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]