Sam Kemp wrote:

>I have to admit to being a complete novice as far as Mahler is concerned
>- albeit an appreciative one, I hope - and the name of Jascha Horenstein
>means nothing at all to me.  If it is quantifiable at all, for what reason
>do you prefer his recordings?

For me, I refer you to my Mahler recordings survey where I deal with
Horenstein's Mahler in exhaustive detail.  Basically it comes down to a
near-perfect balance of form and content and a riveting sense of having
grasped every nuance of the score which he then presents in performances
unadorned by overt personal involvement.

>And on which label are they available

Again, refer to my survey, but beware that some of the pirate versions have
now appeared officially on BBC Legends (Mahler 7 and 8, DLVDE, Bruckner
5,8,9).  Other labels to look for him on are Unicorn -Kanchana (Mahler 1,3
and 6), Vox (Mahler 1 and 9), Music & Arts (Mahler 6, 7, DLVDE).  His CFP
Mahler 4 is now available in a superb transfer on Chief Records from an
Internet source.  The problem was that he never recorded with the "majors"
and so many of his greatest recordings come down to us from off air tapes,
released officially and in "bootlegs".

>I've never seen any in our local record shop, although the classical
>selection is not superb in terms of major labels.  There is a good
>selection of Naxos recordings, but obviously one doesn't look there
>for the famous conductors

Don't miss their Bruckner cycle conducted by Georg Tintner.

>On the subject of Decca Legends, I was surprised to see that Bruno Walter
>figures nowhere on your list of recordings - I have always found his
>interpretations to be particularly insight-ful (I don't think that's a
>word....but there we go:-).

Remember that my list (and Deryk's also) were of our very very top choices.
For me Walter is important and would come second or third sometimes.  One
problem is that it all depends on which point in his career you catch him.
He changed as he got older.

>The Decca Legends reference is to the recording of Das Lied which,
>according to their latest release has been remastered to the 96kHz
>standard or somesuch jargon, and will shortly be available.

I'm looking forward to hearing the new transfer.  As I say in my survey
of Das Lied's, I do think that, much as I love that recording, there are
others better.

>The Solti 8th on the same series also caught my attention,
>although I find a couple of passages a bit underpowered.

Solti?  Underpowered????  Which passages?

>I have borrowed the Barbirolli 5th from a friend, and I found it a bit
>wearing to listen to.  The tempi never seem to be quite right, the whole
>seems a bit "baggy", if you will, for the tense, acerbic nature of the
>work.  On the other hand, I went into Derby a while ago whilst feeling
>slightly skint, and purchased a recording by Sir Charles Mackeras for 4.99
>to replace a rather battered old tape (I can't recall the conductor at
>the moment) and found it much better, although it falls down in the second
>section of the first part (Sturmisch bewegt, mit grosster Vehemenz).  Some
>people are never satisfied.........

Mackerras is good.  Even I am troubled by certain aspects of Barbirolli in
the Fifth.  Deryk may have been alluding to the fact that in the concert
hall Barbirolli was often faster.

>To continue with the thread that started this off, and further demonstrate
>my naivete on this particular front, I was mildly wondering why it is that
>"angels fear to tread" in the area of Mahler and Karajan. Of course, fools
>like me just walk in, but......

There are some people for whom Karajan can do no wrong.  There are some for
whom Karajan can do only wrong.  I try to judge each recording/performance
on its merits.  In Mahler I don't think the man should have been allowed
within a hundred miles of a Mahler score.

>Is there some unfortunate historical antecedent that makes this a bit pas
>comme il faut (as in Schuricht's Das Lied recording with the dubious
>aleatory feature of a Nazi activist's anti-semitic [Mahler being a Jew, of
>course] interjection of "Deutschland, uber alles, Herr Schuricht"!)

Just to digress.  The incident in the "live" Schuricht recording you refer
to wasn't really as you describe.  Carl Schuricht was deputising in that
concert for a sick Willem Mengelberg.  WWII had been on just a few weeks
and the woman who called out was Dutch.  The likelihood is that her shout
was meant as an ironic/sarcastic protest at Schuricht's presence in Holland
at that time.  It would be a very odd thing to do for a Nazi supporter and
a very odd thing to call out.  I think "Heil Hitler!" would have been more
approriate for someone like that.  She certainly chose her moment, though
and I remain convinced that it was an anti-Nazi protest not a pro-Nazi
salute.

>...or is the style just a bit off? I find - particularly in the Sixth
>Symphony - that Karajan's skill at bringing out melodic lines (Mahler
>himself said that his way of writing was naturally Bach-like, i.e.
>polyphonic) and rhythmic impetus and drive really lend the work a new
>incisive dimension.  I'm going to keep listening, anyway, for the moment,
>unless Mr.  Horenstein can convince me otherwise......

The problem with Karajan in Mahler is that the sound pallette is too clean
and smooth.  He tends to blunt the sharp edges in the interest of polish
and refinement and beauty.  The Fifth is a hideous example of this.  Not to
mention the dollop of treacle that he turns the Adagietto into.  Mahler can
be very ugly and unsettling.  With Karajan even the ugliness is rendered
with a kind of beauty.

Tony Duggan, England.
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Mahler recordings survey: http://www.musicweb.uk.net/Mahler/