Gustav Mahler

* Symphony Nr.8

Ulla Gustavsson,  Carolina Sandgren, Anne Gjevang, Seppo Ruohonen, Mats
Persson
Estonian Boys Choir, Brunnsbo Children Choir, Gothenburg Opera Chorus
Gothenburg Opera Orchestra/Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra/Neeme Jaervi
BIS-CD-700 [DDD] (70:16)

Summary for the busy executive: From which Labs does the Chemist learn most?

Gustav Mahler said that his eight symphony was the peak of his creative
output.  Famous is the letter Mahler wrote to Wilhelm Mengelberg in August
1906:

   "I have just finished my Eight Symphony - It is the greatest thing
   I have yet done.  And so individual in its content that it cannot be
   described in words.  Just imagine the whole Universe begins to ring
   and resound.  These are no longer human voices, but circling planets
   and suns".

Mahler didn't invent the subtitle "Sinfonie der Tausend".  It stems from
the promotor of the first performance, which Mahler himself conducted on
10.09.1910 in Muenchen.  True it does live up to its name in the size:
the first performance took 130 instrumentalists and three choirs, and
therewith an orchestra that makes even Strawinksys in "Rite of Spring"
seem tiny: 8 horns, 8 trumpets, 7 trombones, a large percussionset, and
thereto some instruments that at that time at least were rather odd in a
symphonyorchestra: Celesta, Harmonium, Mandoline...surely Schoenberg was
inspired when he composed his "Variationen fuer Orchester" op.31.

But hardly it was only with the formal size and large forces needed,
Mahler meant that this was his greatest creation.  The 8th symphony stands
as a work of greatest transparence and clueful yet, dubious like all
living, full of symbolism, and yet such a genial construction, in which
logics not as nearly so much importance as intiutition.  Two parts of
gigantic sizes.  The first in hairrising power calling the creator master
"Veni Creator Spiritus", set to a poem that is according to some sources
said to have been written by the 9th century archbishop of Mainz Hrabanus
Maurus, according to other sources by Frankian King Charlemagne.  The poem
is describing the longing after the beloved "Erossuess & Jesusbang", that
opens its arms to embrace all with love.  With the size and raw power, the
symphony shall be forceful, breathtaking, but never come to exhaustion,
not hasting in all driving force, everywhere clearness, great lines,
authorative broadness; peak on peak!  He who studies the symphony can in
the initial call and its undervoices find all the material from which the
rest of the work is derived, he can see the seed to the second part in the
sidetheme, and see the great doublefugue, which varies and juxtaposes all
material util finally bring them to their origin, as the development and
peak of the first movement.  With astonishment it also comes clear that
this part is also the literal peak, and the heart of the whole work, where
the text lines: "Entflamme Licht in den Sinnen und senke Liebe in aller
Herzen".  The second part then seems more rapsodic in character, but it
allows to be split up in three parts - Andante ("Waldung die schwangt
heran" and the Paters songs), Scherzo ("Gerettet is das edle Glied"), and
the finale with the chorus mysticus - and thereby it is the same symphonic
largeform that has been ubiquitous ever since Mr. Beethoven.  All the four
parts a strictly wowen together, all meaterial that appears in the last
movement is derived from the first parts material (mainly the sidetheme).
As much of what gains feeling of unity in music has with resemblance of
material to do, there would be greatness to do, like Mahler use to do, but
not does in this symphony: to inseert new material, material that has no
reference in the elapsed music, close to the end and make everything sound
fitting.  The same goes for the standard Mahlerian shift in mood and use of
many themes, sometimes folkmelodies.  The eight symphony is though in this
aspect the least 'Mahlerian' in the sence that it is very homogenous in
its construction, yet so rich.  The melodic material consists of a little
lesser than 60 identitifyable themes that are all somehow related to each
other.  The most important material is the opening of respective part I &
II.  Mahler, who to times played with the thought to write explanatory
themeatic studies to his symphonies (and sometimes barked on others who
tried to analyse his music), has thankfully marked the score to the eight
symphony with numbers within brackets where most of the important passages
occur.  The "Faust" theme is numbered [1] in part II, and the important
metamorphoses of that melodic material can be found at following point, for
example: at [4], [8] for close examples; at [28] "Woge nach Woge spritzt"
the melodic line has developed into accords, and walks so on, with melodic
snipes juxtaposed with accords, all developed from the urthema, until the
"Faust" theme mixes up in the great declaration to love "Alles
Vergaengliche...".  Mahler numbering goes to [220] in the second part.

Great and Grandious, that is the symphony that, on to the question about
the performance.  Considering that many people had tried them, my opinion
is generally that Jaervis Mahler would be the major reason to why people
are turned off from classical music.  Jaervi, what means "Flood" in
Estonian language, takes his mission literally to flood the poor Mahelr
enthusiast with a wawe of sound that will make the first listener believe
that the words "A lunatics meaningsless scribbling" was said about Mahlers
beautiful symphony.  The "break the loudspeakers at 200km/h" approach was
very successful....especially for the guy that wanted a filler on his
Mahler 6.  CD. It is like going to the barabaque where a new rockband of
teenagers have bought a new drumset.  The parts which are auidiably not so
interesting (the piano parts) are covered with a undefined mumbling of
instumentalists which get no direction when the conductor is snipping after
breath after the loud parts.  But, please, let me see positive on all
musicmaking, I should never trash this performance.  For two reasons:
the first is that the soloists are really outstanding.  The section at
[72] Jauchzet auf in part II which a tutti overlays a soft ostinato in the
stings, seems interestingly be a passage derived from Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka
instead of from "Fuehlet liebes Qual", the approach works successfully for
Jaervis sopranos which really could dance every man to death through this
rythm.  The childeren & operas Choirs at two places succeds to follow the
conductors intentions, and that shows a remarkable skill.  My favourite
soloist is the baritone Mats Persson, who sings Pater Ecstaticus.  he has
actually a fantastic voice and my heart trembles of admiration and respect
when I hear him sing at "Keulen zerschmettert mich, Blitze durchwettert
mich, daB ja das Nichtige alles verfluechtige" so increadibly beautiful,
straining his voice when Jaervi sizes the full orchestra so overpower him.
Despite all disturbing nocies from Jaervi his beautiful voice and happy and
witty singing can be detected.  He is surely a baritone I foretell a bright
future.  The orchestras and choirs also very high quality (although persson
is the one who shines).

The first part proceeds at full power.  it sounds rather flattended out
which might be a bi effect of that the music is taken at - at least it
sounds to me - ffff all the time.  I turned the volume down as I wanted
to keep my loudspeakers in good condition.  The opening szene at the
Faustsection is a naturepainting with woods, waterfalls and a romantic
landscape.  A strike on the Beckentrommel, a squirky Eb in the violins.
Pizzicato in the basses are almost inaudiable, and the melody that the
woodwinds take up sounds incredibly substanceless and sloppy.  Thanks to
this the whole development of the melodical material in the rest of the
part goes erratic (if there were any ambitions to that).  The andante makes
a resting point, which comes out to had been badly needed as the conductor
must have gotten an epeleptic attack a bit into the scherzo, at least that
is how it sounds.  But the other reason I wouldn't trash this recording is
that in the comparision with other rocordings, Mahler stands so much genial
in them.  It is like when a Chemist executes an experient that turns out
well.  To most of people it says no more than magics: it worked!  On the
other hand, what can be learnt from is when the experiment goes erratic,
and one begin to wonder "why?".  There knowledge is born.  Besides it is
fun to have a Mahler 8 with music that sounds belongng to "Mr.Pickwick"
instead of "Faust".  But I don't complain, I would never do.  I could be
nasty and say now that Jaervi would consider giving up conducting Mahler
and take up concertos by Vivaldi for conducting, but I actually don't want
Vivaldi any harm.  Besides we must allow failures: all mushrooms don't
inhold a pearl.  Now as I pointed out; Jaervi is the most ignorant, lousy
and stupid musicmaker I ever listened to (Wyn Morris at least means well in
what he is doing), but I wouldn't complain, not at all.  I would never do.
I know all serious artists want feedback on their work (which I have given)
but sometimes also how to go further.  This is not a negative thing, all
striving in people should be admireable.  I hope that Jaervi starts
conducting on the Heavy-Metal stage, as his approach might do well there.
Perhaps contribute to the rise of new forms of popluar music, and he has
the chance to win eternal life as an important crossover figure in a time
where music again seeks its identities.

Mats Norrman
[log in to unmask]