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Label:
  Deutsche Grammophon - http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/
Serial:
  474 594-2 (2 discs)
Title:
  Mahler: Symphony No. 2 - Wiener Philharmoniker/Kaplan
Description:
  Mahler: Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection"

Nadja Michael
Latonia Moore
Singverein der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde
Wiener Philharmoniker
Gilbert Kaplan (conductor)
Track listing:
 
Genre:
  Classical - Orchestral
Content:
  Stereo/Multichannel
Media:
  Hybrid
Recording type:
  PCM
Recording info:
 

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Reviews: 10 show all

Review by Sublyme Mastering December 17, 2006 (6 of 7 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:    
Overall, I found this partiicular performance and recording to be excellent! I must admit I really only purchased it on whim facing a long road trip and not having my regular Mahler 2 in my car. I found it to be probably the best sounding DG release in a LONG time. The performance is also quite nice as well. For the majority of the piece, I felt that this was clearly a good example of PCM-to-DSD conversion. However, towards the end of the Finale, I was quite surprised to hear a significant amount of distortion. In fact, the distortion is quite alarming - unfortunately, however, it is often masked by either the brass or the organ and only rears its ugly head on the most ruthlessly revealing systems.

That being said, this disc will never get played in my system again. As enjoyable as it is to listen to, I can not bear the thought of damaging my speakers over a recording. Sorry DG - next time check the meters! Crossing DSD-0 (similar to PCM 0 dBfs) is a no-no. Sure you *CAN* do it, but expect clipping and distortion! 3 Stars - 5 for overall sound - 1 for extreme clipping - averaged out = 3.

:-(

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Review by pip440 July 19, 2005 (6 of 7 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
I held back from buying this until recentlty partly because of some negative criticisms in the music press and on this website; but I am glad I took the plunge because this is a superb performance - idiomatic and extremely moving. It may not be the same as Klemperer, Solti, Mehta, Abbado etc but it seems equally valid, and may well be closest to what Mahler himself desired. And the recording is stunning beyond belief. Beautiful silky strings, rich well defined bass (gorgeous cellos and basses) - and the timpani and tam-tam!! (5.0 but turns on the subwoofer at climaxes). Wonderfully airy and everything solidly in place. I didn't know DG could do as well as this in the Musikverein. Why can't they give the same sonics to the New Year's day concert (see my review)?

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Review by beardawgs October 23, 2003 (2 of 2 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
Gilbert Kaplan is the man whose life is Mahler’s second symphony. He is not a trained conductor, just a man who loves his music, or to be precise, who loves his ‘Resurrection’ symphony. We haven’t heard his earlier recording for EMI, which is apparently the best selling cd of any Mahler’s symphony. And we can see why, after living with this performance for a month now. The impact of this recording is mind-blowing. Maybe it has to do with the fact that one knows that one is listening a talented amateur conducting, but this guy is wonderful. Every detail, every shade is there, incredibly precise and accurate, the orchestra (beyond praise) responds with élan only matched by their conductor’s conviction. Trying to sample this disk won’t work – after only a couple of bars it grips you like an iron clasp and won’t let you go until you hear all of it. We could go on and on about every detail of this incredible performance, but it would take far too long. Even if you are new to Resurrection symphony look no further, it is one of the most amazing symphonies ever written and Kaplan is giving it full justice with this CD. One can easily understand how he got hooked.

The recording was made by Emil Berliner Studios (in 69 kHz, THANK YOU DG, it was about time!) and it proves that they can actually MAKE a fantastic surround recording. Presumably Kaplan himself financed at least the part of the whole venture, but we hope that DG will learn something from this experience. They can do it, only if they want to. To be honest, this symphony is also a perfect medium for MC recording, with remote and off stage brass band in the final movement, and you can really hear it all around you. The build up to the enlightening choral finale is overwhelming. It’s huge, it’s clear, it’s focused, it’s everything that a good recording should be. After hearing this, you won’t be able to listen to more and more mediocre “multichannel” recordings made in the control room with artificial lexicon effects plugged into the back channels (or should we say the latest bunch from Harmonia Mundi, more about that in the forum). This recording can be a blessing and a curse, depending from individual point of view – we love every bit of it, and cannot recommend it highly enough.

On the down side, Kaplan’s notes in the booklet are a bit mediocre, explaining in details what ‘con legno’, ‘tam-tam’ and ‘glissandos’ are, but we doubt that any Charlotte Church or Russell Watson fan will reach for this CD anyway. Also, something strange happens with the recording in the final choral build up, when the complete sound image strangely shrinks, and at least one crescendo doesn’t reach it’s peak (re-miking?). But that lasts only for some 30 or so seconds, and the dynamic range recovers for where it’s mostly needed.

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Works: 1  

Gustav Mahler - Symphony No. 2 in C minor "Resurrection"