Messages

Well, it is not all too complicated. ALL commercially available recordings of the "original version" are just the well known final version with Blumine added.

Then there are a few recordings of the "Hamburg version", which is tedious, as there are at least 3 Hamburg versions: the one Mahler brought to Hamburg (a heavily corrected "Budapest version"), the one which was actually played in Hamburg, and one with further corrections after the Hamburg concert - which seems to be close or even identical to the so called "Weimar version"; the last one has been recently published by the Mahler society and therefore has been recently played there and then (e.g. Hengelbrock recording); it is thus the last version before the structural change of the symphony from 5 to 4 movements. Denham does not make this clear in his survey and seems not to really know what he is talking about (e.g. dismissing the Hemus recording as bad and ignoring the fact that of the 3 "Hamburg" versions this uses probably the earliest one).

Of the Budapest version, only movements 1, 3, 5 exist. The two youtube performances (Wulff and Werner) use these movements and try to reconstruct mvmts 2 & 4 from the earliest Hamburg version (which is not easy, as things were mostly written on top of each other) - you may decide how successful. Anyway, the last version of Mahler 1 is so much better than the earlier ones...

According to my experience, what Hurwitz says is in no way correlated to what I hear. In my opinion he just talks ANYTHING and I often wonder if he has even listened to the CDs he reviews...

I bought the set and was rather disappointed, too. So many things missing...

The synthesizer "Sonnenflammen" were done during Corona and this production was some sort of protest against cultural lockdown. Well, it was worth the try, but of course this never should have been published as DVD...

I ask myself if AI will soon be able to create good recordings out of (possibly handwritten) scores. This would be a great possibility to listen to unsung music which would otherwise never be performed or recorded (e.g. the much too big operas of Wayditch).

Unfortunately, Sokhiev is possibly the worst of all living conductors...

In this CD box are included the recording of the first live performance in Barcelona 2019 and the following studio production of Scherber 3, both with Schlüren conducting. Unfortunately, Schlüren needs 67 minutes compared with the 54 minutes of Lampson (col legno) and Scherber's own historical recording with piano. For me, this does not at all work and makes the recording VERY boring and tame. So, stick with Lampson's recording to get the full insanity and astonishing drive of Scherber 3.

The above mentioned concert will be broadcast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001r96x

I am not really happy with this release of the live recording of de Hartmann's cello concerto, as I had assumed that a studio recording (with the same forces) had been planned, maybe together with another work to make up for a full CD. So, does this mean that the "Thomas de Hartmann project" has come to a stop? But maybe I am too pessimistic...
By the way, in a few days a concert including a suite from de Hartmann's once successful ballet "Scarlet Flower" is due to be streamed: https://bsolive.com/events/rachmaninovs-rhapsody-poole

I agree wholeheartedly. I appreciate nearly all of de Hartmann's orchestral works released so far (see https://thomasdehartmannproject.com), but the Symphonie-Poème No.1 is the most remarkable piece we've got to know. I am looking forward to hearing No.2, whenever this will be recorded...

I knew Deshevov only for his great (and highly modernistic) opera "Ice and Steel". The pieces presented here are from his "socialist realism" period and as such more conventional but very crisp and enjoyable, more classicistic than romantic. Thanks for uploading this wonderful rarities, I am looking forward to repeated listenings!

I could have sworn that there existed a cpo-recording of Weigl's symphony 3 (combined with the final slow movement of symphony 4), but neither do I find it in my CD shelves nor in the internet. So my brain seems to play me a truly cruel prank...

Anyway, I have a strong feeling that Karl Weigl is more a master of small forms, whereas his symphonies appear to me rather pointless.

"How might Beethoven have written the alternative instrumental Finale of the 9th?" - well, we know the answer: not at all.

"I'm pretty sure they would have regarded themselves as Ukrainian by origin and culture."

This is exactly my point: Bortkiewicz and Gliere would definitely NOT have regarded themselves as Ukrainian, whereas Lyssenko and Lyatoshinsky surely/probably would.

Excusez-moi, but calling Bortkiewicz or Gliere "Ukrainian composers" is ridiculous, as it would be to call Mahler a Czech composer (with the difference that Czechia sort of existed then, whereas Ukraine did not).