Bernstein/NYPO: Mahler Symphony No. 2 - DG Germany 423 395-1 (2LP box, SEALED)

$

630

ITEM DESCRIPTION:

This beautiful and now rare 2LP box set, a still-sealed copy, from Deutsche Gramophone (423 395-1, German pressing, white circle label, DDD stereo, booklet included) features Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra’s incandescent account of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 in C minor "Resurrection", recorded “live” at Avery Fischer Hall, New York City, in April 1987 (producer: Hanno Rinke / recording supervision: Hans Weber / engineer: Klaus Scheibe).

PLEASE NOTE:

This is the original issue by Deutsche Grammophon and not the 180g re-issue.

On this memorable occasion Bernstein and the NYPO were joined by soprano Barbara Hendricks, mezzo-soprano Christa Ludwig, and the Westminster Choir (Chorus Master: Joseph Flummerfelt).

Fine as his earlier CBS reading was (also with the NYPO), this DG remake benefits from the added frisson of 'live' performance, imbued throughout with a tremendous sense of occasion.

This stirring and moving Mahler Second – along with the conductor's other LPs in this cycle – must be among Bernstein's last recordings to be issued in the long-play format. The sound is of demonstration quality, the artwork striking, the whole a superb memento of Bernstein.

Wrote the outstanding critic Edward Seckerson in his review for the July 1988 issue of The Gramophone:

“The New York Philharmonic always give of their best for this conductor. In the finale, when the theme mounts up from the cellos into the violas, the playing is of seraphic beauty.

"Bernstein's latest recording of Mahler's Second Symphony is taken, as he nowadays prefers, from a live performance given in Avery Fisher Hall, New York, in April last year. That immediately gives it an advantage over several rivals because, as readers will be tired of hearing from me by now, this is a work where the presence of an audience (remarkably silent and they can't have been asleep) is almost essential. Which having said, there are the marvellous recordings by Rattle (EM)) and Walter (CBS) to disprove my theory. Anyway, Bernstein thrives on performance before an audience and he pulls no punches here.

"Ninety-four minutes, let me warn you, against 80-odd by Rattle and most others. Mahler performances come slower by the year. Yet I'm not as offended by Bernstein's tempos in this symphony as I was by his recent DG Amsterdam Ninth, where I thought he destroyed the shape of the music by sheer self-indulgence. In the Resurrection Symphony, the length of the pauses, the extra nt. here and there, soon pile up the minutes; and its first and last movements are on such a vast scale that the music can take the flexibility that Bernstein requires if he is to put over his full dramatic treatment of it.

"And dramatic it certainly is, from start to finish. More daemonic than Rattle, more Jewish, as one would expect (the 'Jewish' music of the third movement around fig. 34 is wonderfully full of subtle character and humour in this performance). But I still prefer Rattle on the whole for the extra tautness with which he drives home the great coups de theatre. EMI also give Rattle a better recording. The Avery Fisher Hall has had acoustic problems and I don't blame DG's engineers for the somewhat constricted sound at climaxes. Even so, there are thrills in plenty, though the ultimate in sonic precision is lacking, and the off-stage brass effects come off well.

"The New York Philharmonic always give of their best for this conductor. Wind playing throughout is beautifully finished and stylish, and at fig. 23 in the first movement the horns and violins provide a moment of pure Mahlerian ecstasy, while in the finale (at 27), when the theme mounts up from the cellos into the violas, the playing is of seraphic beauty. At such moments one forgives Bernstein almost anything, even his tempo of Andante not very moderato in the second movement. In this movement, at seven bars after fig. 5, the cellos, with the violins' figuration as a decorative touch, show us that this is still one of the world's fine orchestras when a master is in charge.

"It will be a long Judgement Day if Bernstein is in charge of the ceremonial music, but an exciting one. Let's hope he leaves himself time for an exchange of views with Mahler on what the composer meant by Nicht schleppen. But he always has his sights firmly fixed on the movement's choral climax, where Christa Ludwig (as secure as ever in "Urlicht") and Barbara Hendricks, a warm and touching soprano soloist, blend well with the superb Westminster Choir. I have never known this great movement fail in performance, and this is another outstanding achievement."

Incidentally, the striking cover art was executed by ERTE. The excellent CD-size (as issued with the LP set) 32-page booklet includes wonderful portraits of Bernstein, as well as extensive notes on the music by Volker Scherliess (German, French, and Italian) and Andrew Clements (English).

CONDITION:

The gradations of condition I use are as follows: MINT, Near-Mint, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor.

The condition of the box is near-MINT. There is some very light discoloration, but I believe that is only to the shrinkwrap and not to the box itself. Really, there are no flaws to speak of and the box appears almost as new – overall, a handsome collector’s copy.

The condition of the 2 LPs is MINT. These are still-sealed, unplayed copies – ideal collector's copies.

PLEASE NOTE:
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REFUNDS:
As this is a still-sealed item, I will only accept a return if it is returned in the same condition: sealed; if it has been opened, even if unplayed, I will not accept a return.

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