Title : Mahler: Symphony No. 1, Lieder / Rafael Kubelik, Fischer-Dieskau
Author : Mahler, Gustav
Release Date : 19970513
Binding : Audio CD
Regular Price : $11.98
Amazon.com Price : $11.17
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Editorial Reviews : Here's a delightful coupling: Mahler's First Symphony and the song cycle that donated many of its themes to the larger work. Best of all, both performances are superb. Rafael Kubelik is the dark horse among Mahler conductors. His interpretations are always fresh, unforced, and seemingly without exaggeration. However, he knows how to build a climax, and his generally swift tempos never permit a minute's boredom. There are many moments to cherish in his performance of the symphony, not least the delicious woodwind playing and the tangy trumpets in the third movement's Fiddler on the Roof music. Reissued at midprice in excellently remastered sound--better than most new digitals in many respects--this is a performance that remains one of the best, and as a coupling it's unbeatable. --David Hurwitz
Buyer Reviews : If you want over-the-top hysteria (not necessarily a bad thing at times with Mahler), go with Bernstein. If you're looking for more conservative but still committed performances you can listen to again and again, Kubelik's your guy. He underplays the drama slightly, and while the result is still passionate, it's also solid, stable, and infinitely satisfying. Kubelik makes you more aware of Mahler's musical genius, where other conductors might focus more on the drama.
The orchestra might be a little thin in the strings, but they speak with Mahler's 'voice' in a way that few other orchestras are able to capture -- there is a slightly rustic quality to their sound that captures the open air quality of Mahler's music. And they respond very well to Kubelik's sober but passionate direction. The brass and woodwinds, always important in Mahler, are superb.
Maybe not the most dramatic Mahler you've ever heard, but certainly among the most musical. It's the version of the 1st that gets put in my CD player most often. The price is right; remastering is expert.
