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Epicurus.com - Mahler: Symphony No. 2 / Mehta, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
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List Price: $11.98
Our Price: $10.99
Your Save: $ 0.99 ( 8% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Decca
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0028946699225
Format: Original recording remastered
Label: Decca
Manufacturer: Decca
Number Of Discs: 2
Publisher: Decca
Release Date: 2000-06-13
Studio: Decca
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Editorial Reviews:
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"Beg to report safe delivery of a strong, healthy last movement to my Second. Father and child doing as well as can be expected." So ran Mahler's jubilant message on completion of his "Resurrection" Symphony, which after several years' painful gestation had come together in his mind with a sudden flash of inspiration. It had begun as a single-movement funeral rite, and gradually taken shape under the influence of Schubert's music, but the choral conclusion of Beethoven's Ninth was its Grail. Zubin Mehta's 25-year-old recording is a superb addition to the ranks of contending interpretations. It is lighter on its feet than Bernstein's classic version, with all the elements in Mahler's tonal landscape brought out in high relief: by turns lush, austere, grandiose, and intimate. Here is the Vienna Phil at its best, with two incomparable voices on the bridge--Christa Ludwig's steely mezzo and Ileana Cotrubas's soaring soprano. The "Legendary" on the cover is not hype: This is still as good as it gets. --Michael Church
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Will shake the earth and resurrect you!
Comment: Gustav Mahler's 'Resurrection' rose from the ashes of Todtenfeier and his Wunderhorn lied. The earth shaking opening bars are brought out to magnificent effect by Zubin and the Wiener Philharmoniker. Throughout the initial movement the contrast between agitated tensions and soft emotions is brilliantly captured by Mehta. The second movement is taken at a beautiful pace sounding ethereal. The timpani strokes announcing the third movement hold you engrossed right till the first call of the Resurrection theme succeeded by a beautiful fourth movement sung brilliantly. The choral soloists are superb.The finale is majestic with even the distant backstage brass sounding clear. By the time the closing bars precede the silence, you are resurrected from your spiritual slumber. Magnificent performance by the Wiener Philharmoniker and Zubin Mehta. This is a must keep CD.
I started my Resurrection initiation by Hermann Scherchen and Wiener Staatsoper on 78 RPMs. Scherchen was broad and slow but lacking in spirit. My first LP experience of this symphony was Leonard Bernstein's New York effort of the early sixties and that was great. Mahler's friend Bruno Walter and Otto Klemperer do not do full justice to the final movement as you will find with Bersntein's approach. When I got the vinyl version of this CD in 1976, I was like a boy with a slab of Snickers in my hand and I relished each moment of this recording. The CD sounds great over that vinly Decca recording. Zubin Mehta's later effort in the nineties with the Israel Philharmonic is great and sounds very much like the Wiener performance of the early seventies. The only other reading that arrests you like Mehta's performance is Sir Georg Solti's version with the Chicago Symphony which improves on his earlier London Symphony performance of 1961. This Mehta CD however is the perfect initiation for the Resurrection Symphony. Yes it is definitely ranked as a LEGENDARY performance. Go for it without having any doubts!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great recording
Comment: I can't hope to be more informative than the other reviews on here, but I must say - this is a really terrific recording of this piece. The recorded sound is excellent, and the performance is exciting and gripping. The first movement is a personal favorite of mine; I wouldn't mind it pushing ahead a little more at times, but otherwise I love the way it is handled. The singing in the fourth movement is superb; and the last movement is of course fantastic - what a climax at the end! I have access to one of the largest music library recording collections in the country, and have listened to numerous recordings of Mahler 2; this one is definitely my favorite.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Desert Island version of the Mahler 2nd.
Comment: This is going to be short and sweet.
First, I am going to completely pass on discussing Mehta's interpretation or the Vienna Philharmonic's performance, as well as the individual merits of Miss Ludwig and Miss Cotrubus. I think all that has been thoroughly discussed here already. In other words, everything that can be said, has been said, although perhaps not everyone has had a chance to say it. This is, simply, one of the great performances.
Therefore, in brief, I would like to give a mention to those amazing men and women who twirl the dials: the engineers. This is an analog recording made near the end of the analog era. The art of analog recording had progressed steadily and significantly for over a half century so that, by the time these sessions were held, it had reached its' considerable pinnacle. This is state-of-the-art analog recording. There was simply no where else to go until a whole new way of recording sound, which was, in truth, just around the corner, came along. I may be over romanticizing this, but I can't help but feel Decca's engineers, never ones to turn in a 2nd rate job, went the extra mile for this project. It's as if they knew all the hard work they, their colleagues and predecessors had done over the years was now coming to its' exalted culmination. I sincerely feel the Decca Vienna team must have meant this magnificent recording to be their valedictory to the analog era. This digital re-master reveals layers of sound that could only have been hinted at on vinyl, as if in 1975 they were already looking forward to the day this analog recording would be properly presented in the digital medium.
In short, all involved in this project reached beyond themselves, touched eternity, and bestowed that eternity upon us.
Customer Rating:
Summary: As Good as Recommended
Comment: I bought this CD because it appeared first when I searched for Mahler Symphony 2. There were lots of positive feedbacks on Amazon but I was a little concerned about the sound quality.
Rest Assured Dear Reader, this is a Fantastic CD.
Sound Quality is Good.
Mehta's conducting and the Orchestra are simply top notch.
I am quite satisfied with this purchase.
Thanks, Amazon Reviewers.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A New Mahler Devotee
Comment: Recently I have been 'converted' to Mahler, so I am not an expert on him, but I love this recording. The second movement especially is particularly wonderful, Mehta seems to get exactly what he wants from the orchestra. That movement is an especial favorite of mine, but the whole thing is great.
If you are familiar with the work and looking for a good recording, I recommend this one. If you are new to Mahler, I recommend starting with this symphony, and of course this is a perfect recording to start on. The second symphony is relatively easy to listen to, and its scope, as with many of Mahler's works, is enormous.
Other Mahler recommends:
.Das Lied Von Der Erde (not familiar with a lot of recordings but I have the EMI w/ Fritz Wunderlich and Christa Ludwig. I like it a lot, esp. Wunderlich.)
.Symphony No. 4 (I like the Chicago Symphony/James Levine/Judith Blegen recording.)
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