Berlin Philharmonic/Rattle Mahler 5 DVD

allofyougetalife · Veteran Member Joined: 19 Mar 2003 Posts: 207

Wow,

This DVD is pretty amazing. The principal trumpet sounds fabulous - very unusual embouchure "set-up" - plays way off to the side. Doesn't seem to give him any trouble though!

The orchestra plays incredibly well together. Reminds me when I heard them do Mahler 3 live in Chicago a few years back.

The DVD quality, makes you feel like you "are there."

I like how the solo horn moves to the front of the stage for the 3rd movement - nice touch -it is practically a horn concerto after all.

Highly recommended.

AOYGAL

[ This Message was edited by: allofyougetalife on 2003-06-01 14:08 ]

johntpt · Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2003 4:02 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the recommendation, AOYGAL. Who is the first trumpeter on the DVD? I heard the CD version and it sounds really good. I'll have to get the DVD as well.

John Urness

johntpt · Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2003 4:14 pm Post subject:

Some horn players I know can't stop gushing about how great the 1st horn sounds, plus the added bonus with him going to the front for the 3rd mvt.

Maybe trumpet players should go to the front of the orchestra for the 1st mvt? Now there's an idea....

JU

dbacon · Heavyweight Member Joined: 11 Nov 2001 Posts: 8592

John, don't you think we should be down front all the time?

Dave Bacon

allofyougetalife · Veteran Member Joined: 19 Mar 2003 Posts: 207

I wonder if having the principal horn come up from for the 3rd movement is a "tradition" with the Berlin Phil, or if it was Rattle's idea.

I don't know who the principal trumpet is, but this guy has so much fire-power I think putting him at the front would be a little too much. As Trpt-master would say "He brought his A-Game!"

Side note - I heard Tom Stevens once referred to Simon Rattle as "Baby Rattle."

AOYGAL

richj50 · Veteran Member Joined: 02 Dec 2001 Posts: 370

I once played a performance of Dvorak's Ninth in a very live church. The brass was on a riser that was about 3 feet higher than the rest of the orchestra. Talk about a balance problem <g>

gus · Veteran Member Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 452

Friends,

The principal in the recording is Tamas Valenczei, is from Hungary
and studied with Jacobs and Bud Herseth. I'm close friend of one
of the trpt. players that was also the manager of the orchestra ( The orchestra is managed by the musicians ) and we have gone to eat together a few years ago. Tamas is an Chicago School boy, despite of the unusual embouchure.

Rgds.

Sgt B · Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2003 2:13 pm Post subject:

So what's going on in Berlin? I see at http://www.musicalchairs.info/ that the
"Solo-Trompete" spot is up for grabs. This guy on the DVD sounds pretty strong to me. I'm ashamed to say that I know next to nothing about orchestral players in Europe.

James

[ This Message was edited by: Sgt B on 2003-08-11 17:16 ]

monke · Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2003 11:28 pm Post subject:

The Berlin Philharmonic has two Principal trumpets. Tamas Valenczei and Martin Kretzer. And also three "second" trumpeters. One second trumpet is free. So Martin Kretzer, who plays the principal since 1970, is going down to the second. For this reason there is a principal trumpet free.

Olaf

Sgt B · Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2003 9:07 am Post subject:

Thanks for the info.
Just curious

softcase · Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2003 11:14 am Post subject:

actually, the third movement horn going to the front of the orchestra was something, while not notated on the part, Mahler himself decided upon when the work was premiered.

I really like this dvd as well. As an added bonus, the other piece, Asyla (which is not on the cd), is extremely cool.

The scherzo in the mahler is the best i've ever heard. the whole piece is greatly performed and interpreted!
i look forward to many more insightful recordings from the Berlin Phil and their new conductor.