A Mahler 1st Symphony Of Great Clarity and Emotion from Gergiev & LSO Having demonstrated that he is among our foremost interpreters of Shostakovich, eminent conductor Valery Gergiev has embarked on a potentially great Mahler symphony cycle with the London Symphony Orchestra as its new principal conductor for the orchestra's LSO Live label. A musical journey that shouldn't surprise long-time listeners and admirers of Gergiev's conducting, especially when Shostakovich expressed his own artistic debt to Mahler's genius for melody and orchestration throughout his fourteen symphonies. Gergiev's exceptional interpretation of the Mahler 1st Symphony is one that shall be remembered for its great clarity and emotional depth. All Gergiev asks of his new orchestra is superb intonation and fidelity to Mahler's intentions; needless to say we are treated to a sonic spectacular quite removed from the overwrought emotional richness of a late career Leonard Bernstein; instead, in its crisp, steady unfolding, Gergiev's interpretation most closely resembles Bernard Haitink's in its clarity, sonic richness and fidelity to Mahler. Under the exceptional technical stewardship of LSO Live producer James Mallinson and his team, live Barbican concert performances recorded earlier this year (January 2008) truly resemble most closely a well-miked studio recording.
Gergiev adheres to brisk tempi throughout the score, emphasizing the vibrant qualities of the lieder melodies which Mahler borrowed from his own songs, especially heard in the main theme of the first movement, which is taken from the second song in Mahler's "Songs of a Wayfarer" four song cycle. The second movement is a brash, bold landler (a close, but coarse, country kin to the refined Viennese waltz) that borrows a theme from an earlier song. In stark contrast, the third movement is a triumphant funeral march, whose core melody is the familiar Frere Jacques tune from childhood. Finally this too passes in a concluding fourth movement that briefly revisits the main themes from the preceding three in a musical maelstrom, before concluding in a hopeful brass fanfare of almost Wagnerian proportions. It is truly one of Gergiev's great gifts as a conductor that he coaxes refined, quite elegant, playing from the winds and brass, as well as the strings. Without a doubt this latest recording of the Mahler 1st Symphony promises to be a serious contender as a definitive recording for classical music fans, worthy of comparison to relatively recent recordings made not only by Bernard Haitink, but Pierre Boulez, David Zinman, and Claudio Abbado too.
Terrific! Valery Gergiev, like Carlos Kleiber, is considered famous for his painstakingly ingenious phrasing. No where is that claim better evidenced than in this CD. I had once reviewed MTT's wonderful interpretation of this very same symphony, extolling his CD as a wonderful interpretation, however Gergiev and the entire LSO have taken my breath away. This interpretation is far more directed and pointed than MTT's while retaining the same level of exactness from the performers. Clearly Gergiev shows us that he has an idea of where this symphony is going, and just what is important to that telos. Especially impressive is the last movement. Gergeiv here brings to life not only that exultation that a symphony is a world unto itself, but also catches the idea of being a thunderstorm and battle between hero and tribulations.
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