G. Mahler: Symphony No. 1 'Titan' - Lorin Maazel - Sinfónica de Galicia

Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia - Lorin Maazel, director
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911): Sinfonía nº 1, en re mayor
(0:06) I. Langsam, schleppend
(16:55) II. Scherzo. Kräftig bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell
(25:32) III. Trauermarsch: Feierlich und gemessen, ohne zu schleppen
(37:00) IV. Stürmisch bewegt

Grabación realizada el 17 de mayo de 2012 en el Palacio de la Ópera de A Coruña - Festival Mozart Coruña 2012.
Realización de Antonio Cid/RDC Producciones
Audio: Pablo Barreiro/RTVG

[juergensteiniger]

Lorin Maazel dirigiert wunderbar, das Tempo ist meines Erachtens angemessen. Das Orchester ist großartig. Danke, daß wir diese schöne Interpretation kennenlernen durften.

[davidmoss]

“Titan, ” A Tone Poem in Symphonic Form (Hamburg) / a title likely inspired by the 1803 novel by Jean Paul (later removed)
Part 1 (“From the Days of Youth - Music of Flowers, Fruit, and Thorn” in Hamburg program)
🟦1st Movement (“Spring and No End” in Hamburg program)
◾Introduction - “The awakening of nature from a long winter’s sleep” (Hamburg)
0:07 Slowly, dragging, like nature sounds; Nature Theme of fourths @ 0:37
0:50 Più mosso: Clarinet fanfare (awakening call)
1:11 Tempo I: Theme of fourths
1:38 Più mosso: Trumpet fanfare (awakening call)
1:54 Tempo I: Theme of fourths
2:05 Più mosso: Cuckoo calls (awakening call)
2:12 Tempo I: Very mellow horn melody
2:30 Più mosso: Trumpet fanfare
2:38 Tempo I: Mellow horn melody
2:59 Più mosso: Trumpet fanfare and cuckoo calls
3:06 Tempo I: Chromatic bass motif and theme of fourths
◾Exposition
4:12 & 6:22 Music of the Song’s third verse
4:58 & 7:07 Music of the Song’s first verse
5:34 & 7:41 Final group (taken from the Tirili motif)
◾Development
8:13 Part I: New form of the introduction (now with a gradual retard) without the use of clarinet and trumpet fanfares and including the Tirili motif; preparation of the cello theme
11:04 Part II:
11:07 Fanfare theme of the horns
11:31 Cantabile cello theme (functioning as a secondary theme)
11:38 Renewed statement and development of the song motif in changing colors, including the cantabile cello theme
13:34 Part III: A foreshadowing of the inferno in anticipation of a section from the Finale @54:15
14:52 “Breakthrough”: Trumpet fanfares and woodwind and horn signals
15:03 Recapitulation
16:36 Coda “my hero breaks out in laughter and runs away”

One of seven pieces of incidental music composed in 1884 for the epic Der Trompeter von Sakkingen by Joseph Victor von Scheffel.

🟦2nd Movement (“Under Full Sail” in Hamburg program)
A mixture of landler and waltz, a peasant dance at the pub!
17:02 Kraftig bwegt [strongly moving!]
17:46 Repeat
18:29 Ostinato motif
18:53 Wild!
20:48 Trio
22:26 Etwas frischer [a little more brisk]
24:03 Tempo primo

Part 2: “Commedia humana” (Hamburg)
🟦3rd Movement: Todtenmarsch in Callots Manier
25:38 Gloomy cannon death march round in D minor, derived from the well-known melody “Brother Martin, Are You Sleeping”
28:02 Sentimental transition
28:32 Trivial, “happy tune” marked “with parody”
29:46 Expressive and elegiac, “the terribly painful lament of the hero”
30:18 Canon returns
33:18 Recapitulation in E-flat minor, varied and intensified
33:56 Two-voice trumpet melody counterpoint to the round
34:47 Two-voice trumpet melody returns in D minor in contrapuntal weaving with the round melody
34:52 plotzlich viel schneller [suddenly must faster], like a Czardas (Hungarian Dance), very rhythmically
A close proximity of the tragic and the trite!

🟦4th Movement: (“Dall’ Inferno al Paradiso” in Hamburg program)
◾Exposition
Introduction in F minor [Stormily moving]: Inferno
37:01 Dissonance, interpreted by Mahler as the ‘outcry of a deeply wounded heart’
37:10 Liszt’s Cross motif in minor
37:13 Concise chromatic “Inferno” triplets
37:28 Anticipation of a motif from the main theme @38:16
37:31 inferno triplets
37:36 Wail (cf. Das klagende Lied, No. 81)
37:45 Inferno triplets
37:55 Cross motif in minor x4
38:13 First complex of themes in F minor: Inferno
40:04 Sequences of swelling brass sounds [with great ferocity]: Inferno
40:51 Transition
41:22 Secondary section in D-flat major [very songlike]
44:13 Epilogue in D-flat major [Slowly]: Recall of the slow introduction of the main section and inferno motif
◾Development
44:45 First part in G minor (As at the beginning)
46:04 Second part in C minor
47:15 Second entrance of the ‘victorious’ motif in C major and ‘breakthrough’ Chorale theme (47:48 - similarities to 0:37) in D major [a bold modulation signalling the sphere of the paradiso has been reached]
48:47 Recall of the motifs of the main section (very slow); ‘a remembrance of the hero’s youth’
◾Recapitulation
51:00 Secondary section with transition in F major
53:28 Main theme in F minor (Tempo I): the Inferno image now has been moved to the distance (ppp)
54:15 Intensification of material from the main section
55:27 [Utmost strength]: breakthrough, third occurrence of the ‘victorious’ motif and Chorale theme in D major (Paradiso)
57:26 Coda

Composed Jan-Mar 1888
Originally “A Symphonic Poem in Two Sections” (movements 1-3 / 4-5)
Premiered in Budapest Nov 1889 to mixed reception
Significant revisions for second performance in Hamburg, 1893, including programme noted below.
Program elements and ‘Blumine’ (2nd movement) later removed

◾Notes based on Constantin Floros : Gustav Mahler The Symphonies, Amadeus Press (1985)

[homerohomero]

25:40 That has to be the "cleanest" bass solo I've ever heard. Perfection, and the guy doesn't look like he's struggling or tense, beautiful...!!

[kneeman]

A powerful rendition by a legendary conductor

[sergiocontreras]

Thank you very much Maestro Maazel for bringing us this beauty. And my thanks also to the Sinfonica de Galicia that always is good.

[enriqueelgenio]

Primera vez que oigo la1 de Mahler y ha sido impresionante. Después oír la versión "Del Nuevo Mundo" me suscribí a la la Orquesta de Galicia, porque me gustó esa versión. El algoritmo la puso a continuación de esa, por lo que el contraste es grande, como podrán imaginar. Cosas del duende del algoritmo. He visto dos películas acerca de Mahler, por lo que la curiosidad acerca de su obra es grande. Gracias por subir sus presentaciones. Son impecables. Valparaíso. 10-12-2022

[kwwong]

Best version of Mahler no.1. Bravo Maazel, the true master of conducting.

[MahlerHolic]

This is the type of orchestra Gustav Mahler must have envisioned when he wrote this Symphony. They give everything, no holds barred, big hearted and full throttle. I love this orchestra!

[annakimborahpa]

Excellent microphone placement/balance by the recording engineers that captures a panoramic vista of stereophonic sound allowing the listener to hear with great clarity all of the different orchestral instruments and their sections.

[joebg]

A magnificent performance. Mahler is now saying, “here I am, this is the first of many.”

[aleksandarjankovski]

That is the single best double bass solo I have ever heard in the opening of the third movement. Bravo! And, generally, a superb performance.

[guimapg]

One of the things I most enjoy is seeing the conductor in action and I simply LOVE watching Maazel's effort and energy towards the very last minutes!

[cheri]

Magnificent!!!! Maazel and orchestra. G. Mahler: Symphony No. 1, "Titan" Definitely the best performance of this piece I have ever heard. 👏 👏 👏 👏, Bravo ❤️

[stephenjablonsky]

No matter how many times I listen to this masterpiece it never fails to delight. How miraculous is the musical narrative it weaves from beginning to end. It is as much a delight for the performers as the audience. This is the eternal gift of music.

[cesarmoya]

Maazel u grandisimo director y esta orquesta nunca decepciona. Magnifica

[sergiovicente]

If I could... I'd give a thousand of likes !!! Lorin Maazel R.I.P.

[dabnauta]

The first movement of this symphony is absolutely majestic, it makes me think about the awesomeness of the creation and gives me some kind of nostalgic feeling...

Thank you!! ♥️

[robertomoltrasio]

NO SABÍA QUE GALICIA TENÍA UNA ORQUESTA ASI DE EXCELENTE. MAAZEL GRAN DIRECTOR Y GRANDIOSA LA MÚSICA DE MAHLER. SALUDOS DESDE BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA!

[herbiecactus]

I hope the people living in this part of Spain appreciate that they have a world class orchestra.

[notaire]

Detaillierte Aufführung dieses spätromantischen Meisterwerks voller wunderschönen und unvergesslichen Melodien. Der erfahrene Maestro dirigiert das perfekt trainierte Orchester im angemessenen Tempo mit sorgfältig kontrollierter Dynamik. Ruhe in Frieden, Herr Maazel!