Rerurn to Romy the Cat's Site


In the Forum: Musical Discussions
In the Thread: The best Third Movement from “Der Titan”
Post Subject: Mahler himself comments...Posted by Paul S on: 8/17/2009
fiogf49gjkf0d
Apparently, this was one of those works that the artist just can't leave alone.  I think it was rather late in the "ongoing development" of this piece that Mahler finally decided to drop the discursive programs and play it straight.

I like B. Walter, and I do not doubt that he did a nice Titan.  I now aim to hear it.  But I would not typically suppose that this owed to his friendship with Mahler.  OTOH, there have been some rather sad moments, I think, when the composer conducts (or plays...) his own work with rather limited success.

Who knows until after the fact what could make an orchestra, conductor and composition join in perfect expression, against such long odds, and especially so in the difficult case of the Titan?

Maybe this is one of those times when the friend has a better perspective than the composer, himself - who was, after all, a conductor first, himself?

Best regards,
Paul S

Rerurn to Romy the Cat's Site