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Gurrelieder

Remastered, Classical

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 13 ratings

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Audio CD, Classical, Original recording remastered

Product details

  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 5.75 x 0.45 inches; 2.83 ounces
  • Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP
  • Date First Available ‏ : ‎ February 22, 2007
  • Label ‏ : ‎ UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000FG5PJK
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 13 ratings

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4.3 out of 5 stars
13 global ratings

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Swift Readings
4 out of 5 stars
Swift Readings
Performed 40 years ago in 1979, this remastered live performance of Arnold Schoenberg’s über-Romantic Oratorio Gurrelieder is led by Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony Orchestra with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, headlined by MET stalwart James McCracken and soprano Jessye Norman and further supported by Tatiana Troyanos, David Arnold, and Kim Scown. Schoenberg’s secular cantata is extremely easy on the ears, at least compared to his later discordant compositional style, the first half of the work essentially an orchestrated song cycle for tenor and soprano and the second half a wild romp for the rest of the cast and crew in a true overblown, Mahlerian style.Depending on how you like your Mahler will greatly determine how you like your Gurrelieder. Personally, I prefer my Mahler sunny, extroverted, and forward moving which is probably why I like Ozawa’s Gurrelieder. He and Boston move swiftly over Schoenberg’s gargantuan orchestrations, not cogitating over every Romantic detail minutely, but giving a more gauzy-Impressionist feel, perfect for Boston’s silvery-smooth string quality. Ozawa still erupts blazingly throughout, showcasing the fine brass work of Boston, more than earning the Gramophone album award that year. On the other hand, if you prefer your Mahler plumbing the depths of man’s soul, examining every possible musical rumination of the score, you are probably better served with the recordings by Kegel on Brilliant, Sinopoli on Teldec, and even perhaps Levine on Oehms if you can find it at a decent price.While Ozawa can be as dramatic as any of those previously mentioned, this performance exceeds in its array of soloists compared to most others. Heldentenor James McCracken has a heroically-strong Baritone sound quality, well suited for Wagner, and easily transferable to the musical stylings of the Gurrelieder, only eclipsed by Heppner with Levine. Even moreso, Jessye Norman’s full, Romantic sound is hard to beat on record and additionally, for having two ideal lead players opposite one another. Most will point to Janet Baker as the ultimate Wood dove, possibly even Fassbender with Chailly, but I wouldn’t choose a recording for a twelve-minute movement in a 100+-minute work as Troyanos is certainly capable here. David Arnold is fine, as is the quirkily characterful Scown as the jester, and all of the solo vocalists are heard up-close-and-personal in relation to the orchestra giving an immediacy to the proceedings and eclipsing most recordings on the vocal front. Walter Klemperer (Colonel Klink) as the speaker is very animated, although his less-than-authoritative abilities in Sprechstimme leans far towards speech rather than balancing with singing; he is rather amusing though.The only drawback is the recorded capturing of the Tanglewood Chorus, an ensemble that performs quite well here and is heard over the orchestra well enough, but their slightly recessed placement blurs the choral detail in their three movements that can be found more satisfyingly in more recent recordings. This is not dissimilar to other gargantuan works (Vaughan Williams Sea Symphony, for example), and the sound here does not bother me, but if you want razor-sharp choral detail, this pre-digital recording won’t be the place to look. Furthermore, Ozawa’s gauzy instrumental work doesn’t showcase the crystal-clear inner detail of today’s recordings on the orchestral front compared to the ones mentioned in the next paragraph, but this classic recording easily projects the grand occasion and is performed well (with only 3 or 4 instances of audience noise from the live setting).If you like the sunny, forward moving style of Mahler, and Ozawa’s approach, but want a more detailed soundscape, compare to Chailly on Decca who has much more inner detail instrumentally and a closer chorus, but for me, suffers with his soloists; Salonen on Signum Classics has perhaps the fieriest second half after a not-too-solid first half and the classic recordings before Ozawa, Stokowski and Ferencsik, are well respected but in older sound. For me, I have always been happy with Ozawa’s performance for his fleet-footed predilections and the remastering gives the music more clarity and plenty of punch and power. Recommended.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2019
    THE CD SET WAS DELIVERED QUICKLY!
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2019
    Performed 40 years ago in 1979, this remastered live performance of Arnold Schoenberg’s über-Romantic Oratorio Gurrelieder is led by Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony Orchestra with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, headlined by MET stalwart James McCracken and soprano Jessye Norman and further supported by Tatiana Troyanos, David Arnold, and Kim Scown. Schoenberg’s secular cantata is extremely easy on the ears, at least compared to his later discordant compositional style, the first half of the work essentially an orchestrated song cycle for tenor and soprano and the second half a wild romp for the rest of the cast and crew in a true overblown, Mahlerian style.

    Depending on how you like your Mahler will greatly determine how you like your Gurrelieder. Personally, I prefer my Mahler sunny, extroverted, and forward moving which is probably why I like Ozawa’s Gurrelieder. He and Boston move swiftly over Schoenberg’s gargantuan orchestrations, not cogitating over every Romantic detail minutely, but giving a more gauzy-Impressionist feel, perfect for Boston’s silvery-smooth string quality. Ozawa still erupts blazingly throughout, showcasing the fine brass work of Boston, more than earning the Gramophone album award that year. On the other hand, if you prefer your Mahler plumbing the depths of man’s soul, examining every possible musical rumination of the score, you are probably better served with the recordings by Kegel on Brilliant, Sinopoli on Teldec, and even perhaps Levine on Oehms if you can find it at a decent price.

    While Ozawa can be as dramatic as any of those previously mentioned, this performance exceeds in its array of soloists compared to most others. Heldentenor James McCracken has a heroically-strong Baritone sound quality, well suited for Wagner, and easily transferable to the musical stylings of the Gurrelieder, only eclipsed by Heppner with Levine. Even moreso, Jessye Norman’s full, Romantic sound is hard to beat on record and additionally, for having two ideal lead players opposite one another. Most will point to Janet Baker as the ultimate Wood dove, possibly even Fassbender with Chailly, but I wouldn’t choose a recording for a twelve-minute movement in a 100+-minute work as Troyanos is certainly capable here. David Arnold is fine, as is the quirkily characterful Scown as the jester, and all of the solo vocalists are heard up-close-and-personal in relation to the orchestra giving an immediacy to the proceedings and eclipsing most recordings on the vocal front. Walter Klemperer (Colonel Klink) as the speaker is very animated, although his less-than-authoritative abilities in Sprechstimme leans far towards speech rather than balancing with singing; he is rather amusing though.

    The only drawback is the recorded capturing of the Tanglewood Chorus, an ensemble that performs quite well here and is heard over the orchestra well enough, but their slightly recessed placement blurs the choral detail in their three movements that can be found more satisfyingly in more recent recordings. This is not dissimilar to other gargantuan works (Vaughan Williams Sea Symphony, for example), and the sound here does not bother me, but if you want razor-sharp choral detail, this pre-digital recording won’t be the place to look. Furthermore, Ozawa’s gauzy instrumental work doesn’t showcase the crystal-clear inner detail of today’s recordings on the orchestral front compared to the ones mentioned in the next paragraph, but this classic recording easily projects the grand occasion and is performed well (with only 3 or 4 instances of audience noise from the live setting).

    If you like the sunny, forward moving style of Mahler, and Ozawa’s approach, but want a more detailed soundscape, compare to Chailly on Decca who has much more inner detail instrumentally and a closer chorus, but for me, suffers with his soloists; Salonen on Signum Classics has perhaps the fieriest second half after a not-too-solid first half and the classic recordings before Ozawa, Stokowski and Ferencsik, are well respected but in older sound. For me, I have always been happy with Ozawa’s performance for his fleet-footed predilections and the remastering gives the music more clarity and plenty of punch and power. Recommended.
    Customer image
    4.0 out of 5 stars Swift Readings
    Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2019
    Performed 40 years ago in 1979, this remastered live performance of Arnold Schoenberg’s über-Romantic Oratorio Gurrelieder is led by Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony Orchestra with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, headlined by MET stalwart James McCracken and soprano Jessye Norman and further supported by Tatiana Troyanos, David Arnold, and Kim Scown. Schoenberg’s secular cantata is extremely easy on the ears, at least compared to his later discordant compositional style, the first half of the work essentially an orchestrated song cycle for tenor and soprano and the second half a wild romp for the rest of the cast and crew in a true overblown, Mahlerian style.

    Depending on how you like your Mahler will greatly determine how you like your Gurrelieder. Personally, I prefer my Mahler sunny, extroverted, and forward moving which is probably why I like Ozawa’s Gurrelieder. He and Boston move swiftly over Schoenberg’s gargantuan orchestrations, not cogitating over every Romantic detail minutely, but giving a more gauzy-Impressionist feel, perfect for Boston’s silvery-smooth string quality. Ozawa still erupts blazingly throughout, showcasing the fine brass work of Boston, more than earning the Gramophone album award that year. On the other hand, if you prefer your Mahler plumbing the depths of man’s soul, examining every possible musical rumination of the score, you are probably better served with the recordings by Kegel on Brilliant, Sinopoli on Teldec, and even perhaps Levine on Oehms if you can find it at a decent price.

    While Ozawa can be as dramatic as any of those previously mentioned, this performance exceeds in its array of soloists compared to most others. Heldentenor James McCracken has a heroically-strong Baritone sound quality, well suited for Wagner, and easily transferable to the musical stylings of the Gurrelieder, only eclipsed by Heppner with Levine. Even moreso, Jessye Norman’s full, Romantic sound is hard to beat on record and additionally, for having two ideal lead players opposite one another. Most will point to Janet Baker as the ultimate Wood dove, possibly even Fassbender with Chailly, but I wouldn’t choose a recording for a twelve-minute movement in a 100+-minute work as Troyanos is certainly capable here. David Arnold is fine, as is the quirkily characterful Scown as the jester, and all of the solo vocalists are heard up-close-and-personal in relation to the orchestra giving an immediacy to the proceedings and eclipsing most recordings on the vocal front. Walter Klemperer (Colonel Klink) as the speaker is very animated, although his less-than-authoritative abilities in Sprechstimme leans far towards speech rather than balancing with singing; he is rather amusing though.

    The only drawback is the recorded capturing of the Tanglewood Chorus, an ensemble that performs quite well here and is heard over the orchestra well enough, but their slightly recessed placement blurs the choral detail in their three movements that can be found more satisfyingly in more recent recordings. This is not dissimilar to other gargantuan works (Vaughan Williams Sea Symphony, for example), and the sound here does not bother me, but if you want razor-sharp choral detail, this pre-digital recording won’t be the place to look. Furthermore, Ozawa’s gauzy instrumental work doesn’t showcase the crystal-clear inner detail of today’s recordings on the orchestral front compared to the ones mentioned in the next paragraph, but this classic recording easily projects the grand occasion and is performed well (with only 3 or 4 instances of audience noise from the live setting).

    If you like the sunny, forward moving style of Mahler, and Ozawa’s approach, but want a more detailed soundscape, compare to Chailly on Decca who has much more inner detail instrumentally and a closer chorus, but for me, suffers with his soloists; Salonen on Signum Classics has perhaps the fieriest second half after a not-too-solid first half and the classic recordings before Ozawa, Stokowski and Ferencsik, are well respected but in older sound. For me, I have always been happy with Ozawa’s performance for his fleet-footed predilections and the remastering gives the music more clarity and plenty of punch and power. Recommended.
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2007
    Seiji Ozawa's 1979 recording of Arnold Schönberg's Gurrelieder has been the prime recommendation since it first appeared in the LP format. Now it has been released in a new remastered incarnation, and the sound is simply superb.

    The important question is, however, its status in the current catalogue. Among the recent recordings, we have Chailly's (Decca) and Rattle's (EMI, patched live). And then we have some other classic recordings, such as Ferencsik's (EMI, live), Kegel (Berlin Classics) and Kubelik (DG, live).

    Even if I wouldn't like to be without the three latter recordings and Chailly's, I think Ozawa's recording must be seen as the first choice - given that you can't afford the Kubelik set. First, the interpretation is first rate, as is the case with Kubelik's too, and with Kegel's as well. On the other hand, however, Kubelik's recording has the frisson of a live performance.

    Second, Ozawa's soloists are very fine - especially Troyanos and Norman shine like the stars they are. Kim Scown's Klaus-Narr is excellent, and Werner Klemperer's Spechgesang is almost second to none - save Julius Patzak's for Ferencsik and Hans Hotter's for Chailly. Of course, Ferencsik has Janet Baker and Kubelik has Inge Borkh as Waldtaube, but Troyanos' dove is as good as these. Ozawa's David Arnold is also excellent as Bauer. Further, Jessye Norman's Tove is without any rival on disc, even if Eva-Maria Bundschuh on the Kegel recording is nothing but great. Finally, James McCracken's performance of Waldemar is among the most memorable I have heard, outshining both Siegfried Jerusalem for Chailly and Alexander Young for Ferencsik. But, still, I hold Kubelik's Herbert Schachtschneider to the the best of all.

    Furthermore, Boston Symphony Orchestra is the great star on this recording, apparently in top form. Tanglewood Festival Chorus is very fine too. And every note is captured in excellent analogue stereo sound - actually more natural-sounding than the digital sound in both Rattle's and Chailly's recordings. However, the sound that DG achieved on Kubelik's seminal recording is slightly better, with a greater dynamic range.

    But a small drawback in Ozawa's recording is that there are clearly audible coughs, especially in part 1. This is because it is a live performance, and probably not patched. I have heard worse cases of coughers, however. A second drawback is that there is no fill-up on this remastered edition. The former Phillips edition had the two chamber symphonies as fill-up, but Inbal's performances of these works are not among the best. So this second drawback is also a minor complaint.

    My preference order is consequently: 1. Kubelik, 2. Ozawa, 3. Chailly, 4. Kegel, and 5. Ferencsik. What about Rattle, then? Well, save your money. The five Gurrelieders in my preference list are the ones to have, and Rattle's interpretation is quite dull.

    But if you only want one recording, Ferencsik's orchestra is not the very best, and the recording is less successful as well. And Kubelik's fine performance is currently only available as part of the - in the US - quite expensive Kubelik "Rare recordings" box. Kegel's fine recording is a possible alternative, but his soloists cannot really match Ozawa's. Chailly, finally, is marred by Jerusalem's voice, which doesn't fit in the present context - even if Chailly's interpretation is excellent and the sound is very fine. Thus, all things considered, Ozawa's Gurrelieder is the one to have - if you can't afford the Kubelik set. Warmly recommended.
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  • Ivan Greindl
    4.0 out of 5 stars Une interprétation fouillée, d'une grande sensibilité
    Reviewed in France on February 3, 2018
    Arnold Schoenberg n'a pas composé que de la musique atonale ! L'harmonie et le charme des Gurrelieder, en particulier dans la première partie, est un ravissement.