Paul Kletzki Conducts Mahler / Symphonies No. 1, 4 & 5 / Emmy Loose / Wiener Philharmoniker, Philharmonia Orchestra / 2 Royal Long Players / 2X Audio CD 2000 /

Disky DCL 706722

UPC 0724357067225

TOTAL TIME: 115 MINUTES (2 DISCS)

Paul Kletzki is remembered today, if at all, primarily for his fresh, unaffected way with Mahler's scores. You can find his "Das Lied von der Erde" from the early '60s pretty easily, and it's among the finest--even if it's not as heralded as the (deservedly lionized) Klemperer/Ludwig/Wunderlich or Walter/Ferrier/Patzak classics. The Kletzki "Das Lied" would be my primary recommendation for those who want the less-common alternative of a baritone rather than a mezzo-soprano (in this case, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, more restrained than he was in his over-the-top remake with Leonard Bernstein).

For the moment at least, this 2-CD set is about the only way to get Kletzki's irresistible 1957 Mahler Fourth with the Philharmonia. Despite the dated (but more than adequate) recorded sound, it comes over as fresh as a new coat of paint. Most other recordings of the Fourth sound calculated and manipulated compared to this (in particular, the recent Michael Tilson Thomas set with his San Francisco Symphony). Yet this buoyant performance does not slight the score's darker implications. Disc 2 of the set, which contains this Fourth, is rounded out with a songful account of the Adagietto of the Fifth Symphony (which has a long history of performance as a stand-alone piece--Mahler himself did so).

Tracklist:

Disc 1:

Symphony No. 1 in D major

1. Langsam, schleppend 13:28

2. Kräftig bewegt 8:19

3. Feierlich und gemessen ohne zu schleppen 10:42

4. Stürmisch bewegt 17:26

Wiener Philharmoniker

Conducted by Paul Kletzki

Disc 2:

Symphony No. 4 in G major

1. I: Heiter, bedächtig. Nicht eilen 16:19

2. II: In gemächlicher Bewegung. Ohne Has 9:36

3. III: Ruhevoll 21:01

4. IV: Sehr behaglich 8:36

Emmy Losse, soprano

Symphony No. 5 in C sharp minor

5. IV: Adagietto 9:57

Philharmonia Orchestra

Conducted by: Paul Kletzki