Gustav Mahler, if Ajax wins or not.

A few matches remained, and football club Ajax was set to become Dutch football champion. At least, that was the plan. The Museumplein in Amsterdam, near the Rijksmuseum, had been saved for the famous Mahler Festival, an Amsterdam tradition since 1920. But because of the expected celebration of Ajax's championship, the public part of the festival was moved to Vondelpark.

And then... Ajax started losing all its matches. Now, on May 13th, there's a real chance they won't win the championship after all, making all the fuss about nothing.

At least we still have Spotify. While looking through playlists, I found this varied collection of Mahler works with different performers from different time periods, all giving top-notch performances. The collection even includes a recording of Carl Maria von Weber's opera "Die drei Pintos," which Gustav Mahler finished after Weber's death.

I hope you will enjoy this playlist! 

Gustav Mahler, the complete works:

Gustav Symphony No. 1 in D Major "Titan"

Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Bruno Walter
Recorded: 14, 21 January & 4, 6 February 1961
Recording Venue: American Legion Hall, Hollywood, United States

Track 01 Langsam, schleppend
Track 02 Kräftig bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell
Track 03 Feierlich und gemessen, ohne zu schleppen
Track 04 Stürmisch bewegt

Symphony No. 2 in C Minor "Resurrection"

Charlotte Margiono (soprano), Jard van Nes (alto)
Saxon State Opera Chorus, Dresden, Staatskapelle Dresden, Dresdner Philharmoniker
Bernard Haitink
Recorded: 13 February 1995
Recording Venue: Semperoper, Dresden, Germany

Track 05 Allegro maestoso
Track 06 Andante moderato
Track 07 In ruhig fließender Bewegung
Track 08 Urlicht. Sehr feierlich, aber schlicht
Track 09 Finale. Im Tempo des Scherzos

Symphony No. 3 in D Minor

Dennis Egan (posthorn), Helen Watts (contralto), Denis Wick (trombone)
Highgate School Choir, London Symphony Orchestra
Jascha Horenstein
Recorded: 16 November 1961
Recording Venue: Royal Festival Hall, London, United Kingdom

Track 10 Kräftig. Entschieden (Live)
Track 11 Tempo di menuetto. Sehr mäßig (Live)
Track 12 Comodo. Scherzando. Ohne Hast (Live)
Track 13 Sehr langsam. Misterioso (Live)
Track 14 Lustig im Tempo und keck im Ausdruck (Live)
Track 15 Langsam. Ruhevoll. Empfunden (Live)

Symphony No. 4 in G Major

Eva Csapó (soprano)
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg
Klaus Tennstedt
Recorded: September 1976

Track 16 Bedächtig, nicht eilen
Track 17 In gemächlicher Bewegung, ohne Hast
Track 18 Ruhevoll, poco adagio
Track 19 Sehr behaglich

Symphony No. 5 in C-Sharp Minor

NDR Sinfonieorchester
Klaus Tennstedt
Recorded: 19 May 1980
Recording Venue: Laeiszhalle Hamburg, Germany

Track 20 Trauermarsch
Track 21 Stürmisch bewegt, mit größter Vehemenz
Track 22 Scherzo
Track 23 Adagietto
Track 24 Rondo-Finale

Symphony No. 6 in A Minor "Tragic"

New York Philharmonic
Dimitri Mitropoulos
Recorded: 10 April 1955
Recording Venue: Live recording, New York, United States

Track 25 Allegro energico, ma non troppo. Heftig, aber markig (Live)
Track 26 Andante moderato (Live)
Track 27 Scherzo. Wuchtig (Live)
Track 28 Finale. Sostenuto - Allegro moderato - Allegro energico (Live)

Symphony No. 7 in E Minor

SWR Sinfonieorchester des Südwestrundfunks
Hans Rosbaud
Recorded: 20 February 1957
Recording Venue: Baden-Baden, Germany

Track 29 Langsam - Allegro con fuoco
Track 30 Nachtmusik. Allegro moderato
Track 31 Scherzo. Schattenhaft
Track 32 Nachtmusik. Andante amoroso
Track 33 Rondo - Finale

Kindertotenlieder

Brigitte Fassbaender (mezzo-soprano)
NDR Sinfonieorchester
Klaus Tennstedt
Recorded: 11 November 1980
Recording Venue: Kieler Schloß, Germany

Track 34 No. 1, Nun will die Sonn' so hell aufgeh'n
Track 35 No. 2, Nun seh' ich wohl
Track 36 No. 3, Wenn dein Mütterlein
Track 37 No. 4, Oft denk' ich, sie sind nur ausgegangen
Track 38 No. 5, In diesem Wetter

Symphony No. 8 in E-Flat Major "Symphony of a Thousand"

Frances Yeend (soprano), Uta Gräf (soprano), Camilla Williams (soprano), Martha Lipton (mezzo-soprano), Louis Bernhardt (vocals), Eugene Conley (alto), Carlos Alexander (baritone), George London (bass)
Schola Cantorium, Westminster Choir, Public School No. 12 Boys Choir, New York Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra
Leopold Stokowski

Track 39 Pt. 1, Veni, Creator Spiritus (Live)
Track 40 Pt. 2, Final Scene from Faust (Live)

Symphony No. 9 in D Major

Staatskapelle Dresden
Giuseppe Sinopoli
Recorded: 6 April 1997
Recording Venue: Semperoper Dresden, Germany

Track 41 Andante comodo (Live)
Track 42 Im Tempo eines gemächlichen Ländlers. Etwas täppisch und sehr derb (Live)
Track 43 Rondo-Burleske. Allegro assai (Live)
Track 44 Adagio. Sehr langsam und noch zurückhaltend (Live)

Symphony No. 10 in F-Sharp Minor

Wiener Staatsoper
Hermann Scherchen

Track 45 Adagio. Andante

Des Knaben Wunderhorn (1899 version)

Diana Damrau (soprano), Ivan Paley (baritone), Stephan Matthias Lademann (piano)

Track 46 No. 2, Verlor'ne Müh (Version for Voice & Piano)

Lieder und Gesänge, Book 2

Ivan Paley (baritone), Stephan Matthias Lademann (piano), Diana Damrau (soprano)
Recorded: May, September 2003
Recording Venue: Telos Music Studios, Mechernich-Floisdorf, Germany

Track 47 No. 1, Um schlimme Kinder artig zu machen
Track 48 No. 4, Starke Einbildungskraft

Lieder und Gesänge, Book 3

Ivan Paley (baritone), Stephan Matthias Lademann (piano)

Track 49 No. 5, Selbstgefühl

5 Humoresken

Track 50 No. 4, Das himmlische Leben

Songs from "Des Knaben Wunderhorn"

Track 51 No. 8, Lied des Verfolgten im Turm (Version for Voice & Piano)

Lieder und Gesänge, Book 3

Diana Damrau (soprano)
Recorded: May, September 2003
Recording Venue: Telos Music Studios, Mechernich-Floisdorf, Germany

Track 52 No. 4, Nicht wiedersehen!
Track 53 No. 3, Scheiden und Meiden
Track 54 No. 1, Zu Strassburg auf der Schanz

Songs from "Des Knaben Wunderhorn"

Track 55 No. 3, Trost im Unglück (Version for Voice & Piano)

Lieder und Gesänge, Book 2

Track 56 No. 3, Aus! Aus!

Lieder und Gesänge, Book 3

Track 57 No. 2, Ablösung im Sommer

Songs from "Des Knaben Wunderhorn"

Recorded: May, September 2003
Recording Venue: Telos Music Studios, Mechernich-Floisdorf, Germany

Track 58 No. 6, Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt (Version for Voice & Piano)
Track 59 No. 7, Rheinlegendchen (Version for Voice & Piano)

Lieder und Gesänge, Book 2

Track 60 No. 2, Ich ging mit Lust durch einen grünen Wald

Songs from "Des Knaben Wunderhorn"

Recorded: May, September 2003
Recording Venue: Telos Music Studios, Mechernich-Floisdorf, Germany

Track 61 No. 10, Lob des hohen Verstandes
Track 62 No. 4, Wer hat dies Liedlein erdacht?
Track 63 No. 11a, Revelge (1901 Revision)
Track 64 No. 9, Wo die schönen Trompeten blasen
Track 65 No. 1, Der Schildwache Nachtlied
Track 66 No. 12a, Der Tamboursg'sell (1901 Revision)
Track 67 No. 5, Das irdische Leben
Track 68 No. 12, Es sungen drei Engel
Track 69 No. 11, Urlicht

Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen

Mildred Miller (mezzo-soprano)
Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Bruno Walter
Recorded: 30 June and 1 July 1960
Recording Venue: American Legion Hall, Hollywood, United States

Track 70 No. 1, Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht
Track 71 No. 2, Ging heut' morgen ubers Feld
Track 72 No. 3, Ich hab' ein glühend Messer
Track 73 No. 4, Die zwei blauen Augen von meinem Schatz

Lieder und Gesänge, Book 1

Dési Halban (soprano), Bruno Walter (piano)
Recorded: 16 December 1947
Recording Venue: Los Angeles, United States

Track 74 No. 2, Erinnerung
Track 75 No. 3, Hans und Grete
Track 76 No. 1, Frühlingsmorgen

Rückert-Lieder

Kathleen Ferrier (contralto)
Wiener Philharmoniker
Bruno Walter
Recorded: 20 May 1952
Recording Venue: Wien, Grosser Saal, Musikverein, Austria

Track 77 No. 5, Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen
Track 78 No. 1, Ich atmet' einen linden Duft
Track 79 No. 6, Um Mitternacht

Das Lied von der Erde

James McCracken (tenor), Hertha Töpper (alto)
WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln
Sir Georg Solti
Recorded: 1961

Track 80 No. 1, Das Trinklied vom Jammer der Erde
Track 81 No. 2, Der Einsame im Herbst
Track 82 No. 3, Von der Jugend
Track 83 No. 4, Von der Schönheit
Track 84 No. 5, Der Trunkene im Frühling
Track 85 No. 6, Der Abschied

Blumine (original 2nd movement of Symphony No. 1)

Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra
Michael Halász

Track 86 Blumine (First Version of Symphony No. 1, Mvt. 2)

Das klagende Lied

Gundula Janowitz (soprano), Sonja Draksler (alto), Julius Patzak (tenor)
Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien, Chor des Österreichischen Rundfunks
Kurt Richter
Recorded: 1960
Recording Venue: Vienna, Austria

Track 87 Orchestral Prelude
Track 88 Beim Weidenbaum
Track 89 Ein Spielmann zog einst des Weges daher
Track 90 Ach Spielmann, lieber Spielmann mein
Track 91 Von hohen Felsen
Track 92 Was ist der Konig
Track 93 Ach Spielmann, lieber Spielmann mein!
Track 94 Ach Bruder, lieber Bruder mein!

Das Lied von der Erde (Version for Voice & Piano)

Robert Dean Smith (tenor), Stephan Matthias Lademann (piano), Ivan Paley (baritone)
Recorded: March and April 2005
Recording Venue: Telos Music, Studios, Mechernich-Floisdorf, Germany

Track 95 I. Das Trinklied vom Jammer der Erde
Track 96 II. Der Einsame im Herbst
Track 97 III. Der Pavillon aus Porzellan
Track 98 IV. Am Ufer
Track 99 V. Der Trinker im Frühling
Track 100 VI. Der Abschied

Die drei Pintos, J. Anh. 5, Act I (Completed G. Mahler)

Eric Shaw (tenor), Ales Jenis (baritone), Alessandro Svab (bass), Sinéad Campbell (soprano), Stewart Kempster (bass)
Wexford Festival Opera Chorus, National Philharmonic Orchestra
Paolo Arrivabeni
Recorded: 22, 25, 28 & 31 October 2003
Recording Venue: Theatre Royal, High Street, Wexford, Ireland

Track 101 Leeret die Becher, mutige Zecher! [Live]
Track 102 Was ich dann tu', das frag' ich mich [Live]
Track 103 Ei, wer hätte das gedacht! [Live]
Track 104 Leise weht' es, leise wallte [Live]
Track 105 Wir, die den Musen dienen [Live]
Track 106 Also frisch das Werk begonnen! [Live]
Track 107 Auf das Wohlergeh'n der Gäste! [Live]

Die drei Pintos, J. Anh. 5, Act II (Completed G. Mahler)

Barbara Zechmeister (soprano), Sophie Marilley (mezzo-soprano), Robert Holzer (bass), Peter Furlong (tenor)
Recorded: 22, 25, 28 & 31 October 2003
Recording Venue: Theatre Royal, High Street, Wexford, Ireland

Track 108 Entr'acte [Live]
Track 109 Wisst ihr nicht, was wir hier sollen? [Live]
Track 110 Höchste Lust ist treues Lieben! [Live]
Track 111 Ach, wenn das du doch vermochtest! [Live]
Track 112 Ja, das Wort, ich will es sprechen [Live]
Track 113 Geschwind nur von hinnen! [Live]

Die drei Pintos, J. Anh. 5, Act III (Completed G. Mahler)

Recorded: 22, 25, 28 & 31 October 2003
Recording Venue: Theatre Royal, High Street, Wexford, Ireland

Track 114 Schmücket die Halle mit Blüten und Zweigen [Live]
Track 115 Nun, da sind wir [Live]
Track 116 Mädchen, ich leide heiße Liebespein! [Live]
Track 117 Ein Mädchen verloren, was macht man sich d'raus? [Live]
Track 118 Ihr, der so edel [Live]
Track 119 Habt ihr es denn schon vernommen? [Live]
Track 120 Mit lieblichen Blumen, mit duftenden Blüten [Live]
Track 121 Was wollt Ihr? [Live]
Track 122 Heil sei Euch, Don Pantaleone! [Live]

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/65ReDauSeVJ6fnUnpGG5FQ?si=3c6547cf994c4809

(Http link to the 19 Hours 04 minutes playlist!)

Remember the days when you went broke buying full-price CD’s?

A closet full of CD’s. Full price CD’s, all bought around 1995. That is what I saw in a house in Leiden, the Netherlands. At 22 euro per CD, this collection costed the owner tens of thousands of Euro’s. And now all sold for one euro per CD, only 20 years later…

And I remembered that as a student I bought 2 CD boxes that made me broke at that time. 99 Dutch guilders (around 45 euro) for a double CD with Messiaen and 88 guilders for Mahler 7. 

And now, for 10 euro per month, I can share these CD’s (and many, many more) with you.

Much has changed…

Fine performances, by the way. The Dutch composer Diepenbrock was a close friend of Mahler and Richard Strauss, who met each other regular.

Odd enough, the 1976 Quatuor pour la fin du temps with siegfried Palm and Aloys Kontarsky was replaced in the re-issue of my original 1987 CD with the 1969 performance below. But that groundbreaking record is a good replacement. 

Hope you will enjoy this cheap playlist ;-)

Alphons Diepenbrock (1862-1921)

Track 01 Im grossen Schweigen (1905)

Håkan Hagegård, Baritone

Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)

Track 02-06 Symphony no 7 in e minor (1904-1905)

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

Riccardo Chailly, conductor

Rec 1994

Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992)

Track 07-16 Turangalîla-Symphonie (1946-48)

Peter Donohoe, Piano 

Tristan Murail, Ondes Martenot

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra 

Simon Rattle, conductor

Rec 1986

Track 17-24 Quatuor pour la fin du temps (1940)

Gervase de Peyer, Clarinet

William Pleeth, Cello 

Erich Gruenberg, Violin

Michel Béroff, Piano

Rec 1969

https://open.spotify.com/user/otterhouse/playlist/1dj8pgp2ipCCNzDZq1toGz?si=n63RWn5VTCey0a-O8WaCXg

My copy of Mahler 7

Big Orchestra Sound (and past Gramophone Award winners) on Spotify

“Let there be no doubt, Franz Schmidt’s Fourth (1933) is one of the finest of 20th-century symphonies”, the Gramophone magazine wrote about the last of the four symphonies by the Austrian composer Franz Schmidt (1874-1939). When I was I Czechoslovakia, in the early 1990’s, I discovered the symphony cycle by conductor L'udovít Rajter on the Opus label (cheaper than a bottle of milk) and was mesmerized by the music. The recording by Franz Welser-Most and the London Philharmonic orchestra is even better and received a Gramophone award in 1995. 

“I could go on, but this is the finest of the Tennstedt cycle and one of the superlative Mahler performances on record.” said  the Gramophone magazine in 1987 about this CD. The recording by Tennstedt won also the Gramophone award that year. After the initial praise, the recording seems to be a bit forgotten. A fine rediscovery on Spotify. 

Hope you will enjoy these works as well! 

Franz Schmidt (1874-1939)

Track 01-04 Symphony no 4 in C major (1932-3)

Track 05-11 Variations on a Husar song (1930-1)

London Symphony Orchestra

Franz Welser-Möst, conductor

Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)

Track 12-29 Symphony no 8 in Eb major, “Symphonie der Tausend” (1906-7)

Elizabeth Connell (Soprano I),

 Edith Wiens (Soprano II), 

Felicity Lott (Soprano), 

Trudeliese Schmidt (Alt I), 

Nadine Denize (Alt II), 

Richard Versalle (Tenor), J

orma Hynninen (Bariton), 

Hans Sotin (Bass), 

Tiffin School Boys' Choir, 

London Philharmonic Choir, 

David Hill (Organ), 

London Philharmonic Orchestra, 

Klaus Tennstedt, conductor

https://open.spotify.com/user/otterhouse/playlist/1sOGwIxsqia537Jg7KqMP6

(Webplayer link)

Gustav Mahler Symphony no 14 (1950) “Quickening” Spotify

"When the 89-year-old Gustav Mahler attended a performance of Messiaen's Turangalîla Symphony, the old man was moved by the energy and spirit of the young French symphonic composer. Mahler's own 11th, were 12th and 13th symphony, in retrospect, an artistic disappointment, despite the approval and popularity that these backward-looking works gained. Mahler was so inspired by Messiaen that he, having virtually nothing composed for twenty years, picked up his pen once more and wrote his 14th symphony. Mahler reverted hereby to his 10th symphony, which he, after having recovered from serious heart problems, premiered in 1911. The dissonant chord stacks and slender treatment of the opening movement, were combined with the rhythm and lyricism he had heard at the Turangalîla. Mahler already had worked with children's choirs (3rd) and Latin texts (8th) in his symphonies and also in his 14th symphony those were used to give the serenity that he wanted to express in the late 1940’s.

Where the 10th symphony is a cry of despair to the world, the 14th Symphony is a conclusion of a new beginning. Mahler nicknamed his 14th symphony “Quickening". The title,” Mahler explained, “refers explicitly to the instant of conception, ‘the quickening of seed that will become ripe grain’ – or the moment that a woman first feels her baby kick.” Eventually Gustav Mahler wrote with his 14th symphony a worthy farewell to a series of symphonies which gave him a seat of honor between the 20th century composers.”

Ok, just dream on with me ;-)

But this is what came in to my mind when I first heard Quickening by the Scottisch composer James MacMillan. Mahler who already could hear Messiaen…

Gustav Mahler (1860-1951)

Symphony no 10 (1911) 

Bournemouth symphony orchestra

Simon Rattle, conductor

Olivier Messiaen (1908-1991)

Turangalîla symphony (1946-48)

Peter Donohoe, Piano

Tristan Murail, Ondes Martenot

City of Birmingham orchestra

Simon Rattle, conductor

Gustav Mahler (1860-1951)

Symphony no 14 (1950) “Quickening”

(James MacMillan, b 1959, Quickening (1998))

Hilliard Ensemble

City of Birmingham orchestra

James MacMillan, conductor

https://open.spotify.com/user/otterhouse/playlist/4JRbuxDmlu4ztW4rvijjKe (Webplayer link)