from Boulez, but in the end I think he approved its release because it satisfied him on so many levels. It satisfies me, as well.
The Boult recording will always remain a special favorite of mine for its unbridled passion, but I recognize that this is an individualistic reading that veers away from the composer's written tempi and instructions. The Boulez is "home ground." And for those who think that the second movement is "way too fast," take another look at the score. It's written that way. This is not a ländler like the one in the second symphony; it is a rustic dance. I well remember the late Klaus Tennstedt yelling at his orchestra to exude the exact same effect.
Highly recommended. This is now my number one choice for the Mahler First.
Description of Mahler: Symphony No. 1
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