Anton Bruckner; Dmitri Shostakovich; Gustav Mahler - Works (Kurt Sanderling)

Information

Composer: Anton Bruckner; Dmitri Shostakovich; Gustav Mahler

CD1:

• Bruckner - Symphony No. 3 in D minor (1889, ed. Nowak)

CD2:

• Mahler - Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen
• Shostakovich - From Jewish Folk Poetry, Op. 79

Hermann Prey, baritone (Mahler)

Maria Croonen, soprano; Annelies Burmeister, contralto; Peter Schreier, tenor (Shostakovich)

Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra (Bruckner)

Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin (Mahler)

Berlin Symphony Orchestra (Shostakovich)

Kurt Sanderling, conductor

Date: 1965 (Bruckner), 1961 (Mahler), 1968 (Shostakovich)

Label: Berlin Classics

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Review

If one were to characterize Kurt Sanderling's 1965 recording of Bruckner's Third Symphony with the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester in two words, those words would be relentless intensity. These are good words to apply to any performance of Bruckner's Third, also known as the "Symphony of Pauses," because of the composer's frequent application of luftpausen between sections to articulate structure. By holding these pauses too long, the wrong conductor can disturb or even destroy the Third's structure. The right conductor, however, can use these pauses to enhance the structure by making sure that even when paused, the music never stops progressing.

In Sanderling's concentrated interpretation, the intensity of Bruckner's harmonies and the relentless drive of his rhythms make the pauses function as the composer hoped they would: as moments for listeners to catch their breath before the music moves majestically forward. With the deep-toned and rich-textured Leipzig orchestra giving him and the music everything they have, Sanderling turns in a performance of Bruckner's Third worthy to take its place as among the greatest ever recorded.

If one were to characterize Sanderling's 1961 recording of Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with Hermann Prey in two words, however, those words would be overly dramatic. Most of the responsibility for this is the Dutch baritone's, who croons as much as sings, sliding into pitches and bending tempos to suit his histrionic delivery. But Sanderling goes along with him, leading the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin in performances that are slow, sluggish, and dull.

More successful is Sanderling's 1968 recording of Shostakovich's From Jewish Folk Poetry. Performed here by soprano Maria Croonen, alto Annelies Burmeister, and tenor Peter Schreier, the Soviet composer's grim song cycle sounds even more bitterly ironic than usual here, particularly because Sanderling elicits such pungently colored and rhythmically driven playing from the Berliner Sinfonieorchester. On balance, then, this is a set well worth getting by fans of the conductor or by fans of Bruckner and Shostakovich, but not so much for fans of Mahler. Berlin Classics' stereo sound is rough and honest, with a sense of time and place that overcomes its sometimes limited clarity.

-- James Leonard, AllMusic

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anton Bruckner (4 September 1824 – 11 October 1896) was an Austrian composer. His symphonies are considered emblematic of the final stage of Austro-German Romanticism because of their rich harmonic language, strongly polyphonic character, and considerable length. Bruckner composed eleven symphonies, scored for a fairly standard orchestra; his orchestration was modeled after the sound of his primary instrument, the pipe organ. Despite being criticized for their large size and use of repetition, Bruckner's symphonies was greatly admired by subsequent composers, including his friend Gustav Mahler.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Bruckner

***

Dmitri Shostakovich (25 September 1906 – 9 August 1975) was a Russian composer, and a prominent figure of 20th-century music. Shostakovich achieved fame in the Soviet Union, but later had a complex and difficult relationship with the government. Shostakovich's music is characterized by sharp contrasts, elements of the grotesque, and ambivalent tonality; the composer was also heavily influenced by the neo-classical style pioneered by Igor Stravinsky, and by the post-Romanticism associated with Gustav Mahler. Shostakovich's works include 15 symphonies, 15 string quartets, and a substantial quantity of film music.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dmitri_Shostakovich

***

Gustav Mahler (7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austrian composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th century Austro-German tradition and the modernism of the early 20th century. In his lifetime his status as a conductor was established beyond question, but his own music gained wide popularity only after periods of neglect. After 1945, Mahler became one of the most frequently performed and recorded of all composers. Most of his works are very large-scaled, designed for large orchestral forces, symphonic choruses and operatic soloists.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Mahler

***

Kurt Sanderling (19 September 1912 – 17 September 2011) was a German Jewish conductor. He fled the Nazi in 1936, left for Soviet Union. From 1942 to 1960, he was joint principal conductor with Yevgeny Mravinsky of the Leningrad Philharmonic. He was also a close friend of Dmitri Shostakovich. He returned to East Germany where he led the Berlin Symphony Orchestra and Dresden Staatskapelle. He made his British debut in 1970 and later became particularly associated with the Philharmonia Orchestra. Sanderling announced his retirement from conducting in 2002. His three sons are also conductors.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Sanderling

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

FLAC, tracks

Links in comment

Enjoy!