MusicWeb International One of the most grown-up review sites around 2024
60,000 reviews
... and still writing ...

Search MusicWeb Here Acte Prealable Polish CDs
 

Presto Music CD retailer
 
Founder: Len Mullenger                                    Editor in Chief:John Quinn             


Some items
to consider

new MWI
Current reviews

old MWI
pre-2023 reviews

paid for
advertisements

Acte Prealable Polish recordings

Forgotten Recordings
Forgotten Recordings
All Forgotten Records Reviews

TROUBADISC
Troubadisc Weinberg- TROCD01450

All Troubadisc reviews


FOGHORN Classics

Alexandra-Quartet
Brahms String Quartets

All Foghorn Reviews


All HDTT reviews


Songs to Harp from
the Old and New World


all Nimbus reviews



all tudor reviews


Follow us on Twitter


Editorial Board
MusicWeb International
Founding Editor
   
Rob Barnett
Editor in Chief
John Quinn
Contributing Editor
Ralph Moore
Webmaster
   David Barker
Postmaster
Jonathan Woolf
MusicWeb Founder
   Len Mullenger

REVIEW


Advertising on
Musicweb


Donate and keep us afloat

 

New Releases

Naxos Classical
All Naxos reviews

Chandos recordings
All Chandos reviews

Hyperion recordings
All Hyperion reviews

Foghorn recordings
All Foghorn reviews

Troubadisc recordings
All Troubadisc reviews



all Bridge reviews


all cpo reviews

Divine Art recordings
Click to see New Releases
Get 10% off using code musicweb10
All Divine Art reviews


All Eloquence reviews

Lyrita recordings
All Lyrita Reviews

 

Wyastone New Releases
Obtain 10% discount

Subscribe to our free weekly review listing

 

 

 

alternatively
MDT AmazonUK AmazonUS

Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911)
Symphony No. 5 in C sharp minor (1902)
London Philharmonic Orchestra/Klaus Tennstedt
rec. ‘live’ 13 December 1988, Royal Festival Hall, London
Region Code: 0; Picture Format: 4:3; DVD Format: NTSC
ICA CLASSICS ICAD 5041 [76:09]

Experience Classicsonline



This performance has been available in audio format for quite some time. I acquired it as an EMI CD ages ago (CDC 7 49888 2) and have always regarded it extremely highly. Recently, I see it was included in a boxed set of Tennstedt’s Mahler recordings which was enthusiastically greeted by Ralph Moore. Unlike Ralph, I’ve not heard the conductor’s earlier, 1978 studio version though I was interested to see that Ralph expressed a preference for that version. That, I can well imagine, is tidier – I note that it was set down over three separate and quite widely-spaced sets of sessions, whereas the version captured here is truly live, with no opportunities for re-takes or edits. Actually, given Ralph’s comments I think it was enlightened of EMI to include live and studio versions of several symphonies in that set.

The present live version documents Tennstedt’s final performance of this symphony in London and it is, in a word, superb even if there are a few minor slips along the way that would have been corrected under studio conditions. I can honestly say, however, that in terms of errors there’s nothing to mar the enjoyment of the performance and I doubt very much if Tennstedt and his hugely committed players would have been able to recreate quite the same electricity in the studio. Incidentally, it’s worth recording, I think, just how demonstrably committed are the members of the LPO not just to the music but also to their former Music Director. At the end the applause given by the players to Tennstedt is very warm indeed; it seems to go way beyond conventional courtesy, indicating genuine respect and affection.

Typically, Tennstedt digs deep right from the very start of I. The funeral march is broadly conceived but, for me, the pacing is ideal. It’s a gripping reading from start to finish, full of tension, with every detail precisely weighted. In II there is, again, great intensity. At times the music is scalding but Tennstedt also relaxes where it’s appropriate.

The reading of the big central scherzo is extrovert, even ebullient and Tennstedt gives the lyrical passages their full value. The unnamed principal horn player is excellent – to be honest he deserved to be credited but neither ICA, nor EMI on the CD release, does so. Tennstedt dispenses with his baton for the Adagietto and instead conducts with very expressive hands. It’s a slow and deeply felt reading and the LPO strings – and the harpist – are wonderfully eloquent. Those who believe that Tennstedt’s Mahler is hyper-intense and full of angst should watch him conduct the finale. I wouldn’t say he’s wreathed in smiles – that wasn’t his nature – but the conductor, though still intensely wrapped up in the music, gives every indication of enjoying himself. Certainly, he leads a virtuoso performance that’s exuberant and full of energy. As the end approaches the great chorale shines brilliantly and the conclusion of the symphony is tumultuous – as is the ovation that follows.

At the end Tennstedt was clearly spent but also delighted both with his orchestra’s response and with the huge ovation from the audience. Yet his reaction shows, above all, humility; this great Mahler interpreter was no showman but, rather, put himself at the service of the music.

For some reason it appears that the BBC waited three years after the performance before broadcasting it in December 1991. I may have seen that broadcast – or a subsequent repeat – because I’ve seen this performance before but the extra definition of the DVD pictures is very rewarding The BBC camerawork is excellent – as is the picture quality and the shrewd and sympathetic approach of director Kriss Rumanis means that viewers get an excellent perspective on Tennstedt at work though the photography is never obtrusive.

As I viewed this DVD I glanced at the booklet and found that, by sheer coincidence, I was watching on 13 December, in other words twenty-three years to the day since this performance was given. Somehow that seemed rather fitting. Klaus Tennstedt was a great Mahler conductor and this DVD is a splendid visual record of him directing a blazing performance of the Fifth Symphony.

John Quinn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


EXPLORE MUSICWEB INTERNATIONAL

Making a Donation to MusicWeb

Writing CD reviews for MWI

About MWI
Who we are, where we have come from and how we do it.

Site Map

How to find a review

How to find articles on MusicWeb
Listed in date order

Review Indexes
   By Label
      Select a label and all reviews are listed in Catalogue order
   By Masterwork
            Links from composer names (eg Sibelius) are to resource pages with links to the review indexes for the individual works as well as other resources.

Themed Review pages

Jazz reviews

 

Discographies
   Composer
      Composer surveys
   National
      Unique to MusicWeb -
a comprehensive listing of all LP and CD recordings of given works
.
Prepared by Michael Herman

The Collector’s Guide to Gramophone Company Record Labels 1898 - 1925
Howard Friedman

Book Reviews

Complete Books
We have a number of out of print complete books on-line

Interviews
With Composers, Conductors, Singers, Instumentalists and others
Includes those on the Seen and Heard site

Nostalgia

Nostalgia CD reviews

Records Of The Year
Each reviewer is given the opportunity to select the best of the releases

Monthly Best Buys
Recordings of the Month and Bargains of the Month

Comment
Arthur Butterworth Writes

An occasional column

Phil Scowcroft's Garlands
British Light Music articles

Classical blogs
A listing of Classical Music Blogs external to MusicWeb International

Reviewers Logs
What they have been listening to for pleasure

Announcements

 

Community
Bulletin Board

Give your opinions or seek answers

Reviewers
Past and present

Helpers invited!

Resources
How Did I Miss That?

Currently suspended but there are a lot there with sound clips


Composer Resources

British Composers

British Light Music Composers

Other composers

Film Music (Archive)
Film Music on the Web (Closed in December 2006)

Programme Notes
For concert organizers

External sites
British Music Society
The BBC Proms
Orchestra Sites
Recording Companies & Retailers
Online Music
Agents & Marketing
Publishers
Other links
Newsgroups
Web News sites etc

PotPourri
A pot-pourri of articles

MW Listening Room
MW Office

Advice to Windows Vista users  
Questionnaire    
Site History  
What they say about us
What we say about us!
Where to get help on the Internet
CD orders By Special Request
Graphics archive
Currency Converter
Dictionary
Magazines
Newsfeed  
Web Ring
Translation Service

Rules for potential reviewers :-)
Do Not Go Here!
April Fools






Untitled Document


Reviews from previous months
Join the mailing list and receive a hyperlinked weekly update on the discs reviewed. details
We welcome feedback on our reviews. Please use the Bulletin Board
Please paste in the first line of your comments the URL of the review to which you refer.