Das Lied Von Der Erde: Amazon.ca: Music

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Performer: Kubelik; Kmentt; Baker; Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Composer: Mahler Gustav
Audio CD (May 7 2010)
Number of Discs: 1
Label: Aud
ASIN: B00006JJ3B

Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #32,693 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, well-rounded performance Aug 28 2003

By Dirge

Format:Audio CD

This well-balanced, finely integrated performance manages to be scrupulous and refined yet flowing and dramatic -- though the drama here is less overt than in some performances, achieved as much through subtle but telling gestures made in an atmosphere of unflagging concentration and tension as through theatricality and dynamic intensity. Kubelik is keenly attuned to the intricately woven nature of the work, and his flexible but faithful conducting is well suited to the task. His ability to logically relate and gracefully transition between even the most disparate of elements allows him to maintain tension and momentum throughout and to impart a fluid-like flow to the music. This performance won't sweep you away, but it moves along with great sureness of purpose and contributes in no small way to the performance's genuinely satisfying sense of continuity and integrity.

The admirably refined and responsive playing of the Bavarian RSO also contributes to this sense, allowing Kubelik to balance musical lines as he pleases without having to analytically highlight delicate lines so that they can be heard above the din of a scrappy orchestra. Their near-faultless playing and chamber-like coordination is all the more remarkable for being accomplished in a live setting and without the slightest hint of cautious holding-back so as not to make a mistake. Indeed, there's an extra measure of involvement and a palpable sense of occasion throughout this performance, with everyone sounding completely sold on Kubelik's interpretation and wholeheartedly determined to put it across to the audience.

Waldemar Kmentt sings with much character and conviction (though not so much as Julius Patzak in the famous Ferrier/Patzak/Walter/VPO recording for Decca), but Kmentt's voice may not be to everyone's liking: it has a slightly airless, cardboard-y tone that doesn't quite fully bloom. For me, the quality of his singing more than compensates for the quality of his voice, but I can well imagine those listeners weaned on, say, Fritz Wunderlich (from the famous Ludwig/Wunderlich/Klemperer/Philharmonia recording for EMI) having a hard time coming to terms with Kmentt's less-than-golden tone.

Janet Baker is in excellent voice and sings better and more purely, I think, than she does for Leppard [BBC Classics] or for Haitink [Philips] in this work. She seems more at home and more involved in Kubelik's interpretation, and she is better integrated into the overall scheme of things. Her interpretation is less overtly emotional than that of Ferrier and some others, and her voice is lighter than I personally prefer in these songs, but I haven't heard anyone sing them more consummately or just plain beautifully.

Though I'm temperamentally more aligned with and still favor the dramatic sweep and emotional trenchancy of Ferrier/Patzak/Walter/VPO [Decca] and the dark, brooding intensity and angst of Hodgson/Mitchinson/Horenstein/BBC Northern SO [BBC Legends] in this work, I'd have to say that it is Kubelik who has produced the most balanced and, Waldemar Kmentt's voice aside, the most sheerly beautiful performance I've heard.

The recorded sound is clean and focused and well balanced, lacking only the last ounce or two of "oomph" in the bottom end of the frequency spectrum. The audience is very quiet.

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32 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A remarkable recording Oct 4 2005

By L. Johan - Published on Amazon.com

Format:Audio CD

If you only want one recording of Mahler's wonderful Das Lied von der Erde, this recording will last for a lifetime. I want to emphasize two points for this view.

First, on this record, Rafael Kubelik is conducting the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Kubelik made this orchestra to become one of the finest Mahler orchestras in the sixties, thus contributing to the Mahler-boom. Kubelik's Mahler was once discarded as lightweight, especially beside Bernstein. Today the opinion is rather that Kubelik provided one of the best representations of the truly Bohemian Mahler while Bernstein's Mahler is too much of Bernstein and less of Mahler. Anyway, it is a marvellous orchestra playing on this disc under a classic Mahler conductor, caught live in their own Herkulessaal in Munich with its excellent acoustics. Sonic quality is also excellent. And the audience is spellbound, completely silent.

Second, the soloists are the very best for this work. The Austrian tenor Waldemar Kmentt is perhaps not the most famous tenor, but he was in his prime during the sixties and early seventies. And his contribution on this record must be compared with Wunderlich and Patzak, as the finest interpreters of tenor part of this work. Few can match the desperate tone he produces in "Das Trinklied". And he is as delicate and charming as Wunderlich is in "Der Trunkene im Fruhling" and "Von Der Jugend". Janet Baker, on the other hand, needs no defence in this context. Together with Christa Ludwig, she is the best voice for Das Lied von der Erde. We have her voice in recordings of this work with Haitink, Kempe, and Leppard, but the evening of the present recording was indeed a special occasion. Her performance is just outstanding, especially of the final movement.

To sum up: A remarkable recording, spaciously recorded, and a great event. Strongly and warmly recommended.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars ditto - a great "DLvdE" Jan 16 2007

By B. Guerrero - Published on Amazon.com

Format:Audio CD

Yep, this is a recording that pretty much has everything going for it. I don't love Kmentt nearly as much as Fritz Wunderlich (Klemperer), but he's far better than most, in dealing with Mahler's grueling tenor writing - juxtaposed against some mighty Wagnerian orchestral writing in the first song. Janet Baker is truly at the top of her game here. Kubelik doesn't put a foot wrong anyplace either. The sonics are very good, but certainly not up to the latest digital standards. Still, when everything else is so right, slightly dated sonics is just isn't a problem. All aspects considered, this recording of "DLvdE" is right up there with the best of them.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The BEST Lied von der Erde ever. Period. Nov 4 2008

By C. Escamilla - Published on Amazon.com

Format:Audio CD

There is no denying that there are some fantastic recordings of this work available. There is also no denying that some less than stellar performances feature many great and memorable moments. But there can be no question that this recording of Das Lied von der Erde is absolutely the very best.

Kubelik, who never recorded the work in the studio, is alive to details and nuances that even Bruno Walter, perhaps the score's greatest conductor, misses. Listen, for example in Der Abschied around the three minute mark as the mezzo sings "O sieh...", to the way Kubelik brings the clarinets to the foreground, matching the mezzo line with a beautiful harmonization that too many conductors miss. Or try Kubelik's having the mandolin tremolo at the end of the same movement in order to make its part resonate more. He really achieves some great and magical moments in this tricky and complex score.

Waldemar Kmentt holds his own pretty well. He's certainly not a match for Wunderlich or Peter Schrier who, in my opinion, gives the greatest performance of the tenor songs, but Kmentt is still very good. He copes admirably well with the first song and its incredibly treacherous range. He also lightens his voice beautifully for the third song. But why in the fifth song, "The Drunkard in Spring", does he not lighten his voice again for the middle, dream section?! This is a glaring error, and it's quite possibly the only major problem with this performance.

The reason it is so crucial for Kmentt to lighten his voice comes in his partner: Janet Baker. Never, including her own other performances, has a mezzo sung the three songs in this work as well as Janet Baker did on this occasion. The examples of quite possibly the finest vocal artistry ever committed to disc are too numerous to mention, but suffice it to say that this performance should serve as a lesson to all singers as to how to interpret a piece of music. She is simply the best, and her performance will leave you speechless.

This recording is simply not to be missed, and it deserves a place of honor on every classical music fan's shelf. It will keep you coming back for a lifetime. Very highly recommended!

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