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Martinon Chicago SO Mahler 10 Posted by Paul Breslin on January 30, 2026, 6:10 pm I would be interested in Ralph Moore's opinion of Jean Martinon's recording of the Cooke performing version, live from February 12, 1966. It is available from High Definition Tape Transfers, in excellent sound with virtually no extraneous noise. It is something of an outlier, dispatching the symphony in under 67 minutes, whereas the others I've heard (Rattle/Berlin, Gielen, Harding) run well over 70 minutes. It's lean and exceptionally transparent (a little like Barshai, though that conductor performs his own realisation). The difference comes mainly in the first and last movements, where Martinon takes under 21 minutes while the others are around 25. I wouldn't want this to be my only recording of the 10th, but I wouldn't want to be without it either. It seems to me valid on its own terms. The pervasive foreboding that runs through this symphony is less subtle-it's right out in the open. However, the classical virtues of clarity and proportion prevent it from turning into a shriek-fest

Re: Martinon Chicago SO Mahler 10 Posted by Ralph Moore on January 30, 2026, 6:22 pm, in reply to "Martinon Chicago SO Mahler 10" Thanks, Paul; I was unaware of that recording but am privileged to have a reviewer's account with HDTT so will indeed listen to and review it, bearing your comments in mind. Previous Message I would be interested in Ralph Moore's opinion of Jean Martinon's recording of the Cooke performing version, live from February 12, 1966. It is available from High Definition Tape Transfers, in excellent sound with virtually no extraneous noise. It is something of an outlier, dispatching the symphony in under 67 minutes, whereas the others I've heard (Rattle/Berlin, Gielen, Harding) run well over 70 minutes. It's lean and exceptionally transparent (a little like Barshai, though that conductor performs his own realisation). The difference comes mainly in the first and last movements, where Martinon takes under 21 minutes while the others are around 25. I wouldn't want this to be my only recording of the 10th, but I wouldn't want to be without it either. It seems to me valid on its own terms. The pervasive foreboding that runs through this symphony is less subtle-it's right out in the open. However, the classical virtues of clarity and proportion prevent it from turning into a shriek-fest

Re: Martinon Chicago SO Mahler 10 Posted by Steve Luciani on January 31, 2026, 2:31 pm, in reply to "Re: Martinon Chicago SO Mahler 10" There's also a wonderful live 1970 Martinon first with the Japan Philharmonic on Urania and a terrific live 1967 third with the Chicago Symphony. The audience broke out into applause at the end of the first movement. A recent remaster of that one can be found on Spotify. Previous Message Thanks, Paul; I was unaware of that recording but am privileged to have a reviewer's account with HDTT so will indeed listen to and review it, bearing your comments in mind. Previous Message I would be interested in Ralph Moore's opinion of Jean Martinon's recording of the Cooke performing version, live from February 12, 1966. It is available from High Definition Tape Transfers, in excellent sound with virtually no extraneous noise. It is something of an outlier, dispatching the symphony in under 67 minutes, whereas the others I've heard (Rattle/Berlin, Gielen, Harding) run well over 70 minutes. It's lean and exceptionally transparent (a little like Barshai, though that conductor performs his own realisation). The difference comes mainly in the first and last movements, where Martinon takes under 21 minutes while the others are around 25. I wouldn't want this to be my only recording of the 10th, but I wouldn't want to be without it either. It seems to me valid on its own terms. The pervasive foreboding that runs through this symphony is less subtle-it's right out in the open. However, the classical virtues of clarity and proportion prevent it from turning into a shriek-fest

Re: Martinon Chicago SO Mahler 10 Posted by Paul Breslin on January 31, 2026, 5:52 pm, in reply to "Re: Martinon Chicago SO Mahler 10" That Mahler 3rd is also available in a CSO box of live performances. I haven't shelled out for the box, which includes some things I would love to have but a good many to which I'm indifferent. It was also praised by David Hurwitz, who can be opinionated and churlish (e.g., his almost pathological contempt for Jascha Horenstein), but is right some of the time. Previous Message There's also a wonderful live 1970 Martinon first with the Japan Philharmonic on Urania and a terrific live 1967 third with the Chicago Symphony. The audience broke out into applause at the end of the first movement. A recent remaster of that one can be found on Spotify. Previous Message Thanks, Paul; I was unaware of that recording but am privileged to have a reviewer's account with HDTT so will indeed listen to and review it, bearing your comments in mind. Previous Message I would be interested in Ralph Moore's opinion of Jean Martinon's recording of the Cooke performing version, live from February 12, 1966. It is available from High Definition Tape Transfers, in excellent sound with virtually no extraneous noise. It is something of an outlier, dispatching the symphony in under 67 minutes, whereas the others I've heard (Rattle/Berlin, Gielen, Harding) run well over 70 minutes. It's lean and exceptionally transparent (a little like Barshai, though that conductor performs his own realisation). The difference comes mainly in the first and last movements, where Martinon takes under 21 minutes while the others are around 25. I wouldn't want this to be my only recording of the 10th, but I wouldn't want to be without it either. It seems to me valid on its own terms. The pervasive foreboding that runs through this symphony is less subtle-it's right out in the open. However, the classical virtues of clarity and proportion prevent it from turning into a shriek-fest

Re: Martinon Chicago SO Mahler 10 Posted by Steve Luciani on January 31, 2026, 7:07 pm, in reply to "Re: Martinon Chicago SO Mahler 10" You can also find it on the YouTube Studio Vista Sonus channel in HD sound. Jed Distler loved it too: "The Chicagoans play like gods, with a kind of fervency and commitment that leave the orchestra’s subsequent studio versions under Levine and Solti at the starting gate. You’d never know that this was the orchestra’s first encounter with the score." Too bad he didn't record them all! Previous Message That Mahler 3rd is also available in a CSO box of live performances. I haven't shelled out for the box, which includes some things I would love to have but a good many to which I'm indifferent. It was also praised by David Hurwitz, who can be opinionated and churlish (e.g., his almost pathological contempt for Jascha Horenstein), but is right some of the time. Previous Message There's also a wonderful live 1970 Martinon first with the Japan Philharmonic on Urania and a terrific live 1967 third with the Chicago Symphony. The audience broke out into applause at the end of the first movement. A recent remaster of that one can be found on Spotify. Previous Message Thanks, Paul; I was unaware of that recording but am privileged to have a reviewer's account with HDTT so will indeed listen to and review it, bearing your comments in mind. Previous Message I would be interested in Ralph Moore's opinion of Jean Martinon's recording of the Cooke performing version, live from February 12, 1966. It is available from High Definition Tape Transfers, in excellent sound with virtually no extraneous noise. It is something of an outlier, dispatching the symphony in under 67 minutes, whereas the others I've heard (Rattle/Berlin, Gielen, Harding) run well over 70 minutes. It's lean and exceptionally transparent (a little like Barshai, though that conductor performs his own realisation). The difference comes mainly in the first and last movements, where Martinon takes under 21 minutes while the others are around 25. I wouldn't want this to be my only recording of the 10th, but I wouldn't want to be without it either. It seems to me valid on its own terms. The pervasive foreboding that runs through this symphony is less subtle-it's right out in the open. However, the classical virtues of clarity and proportion prevent it from turning into a shriek-fest

Re: Martinon Chicago SO Mahler 10 Posted by Ralph Moore on January 31, 2026, 2:30 pm, in reply to "Martinon Chicago SO Mahler 10" Paul, I have downloaded that performance and written a review which will appear in due course; thank you. There is some debate about the performance date(s). The big Chicago box set and ChatGPt say this was performed (and broadcast, presumably on one day only) on 19 & 20 May 1966, although you and I were going by the HDTT website, which I suspect is wrong. Previous Message I would be interested in Ralph Moore's opinion of Jean Martinon's recording of the Cooke performing version, live from February 12, 1966. It is available from High Definition Tape Transfers, in excellent sound with virtually no extraneous noise. It is something of an outlier, dispatching the symphony in under 67 minutes, whereas the others I've heard (Rattle/Berlin, Gielen, Harding) run well over 70 minutes. It's lean and exceptionally transparent (a little like Barshai, though that conductor performs his own realisation). The difference comes mainly in the first and last movements, where Martinon takes under 21 minutes while the others are around 25. I wouldn't want this to be my only recording of the 10th, but I wouldn't want to be without it either. It seems to me valid on its own terms. The pervasive foreboding that runs through this symphony is less subtle-it's right out in the open. However, the classical virtues of clarity and proportion prevent it from turning into a shriek-fest

Re: Martinon Chicago SO Mahler 10 Posted by Alan Cook on February 1, 2026, 12:41 pm, in reply to "Re: Martinon Chicago SO Mahler 10" St Laurent Studio also issued a CD transfer of the Martinon Chicago performance and they also gave dates of May 19-20 1966 SLS also issued a CD Transfer of a later performance by Martinon of Mahler 10 - May 27th 1970 with the Orchestre National de l'ORTF in Salle Playel, Paris. In this correpondence,s I don't think I have seen a mention of Vladimir Ashkenazy's performance of Mahler 10 with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra as part of their 2010-11 Centenary Complete Cycle. It was recorded live, in Sydney Opera House, on May 11-14th 2011 and issued, on the orchestra's 'Own Label' in 2012, The booklet points out that Ashkenazy took some time to decide which 'version' to perform before finally opting foe the Barshai. Is this on RMo's 'list'? Previous Message Paul, I have downloaded that performance and written a review which will appear in due course; thank you. There is some debate about the performance date(s). The big Chicago box set and ChatGPt say this was performed (and broadcast, presumably on one day only) on 19 & 20 May 1966, although you and I were going by the HDTT website, which I suspect is wrong. Previous Message I would be interested in Ralph Moore's opinion of Jean Martinon's recording of the Cooke performing version, live from February 12, 1966. It is available from High Definition Tape Transfers, in excellent sound with virtually no extraneous noise. It is something of an outlier, dispatching the symphony in under 67 minutes, whereas the others I've heard (Rattle/Berlin, Gielen, Harding) run well over 70 minutes. It's lean and exceptionally transparent (a little like Barshai, though that conductor performs his own realisation). The difference comes mainly in the first and last movements, where Martinon takes under 21 minutes while the others are around 25. I wouldn't want this to be my only recording of the 10th, but I wouldn't want to be without it either. It seems to me valid on its own terms. The pervasive foreboding that runs through this symphony is less subtle-it's right out in the open. However, the classical virtues of clarity and proportion prevent it from turning into a shriek-fest

Re: Martinon Chicago SO Mahler 10 Posted by Ralph Moore on February 1, 2026, 12:54 pm, in reply to "Re: Martinon Chicago SO Mahler 10" Thanks for that confirmation, Alan. I have indeed listened to the Ashkenazy/Sydney Mahler 10 at my friend and colleague Lee Denham's suggestion, and thought it rather good although it's not on my list and I listened just on YouTube. The orchestra, unsurprisingly, is not as sumptuous as some but the whole thing really gathers momentum. Previous Message St Laurent Studio also issued a CD transfer of the Martinon Chicago performance and they also gave dates of May 19-20 1966 SLS also issued a CD Transfer of a later performance by Martinon of Mahler 10 - May 27th 1970 with the Orchestre National de l'ORTF in Salle Playel, Paris. In this correpondence,s I don't think I have seen a mention of Vladimir Ashkenazy's performance of Mahler 10 with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra as part of their 2010-11 Centenary Complete Cycle. It was recorded live, in Sydney Opera House, on May 11-14th 2011 and issued, on the orchestra's 'Own Label' in 2012, The booklet points out that Ashkenazy took some time to decide which 'version' to perform before finally opting foe the Barshai. Is this on RMo's 'list'? Previous Message Paul, I have downloaded that performance and written a review which will appear in due course; thank you. There is some debate about the performance date(s). The big Chicago box set and ChatGPt say this was performed (and broadcast, presumably on one day only) on 19 & 20 May 1966, although you and I were going by the HDTT website, which I suspect is wrong. Previous Message I would be interested in Ralph Moore's opinion of Jean Martinon's recording of the Cooke performing version, live from February 12, 1966. It is available from High Definition Tape Transfers, in excellent sound with virtually no extraneous noise. It is something of an outlier, dispatching the symphony in under 67 minutes, whereas the others I've heard (Rattle/Berlin, Gielen, Harding) run well over 70 minutes. It's lean and exceptionally transparent (a little like Barshai, though that conductor performs his own realisation). The difference comes mainly in the first and last movements, where Martinon takes under 21 minutes while the others are around 25. I wouldn't want this to be my only recording of the 10th, but I wouldn't want to be without it either. It seems to me valid on its own terms. The pervasive foreboding that runs through this symphony is less subtle-it's right out in the open. However, the classical virtues of clarity and proportion prevent it from turning into a shriek-fest

Re: Martinon Chicago SO Mahler 10 Posted by Steve Luciani on January 31, 2026, 2:37 pm, in reply to "Martinon Chicago SO Mahler 10" There's also a wonderful live 1970 Martinon first with the Japan Philharmonic on Urania and a terrific live 1967 third with the Chicago Symphony. The audience broke out into applause at the end of the first movement. A recent remaster of that one can be found on Spotify. Previous Message I would be interested in Ralph Moore's opinion of Jean Martinon's recording of the Cooke performing version, live from February 12, 1966. It is available from High Definition Tape Transfers, in excellent sound with virtually no extraneous noise. It is something of an outlier, dispatching the symphony in under 67 minutes, whereas the others I've heard (Rattle/Berlin, Gielen, Harding) run well over 70 minutes. It's lean and exceptionally transparent (a little like Barshai, though that conductor performs his own realisation). The difference comes mainly in the first and last movements, where Martinon takes under 21 minutes while the others are around 25. I wouldn't want this to be my only recording of the 10th, but I wouldn't want to be without it either. It seems to me valid on its own terms. The pervasive foreboding that runs through this symphony is less subtle-it's right out in the open. However, the classical virtues of clarity and proportion prevent it from turning into a shriek-fest

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