Mahler: 10 Symphonien Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks & Rafael Kubelik

• Gustav Mahler (1860-1911): Symphonie Nr.1 Titan:
• 1 1. Langsam. Schleppend 14:36
• 2 2. Kräftig bewegt 07:03
• 3 3. Feierlich und gemessen, ohne zu schleppen 10:37
• 4 4. Stürmisch bewegt 17:38
• Symphonie Nr.2 Auferstehung:
• 5 1. Allegro maestoso. Mit durchaus ernstem und feierlichem Ausdruck 19:54
• 6 2. Andante moderato. Sehr gemächlich 10:35
• 7 3. Scherzo: In ruhig fliessender Bewegung 10:11
• 8 4. Urlicht. Sehr feierlich, aber schlicht O Röschen rot! 04:56
• 9 5a. Im Tempo des Scherzos. Wild herausfahrend - 17:36
• 10 5d. Aufersteh'n, ja aufersteh'n wirst du (Langsam. Misterioso) - Text After F.G. Klopstock: Auferstehung 13:28
• Symphonie Nr.3 Erste Abteilung:
• 11 1. Kräftig. Entscheiden 31:24
• Symphonie Nr.3 Zweite Abteilung:
• 12 2. Tempo di minuetto. Sehr mässig 09:45
• 13 3. Comodo. Scherzando. Ohne Hast 17:05
• 14 4. Sehr langsam. Misterioso: O Mensch! Gib acht! 'O Mensch! Gib acht' 09:22
• 15 5. Lustig im Tempo und keck im Ausdruck: Bimm Bamm. Es sungen drei Engel 04:13
• 16 6. Langsam. Ruhevoll. Empfunden 22:01
• Symphonie Nr.4:
• 17 1. Bedächtig. Nicht eilen - Recht gemächlich 15:52
• 18 2. In gemächlicher Bewegung. Ohne Hast 09:11
• 19 3. Ruhevoll (Poco adagio) 18:48
• 20 4. Sehr behaglich: Wir geniessen die himmlischen Freuden 08:01
• Symphonie Nr.5: Erster Teil:
• 21 1. Trauermarsch (In gemessenem Schritt. Streng. Wie ein Kondukt - Plötzlich schneller. Leidenschaftlich. Wild - Tempo I) 11:43
• 22 2. Stürmisch bewegt. Mit grösster Vehemenz - Bedeutend langsamer - Tempo I subito 14:09
• Symphonie Nr.5: Zweiter Teil:
• 23 3. Scherzo (Kräftig, nicht zu schnell) 17:37
• 24 4. Adagietto (Sehr langsam) 09:43
• 25 5. Rondo-Finale (Allegro) 15:26
• Symphonie Nr.6: Tragisch:
• 26 1. Allegro energico, ma non troppo. Heftig aber Markig 21:10
• 27 2. Scherzo (Wuchtig) 11:46
• 28 3. Andante moderato 14:44
• 29 4. Finale (Allegro moderato) 26:38
• Symphonie Nr.7:
• 30 1. Langsam - Allegro 19:57
• 31 2. Nachtmusik (Allegro moderato) 14:55
• 32 3. Scherzo 09:28
• 33 4. Nachtmusik (Andante amoroso) 12:19
• 34 5. Rondo - Finale (Allegro ordinario - Allegro moderato ma energico) 16:40
• Symphonie Nr.8: Erster Teil:
• 35 Veni creator spiritus 22:12
• Symphonie Nr.8: Zweiter Teil:
• 36 Poco adagio: Waldung, sie schwankt heran 27:52
• 37 Dir, der Unberührbaren 24:24
• Symphonie Nr.9:
• 38 1. Andante comodo 26:02
• 39 2. Im Tempo eines gemächlichen Ländler. Etwas täppisch und sehr derb 16:05
• 40 3. Rondo. Burleske (Allegro assai. Sehr trotzig - Presto) 13:23
• 41 4. Adagio (Sehr langsam) 21:48
• Symphonie Nr.10:
• 42 Andante - Adagio 23:58
• Total Runtime 11:04:15

Info for Mahler: 10 Symphonien

Rafael Kubelik's highly chromatic, poetic Mahler recordings have been staples in Deutsche Grammophon's catalogue since their inception. Tempos overall tend to be quicker than the norm (Symphony No. 8 for instance fits conveniently on one CD), yet never at the expense of glossing over the composers renowned wealth of inner details. Many Mahler aficionados still regard Kubelik's readings here of the Symphonies No. 1 and No. 7 as reference recordings. Distinguished soloists include Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Edith Mathis, Norma Proctor, Franz Crass, and Julia Hamari. The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra as well as the various outstanding choirs employed throughout the cycle couldn't be more in sync with Kubelik's inspired visionary interpretations.

„In many ways, Rafael Kubelik reminds me of Eduard van Beinum. For instance, both conductors revelled in Gustav Mahler's distinct idiom and both (guest) conducted the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra. But most importantly, they operated among their musicians instead of above them, had a natural aversion to a so-called superstar conductor status and served music first and foremost. Those qualities pop up constantly in these beloved, often lyrical and never overwrought interpretations that have held up remarkably well in the Mahler sweepstakes. The fact that these performances have been available for such a long time is an indication of their popularity, and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra play with total conviction. Certainly the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Seventh and the Adagio from the unfinished Tenth in this survey match the very finest available. If you never had the chance to sample the Czech’s interpretations of his countryman, the DG Collector’s Edition is, luckily, still available.

Rafael Kubelik always had a wonderful way with the Wunderhorn period. The First Symphony in particular flows like a breath of fresh air, it’s alliance with nature and young love perfectly drawn out. Kubelik’s first movement has a remarkable urgency, his funeral march is aptly Jewish. Only in the long finale, where we have become used to a cataclysm of contrasting themes, Kubelik may be surpassed (not least by the Bernstein performance from Amsterdam), but it’s still a strong feat of endurance. I have never quite shared the complaint that the strings are badly recorded, but if you like a more supple sound picture, you can turn to the conductor’s live Audite recording which shares many of the virtues of Kubelik’s studio account.

The Resurrection Symphony harks back to Klemperer’s sober outing, but even so, I have seldom heard a more convincing account of the last movement, the Bavarian brass pulling out all stops, the music urgent and truly apocalyptic. In the Third symphony, the titanic first movement does not quite have the swagger of Leonard Bernstein's legendary 1961 New York account, but the orchestra plays tremendously well, not afraid to make an ugly sound when needed. Kubelik’s generally swift and utterly lyrical Mahler Fourth still stands as a benchmark recording and is required listening for everyone who loves the piece. Comparisons with Beinum’s mono Decca aplenty, this Fourth knows when to relax, when to dream and when to growl. The slow movement (in one of the fastest timings ever recorded) is especially effective (as opposed to Tilson Thomas’s dragging 25 minutes), it’s unforced naturalness harking back to Bruno Walter, and, again Van Beinum. Elsie Morison, the conductor’s wife, may not be everyone’s cup of tea in the finale, but what she lacks in childlike purity is largely compensated by the warmth and affirmation of her delivery. Simply indispensable.

With the Middle period, we are drawn into Mahler’s complex world from a new perspective, Mahler’s ‘Sturm und Drang’ phase, if you will. I deem Kubelik’s efforts in this phase more controversial and not an overall success. Starting with the Fifth, which is relatively brisk and unsentimental, Kubelik is let down by his engineers, which is all the more surprising as this recording was the last one made. It’s not a bad performance, not by any means, but there are better Fifths out there that manage to linger on the mind for a longer length of time. Kubelik’s Sixth, in much better sound, with its breakneck pace for the first movement - which many may find a problem - is a blistering account. The Scherzo, placed second (happily!), is as demonic as one could wish for; the Andante flowing naturally and intensely nostalgic. The long finale, harrowing in the best of hands (and Kubelik’s is certainly not an exception), is again on the brisk side but never glossing over details. The closing pages define the word ‘desperation’. Even though I like the Sixth with a more measured pace, I can’t and won’t deny Rafael Kubelik’s greatness in this music.

The Seventh symphony, recorded near the end of Kubelik’s survey, was a distinct specialty of the conductor. I have heard and enjoyed three recordings under Kubelik, the first being this studio recording, the second a ‘live’ reading with the same orchestra on Audite, and a hard to find live New York recording which was lastly available in an expensive New York Mahler box. Some may find Kubelik too impatient in the first movement, especially since the opening measures are marked Langsam. I actually prefer the Czech's straightforward way since Kubelik never loses sight of the long line. His first Nachtmusik sounds much more like a real march in the dark, his Schattenhaft is unusually intense. No one makes the Finale sound more convincing than Leonard Bernstein in his 1965 benchmark recording, but Kubelik’s reading is positively festive, with trumpets sounding especially piercing, marvellously cheeky woodwinds and a final peroration with bells featured prominently. This is one of the great Sevenths and every aficionado of the piece should own it.

I have never quite jumped on the bandwagon for Kubelik's studio Eighth, fine as though it is. I was more moved by his Audite remake which featured a far more convincing interpretation and a more spacious recording. The Ninth, the very first symphony to be recorded in this survey, offers a robust sound picture. There are more wrenching accounts of this often recorded symphony available, and I never really got the feeling that Kubelik was in his element. The Rondo could do with a touch more abandon and I find his handling of the theoretically shimmering Adagio too fast, no matter how eloquently the Bavarian strings play. Kubelik was a great exponent of Twentieth Century music, and it is therefore that his account of the Adagio from the unfinished Tenth symphony is one of the very finest available. From the desolate opening measures and the frantic outburst to the consoling ending, this is as I feel, together with Bernstein’s from New York from 1975, the performance that is most convincing and the one I keep on coming back to the most. Leave it to Kubelik to end his Mahler cycle on a completely positive note!

Rafael Kubelik’s natural and unforced Mahler cycle has stood the test of time almost as well as Leonard Bernstein’s. From the wonderful readings from the Wunderhorn period to the sublime Adagio from the Tenth, there isn’t a moment of dull music making in this set, and several of the individual interpretations deserve the very highest praise. Even the sound, though showing its age, is clear, up front with considerable impact, offering a wealth of detail some other surveys simply pass by. This is also one of the most economic cycles, as the performances, with the exception of the Third symphony, fit conveniently on 10 well filled discs. The playing of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra is committed and heartfelt throughout, putting most premier orchestras to shame. It would be unthinkable to do without this cycle!“ (Marcel Kersten)

Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Rafael Kubelik, conductor

Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Soon after it was founded by Eugen Jochum in 1949, the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (BRSO) developed into an internationally renowned orchestra, its fame continuously expanded and fortified by its intensive touring activities. The orchestra owes its extraordinarily wide ranging repertoire and sound spectrum to the programme preferences of its previous chief conductors as well as to the great flexibility and solid stylistic security of each individual musician.

Fostering new music has an especially long tradition at the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks with appearances in conjunction with the “musica viva” series, founded in 1945 by Karl Amadeus Hartmann, as one of the orchestra’s main assignments right from the start. At these concerts, Munich audiences have witnessed legendary performances of contemporary works at which the composers themselves generally stood on the podium of the orchestra. These included Igor Stravinsky, Darius Milhaud, Paul Hindemith, Bruno Maderna, Pierre Boulez, Hans Werner Henze, Witold Lutosławski, Krzysztof Penderecki, Cristóbal Halffter, Heinz Holliger, Hans Zender, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Mauricio Kagel, Luciano Berio as well as, more recently, Peter Eötvös. The Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks was the only German orchestra with which Leonard Bernstein regularly collaborated for many years. In general, many renowned guest conductors, such as Clemens Krauss, Erich and Carlos Kleiber, Charles Munch, Ferenc Fricsay, Otto Klemperer, Karl Böhm, Günter Wand, Georg Solti, Carlo Maria Giulini, Kurt Sanderling, Wolfgang Sawallisch and Bernard Haitink have left indelible imprints on the Symphonieorchester in the past. Today, Riccardo Muti, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Franz Welser-Möst, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Herbert Blomstedt, Daniel Harding and Robin Ticciati number amongst the significant partners who regularly mount the podium in Munich. For many years, the Symphonieorchester has also pursued approaches to early music and now collaborates regularly with such experts in historical performance practice as Thomas Hengelbrock, Ton Koopman and Giovanni Antonini.

Besides the many performances and recordings in Munich and other cities in the station’s broadcast range, extensive concert tours are central components in the everyday life of the orchestra today. Tours have taken the orchestra to virtually every European country, to Asia as well as to North and South America. It makes regular appearances in New York’s Carnegie Hall and in the renowned concert halls in Japan’s musical capitals. From 2004 to 2019, the Symphonieorchester was the orchestra in residence at the Easter Festival in Lucerne.

A further special feature is the encouragement of up-and-coming young musicians. In conjunction with the ARD International Music Competition, the Symphonieorchester accompanies young musicians both in the final rounds as well as in the symphonic closing concert featuring the prize winners. Since October of 2001 the Academy of the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks has been doing valuable educational work by preparing young musicians for their later careers and thus building a solid bridge between education and professional activity. Beyond this, the Symphonieorchester maintains an encouragement programme for young people with many activities designed toward the worthy goal of bringing the younger generation closer together with classical music.

The history of the Symphonieorchester is closely intertwined with the names of its previous Chief Conductors, who were always concurrently Chief Conductors of the Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks.

The founder, Eugen Jochum, led the orchestra for eleven years (from 1949 to 1960.) He built up the orchestra completely with top-grade musicians and established the orchestra’s worldwide reputation on its initial foreign tours. Munich audiences have him to thank for incomparable interpretations of Anton Bruckner’s symphonies. Besides Bruckner Eugen Jochum devoted special attention to the performance of sacred music, and also made regular appearances on the podium of musica viva.

Rafael Kubelík, who headed the orchestra for eighteen years (1961 to 1979), remained closely associated with the orchestra as a guest conductor until 1985. He expanded the repertoire to include works by Slavic composers like Smetana, Janáček and Dvořák, as well as spearheading the cause of 20th century composers such as Karl Amadeus Hartmann and conducting the first Mahler cycle with a German orchestra, which was then recorded. His impulsive, emotional approach to music won the hearts of all the musicians and made the Kubelík era one of the most fruitful ones in the history of the ensemble.

When his already designated successor Kyrill Kondrashin died unexpectedly in Amsterdam, the orchestra turned to Sir Colin Davis, thus gaining a recognized Berlioz specialist as chief conductor (1983 to 1992), who likewise proved an excellent advocate for the Viennese Classical Era as well as the works of English composers, especially Edward Elgar, Michael Tippett and Ralph Vaughan Williams.

From 1993 to 2002 Lorin Maazel led the Symphonieorchester. He set new styles of programming by performing cycles of symphonic works by Beethoven (1995 and 2000), Brahms (1998), Bruckner (1999) and Schubert (2001). He took his leave of his orchestra with a Mahler cycle in 2002.

A new and mutually pleasurable chapter in the history of the Symphonieorchester began in October of 2003 when the acknowledged favorite candidate of all the musicians, Mariss Jansons, assumed his post as the new Chief Conductor of the Chor and the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks. In no time, he succeeded in creating an atmosphere of the highest artistic standards and a close emotional tie with the orchestra. He regularly received enthusiastic reviews both for his concerts in Munich and the many guest appearances in the leading musical capitals of Europe, America and Japan. Mariss Jansons placed particular emphasis on the works of Beethoven, Bruckner, Mahler, Strauss and Shostakovich. This era, which was particularly fulfilling and significant for both sides, ended with his death on December 1, 2019.

Mariss Jansons continued to expand the orchestra’s vast discography with a high number of CD releases. Completing his Shostakovich cycle with various major orchestras, the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks contributed Symphonies Nos. 2, 3, 4, 12, 13 and 14. The recording of the 13th Symphony received a Grammy in the category of “Best Orchestral Performance.” Since 2009, the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks has been releasing CD’s and DVD’s on Bavarian Broadcasting’s own label, BR-KLASSIK.

In a number of different surveys of music critics, the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks has numbered among the top ten orchestras in the world, in the 2008 orchestra ranking by the British music magazine “Gramophone” (6th place) and in the Japanese music magazine “Mostly Classic” in 2010 (4th place).

The Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks got awarded the “Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik” (Award of German Record’s Review) for Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 conducted by Andris Nelsons. In February 2016, the production of the “Missa solemnis” by Ludwig van Beethoven under the direction of Bernard Haitink was nominated for the GRAMMY with choir and symphony orchestra of the Bayerischer Rundfunk. For the recording of the 3rd Symphony by Gustav Mahler under the direction of Bernard Haitink, the orchestra was awarded the BBC Music Award in April 2018. The recording of Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8, conducted by Mariss Jansons received the “Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik” in 2018. Rachmaninoff’s “The Bells”, directed by Mariss Jansons, was awarded in April 2018 by the British “Gramophone Magazine” and the French magazine “Diapason d’Or”. The recording of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10 conducted by Mariss Jansons received the “Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik” (Award of German Record’s Review) in 2020.

Mariss Jansons conducted his last concert with the BRSO on November 8, 2019 at the Carnegie Hall in New York. Just a few weeks later, on December 1, 2019, Mariss Jansons passed away in St. Petersburg at the age of 76.

On January 3, 2021, Sir Simon Rattle signed an initial five-year contract as the new Chief Conductor of the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks and the Bavarian Radio Chorus beginning with the 2023/24 concert season. The conductor, who is appreciated worldwide for his artistic seriousness, compelling charisma, openness and versatility, made his debut with the BR Chorus and BRSO in 2010 with Schumann’s “Paradise and the Peri”. Right from the very beginning, Simon Rattle and the musicians of the BRSO have enjoyed an extraordinarily deep musical understanding, so that the musicians of both ensembles voted overwhelmingly in favor of Simon Rattle as their new chief conductor.

Booklet for Mahler: 10 Symphonien