Tennstedt Mahler

Between 1977 and 1983, Klaus Tennstedt and the London Philharmonic recorded all but one of the Mahler Symphonies in the studio for EMI (now owned by Warner).The completion of the cycle was delayed by Tennstedt's first bout with throat cancer, the disease that would eventually kill him.The EMI cycle was eventually finished three years later when Symphony 8, the "Symphony of a Thousand" was recorded.In addition to the EMI studio recordings, 22 "live" Tennstedt concert performances of Mahler Symphonies have circulated on CD and DVD[plus three more only on the internet]Eleven were BBC broadcasts with "his" London Philharmonic.The rest were guest performances, including with most of the great American orchestras.As a general rule, Tennstedt's broadcast performances show greater emotional involvement and spontaneity than the more cautious studio recordings.The post-1985 broadcasts, when the conductor knew his days were numbered, show an even greater intensity and willingness to take risks.Between 1985 and 1993, the gravely ill Tennstedt and his orchestra embarked on their second Mahler cycle for the BBC.Orchestral blockbusters were scheduled first, leaving the more lightly scored works for last,but time ran out.Symphonies 1,2,3,5,6,7 and 8 were broadcast and recorded by the BBC in impressive sound.Symphonies 4,9 and 10 were not broadcast.Non-BBC broadcasts of 4 and the Adagio from 10 exist on commercial CDs.I found a 1988 Philadelphia Orchestra broadcast of Symphony 9 attributed to Tennstedt on YouTube.Mystery: If the terminally ill Tennstedt went to the trouble of preparing Symphony 9 with the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1988,it seems that there should have also been a contemporaneous BBC broadcast with the London Philharmonic.Was there?SYMPHONY 1 (1977 studio)- 1977 NDR Symphony Hamburg (Memories)- 1985 London Philharmonic (LPO Live)- 1990 London Philharmonic - faulty recording* (BBC Legends)- 1990 Chicago Symphony - CD or DVD (EMI)SYMPHONY 2 (1981 studio)- 1980 NDR Symphony Hamburg (Memories)- 1981 London Philharmonic (LPO Live)- 1989 London Philharmonic (LPO Live)SYMPHONY 3 (1979 studio)- 1981 Minnesota Symphony (not on CD , but it's on YouTube)- 1986 London Philharmonic (ICA Classics)SYMPHONY 4 (1982 studio)- 1976 SWR Symphony Baden-Baden (Profil)- 1977 Boston Symphony - DVD (ICA Classics)SYMPHONY 5 (1978 studio)- 1980 NDR Symphony Hamburg (Profil)- 1980 New York Philharmonic (NYPO private label)- 1988 London Philharmonic - CD (EMI/Warner) or DVD (ICA Classics)- 1990 Amsterdam Concertgebouw (Memories)SYMPHONY 6 (1983 studio)- 1983 London Philharmonic (LPO Live)- 1986 New York Philharmonic (Memories)- 1991 London Philharmonic (EMI/Warner)SYMPHONY 7 (1980 studio)- 1978 Cleveland Orchestra (Memories)- 1980 London Philharmonic (BBC Legends)- 1987 Philadelphia Orchestra (not on CD , but it's on YouTube)- 1993 London Philharmonic (EMI/Warner)SYMPHONY 8 (1986 studio)- 1991 London Philharmonic (LPO Live)SYMPHONY 9 (1979 studio)- 1988 Philadelphia Orchestra (not on CD , but it's on YouTube)SYMPHONY 10 - Adagio (1978 studio)- 1982 Vienna Philharmonic (Altus)----------THE 1985-1993 INCOMPLETE SECOND MAHLER CYCLE WITH THE LONDON PHILHARMONIC:- Symphony 1 (1985*) is in the LONDON PHILHARMONIC LIVE IN CONCERT box- Symphony 2 (1989) is in the LONDON PHILHARMONIC LIVE IN CONCERT box- Symphony 3 (1986) is on the ICA CLASSICS label- Symphony 5 (1988) is in the EMI/WARNER box- Symphony 6 (1991) is in the EMI/WARNER box- Symphony 7 (1993) is in the EMI/WARNER box- Symphony 8 (1991) is in the LONDON PHILHARMONIC LIVE IN CONCERT box* The 1990 Symphony 1 should have been on this list, but the broadcast had technical difficulties and all surviving recordings sound terrible, especially compared to the excellent 1985 broadcast.If you want to hear how Tennstedt conducted this Symphony in 1990,check out his gorgeous Chicago Symphony performance from later that year - for a link, see the second Comment (dated May 23, 2016) following this review.It would be nice if some helpful record company would collect all of Tennstedt's second BBC Mahler cycle into one convenient collection.But for now you have to buy three different sets(one consolation - the EMI/Warner box is ridiculously inexpensive).----------LIST ONE - LINKS TO TENNSTEDT'S MAHLER BROADCASTS WITH THE LONDON PHILHARMONIC ON AMAZONIn addition to the final Mahler cycle, this list includes three Mahler symphonies broadcast earlier in Tennstedt's career.- see the first Comment (dated May 3, 2016) after this review.LIST TW0 - LINKS TO TENNSTEDT'S MAHLER BROADCASTS WITH OTHER ORCHESTRAS ON AMAZONIncluding three performances only available on the internet.- see the second Comment (dated May 21, 2016) after this review.

These live performances far surpass Tennstedt's already very good EMI studio performances. In these live recordings there is much more inspiration, presence, depth of inspiration. This live incomplete cycle is up there with the very best incomplete and complete Mahler cycles, if not the very best only because Mahler cycles are inconsistent. There isn't any inconsistency from Tennstedt here, these sound like concerts from a conductor that will be recording them for the last time.