Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 9

Mahler’s final completed work has established itself as one the most impactful works of early 20th Century and has become a Rite of Passage for any aspiring conductor. This recording by the Music Director Designate of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BRSO) is his third commercial recording, and at least the 5th by the BRSO-more than the three currently available featuring the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (VPO) and equalling those of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO).Opinions differ even today about the underlying meaning of the work with various so-called “authorities” evincing differing views. It is obvious to surmise that with underlying thread of mortality permeating so much of his music, the impact of the diagnosis in 1907 of rheumatic mitral valve disease sent Mahler into a depression which resulted in this bitter depiction of the struggles of life ending in an inevitable conclusion as the human spirit sinks into infinity. This may be the case, but there are alternative views. The late Michael Kennedy, a genuine authority on Elgar, Strauss and Mahler expressed the view that the symphony was Mahler’s expression -and to some extent expunging -of the grief at the loss of his beloved daughter, and he points to the quotation from Kindertotenlieder in the finale to bolster this view. This is given further substance by the fact that by late 1908 and early 1909 the composer had had the restrictions on activity imposed by his doctors rescinded, and he was free to resume his inspirational walks in the hills and mountains of his beloved Carinthia. Thus, at the time of composition of the symphony Mahler was in a more positive frame of mind regarding his health at least.Berthold Goldschmidt , who had met Mahler and was a mentor to the young Rattle expresses the view that the second movement depicts all that Mahler hated about the countryside and the third all that he hated about the city, the composer venting his spite, and quotes Mahler as his source.Rattle himself suggests that like the Third, this symphony encompasses The Whole World, and I cannot argue with that though it is a very different from that depicted in the earlier work.Rattle shot to global prominence with his recording of Mahler’s Second with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) in the 1980s and it became a bestseller in classical CD terms. A cycle followed over the next few years, with varying degrees of success and critical approbation. EMI/Warner declined to record the Ninth for this cycle and instead “bought in “a live performance from ORF which Rattle had conducted with the VPO. I personally thought that it was far and away the best performance of the set, and I enjoy it and the superb Metamorphosen that accompanied it to this day.Rattle was more selective of performances during his BPO tenure-or perhaps it is more accurate to say that EMI/Warner were. Recordings of 10, 5, 2 and 9 were released, the 9th being once again the finest of the series. Symphonies 6,7 & 8 can now be had from box sets from the BPO own label series.EMI’s Berlin team had varying success in their recordings from the Berlin Philharmonie, always referred to as a difficult recording venue, and the BPO 9th suffers somewhat from muddy bass at times and strings sounding thin and screechy in the upper range in various passages-not disastrously so but enough to skew my preference back to the earlier VPO.There are no such issues to concern us with this premier purely orchestral outpouring from this combination of artists-the recording and playing bask in a glow which matches the work to perfection.The recording derives from a concert in November 2021 as a memorial to the late Bernard Haitink, who had recorded this very work with the BRSO a few years ago in a performance which is very “straight “-excess emotion is eschewed-but compensates by being exquisitely beautiful.The venue is described as The Isar Philharmonie-a new title for our old friend the “Philharmonie am Gasteig,” described as unsatisfactory as a concert venue but which generates wonderful recorded sound to which so many br klassik releases can attest. This recording is no exception.Rattle’s interpretation has changed over the years-timings indicate that overall, this is his swiftest reading-by over 3 minutes in the case of the finale when compared to his Berlin recording.The VPO reading was imbued with for more extreme interpretative gestures that than the BPO performance, to the BPO recording’s detriment in my opinion powerful though that performance may be, and this new BRSO recording falls somewhere between the two in the earlier movements.I was initially concerned that in the first tutti of the opening movement the timps were very recessed, but this was obviously Rattle’s interpretative choice, for they are prominent and indeed thunderous when the music requires. I am happy that Rattle that slows the tempo noticeably in the 2 funeral march sections – “The Mahler Shuffle”- which according to Bruno Walter depicted the composer’s faltering heart beat and later on replicated his shuffling gait.The muted trumpets are wonderfully sinister in their grisly fanfare in the first episode, the brass overall magnificent.It is strange that in the climactic ffff tutti which precedes the second “Shuffle “episode, only Karajan’s recordings highlight the tam tam clash, not at all usual for that conductor and orchestra. Here it is subsumed in the general musical melee and the tolling bell in the funeral march itself is also not as prominent as in other performances, with Rattle choosing it to form part of the musical fabric rather forming a statement in itself.In the second movement he adopts a lumpy, clod-hopping rhythm with blowsy brass eschewing any of the exhilaration that others choose to whip up in this movement (cf. Barenboim) , and in the third, the Burleske, the approach is very clipped and staccato-both movements brilliantly executed and giving substance to Goldschmidt’s assertions. Superficial brilliance is eschewed in favour of detailed characterisation which I find to be very effective.The finale is swift by comparison with his earlier recordings, fluid and beautiful-Rattle does not dwell in the canyons of despair as does Bernstein in his later readings, nor does he seek the searing intensity that leaves the listener drained (or should I say even more drained).It is nonetheless powerful, more sad and wistful than overwhelming in its sense of tragedy, with the final moments not stretched to infinity but encapsulating a more gentle sense of melancholy.This performance is beautifully structured as a cogent symphony-neither brilliance nor tragedy are allowed to overwhelm the work , which results in a Mahler 9 that the listener wants to hear again and again-it does not need to be approached as an emotional Everest to be scaled only when conditions permit!In no way is this “underwhelming” -it is a remarkable achievement that does full justice to Mahler’s conception.However, if you require the cumulative effect of this work to be a more powerful and emotionally draining experience, this reading may not be your first choice.The recording is rich, full and very detailed -as we have grown to expect from this source and the successors to the legendary Wilhelm Meister have built on his legacy of producing truly great recordings.The BRSO currently has 5 commercial recordings of tis work in the catalogue -Kubelik (DG and Audite live), Haitink, Jansons and now Rattle. Despite my unwavering admiration for Jansons, the Rattle is to my ears the finest of all, and indeed joins the Pantheon of first choice recordings.Favourite alternatives include Giulini (CSO), Karajan (either /both), Barbirolli, Bernstein ( The first NYPO and the extraordinary live BPO-despite the imprecision, the disruption of an audience member toppling into the brass and sadly dying the sheer impact is devastating), Barenboim Berlin Staatskapelle and Schoenwandt/Danish State Orchestra as an alternative view-and 2 versions that I love but many do not, Sinopoli/Dresden and Maazel/VPO.Versions I would approach with caution (i.e. avoid) are Elder/Halle, Fischer/Budapest, Zinman/Zurich, Nott/Bamberg and sadly Bernstein /Israel Phil wherein the playing is just too awful for serious listening.Classic recordings of historical value include Walter/VPO and Klemperer/ Philharmonia but better yet VPO live on Testament.This new recording has become my current “go to “Mahler 9 for its beautifully crafted execution and lesser demands on the emotions, and I commend it unreservedly in these terms.. 5 Stars.Stewart Crowe.

A wonderful recording of this magnificent symphony .Absolutely brilliant .

This is not a recording to listen to, this is one to be experienced. I cannot translate into words. Forget Mahler, forget Rattle. This recording made me believe I have a soul. Miraculous.

Good performance of mahlers 9th symphony with Simon rattle and bavarian radio symphony orchestra.

This is Simon Rattle's third commercial recording of mahler 9, and it's also the third recording of M9 that BR Klassik has issued (Bernard Haitink and Mariss Jansons, previous to this one). The one is clearly the best for both Rattle, and for BR Klassik. Rattle's first one with the Vienna Philharmonic was a good 'live' performance, but the recorded balances were a bit odd (way too much tuba, for one thing). His Berlin Philharmonic remake, also on EMI, was also quite good, but this one is even better - both as a performance, and in terms of its sound quality. This is now my favorite single disc recording of Mahler 9 . . . I know, I know - I've said that several times before. It's just that new and seemingly better single disc recordings of Mahler 9 appear to come out every other month. Kurt Masur/N.Y. Phil. (Teldec/Warner); Alan Gilbert/Royal Stockholm Phil. (BIS); Abbado/Berlin Phil. (DG); Daniel Harding/Swedish Radio S.O. (Harmonia Mundi); Haitink/Bavarian Radio. S.O. (BR Klassik) - all of those are very solid, single disc recordings of M9 that most anybody could easily live with. I like this one best. Check it out at some streaming service and see if you don't agree. I liked it enough that I decided to buy a hard copy for myself (CD). Perhaps you will too.

Om maar met de deur in huis te vallen,ik ben geen fan van Simon Rattle.Zijn stijl van dirigeren staat mij niet aan.Heb geloof ik niet meer dan 2 CDs van hem.Maar deze opname van Mahler 9 kan mij zeer bekoren.Gekocht omdat ik er een recensie van had gezien op het YT-kanaal van David Hurwitz.Het orkest speelt hier de sterren van de hemel,vooral in het 4e deel.Wat ik zelden mooier hoorde,mijn favoriete opname was de live uitvoering van Karajan op DG.Die is nu met deze opname gepasseerd.Aanbevolen!

très bien

Simon Rattles tredje (?) inspelning av Gustav Mahlers nionde symfoni är definitivt hans bästa och antagligen en av de bästa som någonsin gjorts. Ett av de till mig käraste musikverk har fått en inspelning det verkligen förtjänar. Underbar teknisk inspelning, fantastiskt orkesterspel och Simon Rattle som är helt fri från manér och konstigheter. Bättre än såhär kan det inte bli :-)

Interpretacion, orquesta. Magnifico Ratle.