Mahler Symphony #1, 2nd Movment (first part)

[reinholdbehringer]

I was hesitating to post an incomplete piece here, but I am curious about feedback and want to share with you this work-in-progress, and so here it is, my latest work with GPO and SONAR 8.5: the first half of the second movement of Gustav Mahler's Symphony #1.

http://www.virtualphilharmonic.co.uk/Mahler_S1M2.php
with the WMA file here: http://www.virtualphilharmonic.co.uk...ahler_S1M2.wma

This is only the first half of this movement - up to the Trio. The recording is in "rehearsal" status, meaning I will have to smooth out many things. Some instruments are too loud, and I have my usual trouble with the proper tempo. This time I tried to record many parts "live play" instead of step / quantize recording, but the lag on my system of about 30 ms (and my lack of good keyboard playing technique) prevented me to play accurately, so there appear a few slight "hick-ups" which I will have to correct later manually. First priority in the next weeks is to complete this movement - and then "attack" the two remaining movements of this symphony: the first and the fourth (these are really monumental challenges.... not sure that I can complete that by Mahler's 150th birthday on 7.July)...

Reinhold
www.virtualphilharmonic.co.uk

[fabiolcati]

Hi Reinhlod.
As a Mahlerian in chief I'm delighted by your work.
Yes, it needs some polishing here and there but the core is here. I'll listen more carefully tonight at home and hope to come up with more critical awareness.
Waiting for the second half and all the following. Chapeau.

[reinholdbehringer]

Thank you very much, Fabio!

As a Mahlerian in chief I'm delighted by your work.

I thought I would be the Mahlerian-in-chief...

Before starting work on the 1st and 4th movement of the Symphony #1 I could work on some "lower-hanging fruits": I do have full MIDI versions of Symphony #4, 3rd movement, and of Symphony #5, "Adagietto", set-up for previous non-GPO synths... I could rework them for GPO probably within one week each, if I find time in the evenings.

Reinhold

[fabiolcati]

As a Mahlerian in chief

Amongst the community of my friends, workmates and relatives.

[FLWrd]

Very enjoyable. I like the light emphasis on the woodwinds. In most recordings they get smothered between the strings, the brass and the reverb. Your version allows for very detailed listening. You clearly have a conductor's idea of what you like to hear come out of "your orchestra". Encore!

[pokeefe]

A wonderful beginning. I prefer a slightly faster tempo, but that's just a matter of personal taste.

Pat

[reinholdbehringer]

Thank you, Theo and Pat!

I know about the tempo. In fact, in the score a slightly higher one is noted... but somehow I felt that the beginning should not be hastened. When listening now to it, I agree that it should be a notch faster. But I want to preserve that "Austrian Gemuetlichkeit" which is represented in that Laendler-type 3/4 dance.

Regarding woodwinds: I noticed that in almost all my "renditions" the woodwinds come out more pronounced than in regular orchestra recordings. That may have to do with my technique of first recording all the strings, and then building up the score bottom-up. By the time I reach up to the flutes, the recorded score is already so "thick" that I seem intuitively to apply more emphasis on the woodwinds, to make them hearable among all the other instruments. And you are right: in regular orchestral recordings often the details of individual instrument parts are swallowed for the sake of a smooth homogeneous sound. With this method of being able to control each instrument through sequencing, one appears to be able to bring out much more pronounced beautiful details in instrumentation, melody, phrases, etc. And this is despite having each instrument at full reverb (in the ARIA player, "concert hall 1" with the default settings).

Reinhold

[fabiolcati]

Hi Reinhold.

Thank you for let us attending to rehearsals of your tasteful performance.

You're really a fine "maestro concertatore": you know this music at hearth and I can figure the score filled of conductor's notes on your stand.

This is Mahler in Technicolor.

I've seldom heard such a treatment of woodwind and brass, even from the masters.
Its detail can be compared to Schoenberg and Webern's achievement in their arrangements for chamber orchestra and confirms myself into the great educational value of (good) midi transcriptions.

Hope you will give us some 7th's Nachtmusik or even excerpts from Das Lied von der Erde someday.

[reinholdbehringer]

Thank you very much, Fabio!
I am very flattered by your comments.

I tightened the tempo a bit, and smoothened a few instances - the new version is up, together with the previous one. I intend to keep all the "rehearsal" versions, for comparison and for study.

Recording all Mahler Symphonies would be a real work of a lifetime - the attention to all these details in the scores requires a lot of time...

Reinhold
-------------------------------------
http://www.virtualphilharmonic.co.uk/
http://twitter.com/reinholdsmusic

[pokeefe]

Hope you will give us some 7th's Nachtmusik ...

Ooh. Now that would be tricky. He could get the guitar from JABB but where's he going to get the mandolin. Does JABB have one? It sure would be wonderful to here, though.

...or even excerpts from Das Lied von der Erde someday.

Yes! But but maybe not until sometime after the 150 year celebration. He might need a bit of time to work on it.

Pat