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 Disconnected patchwork Sep 27, 2005
I was indeed very surprised when I stumbled upon this recording of Das Lied von der Erde. Placido Domingo and Mahler? I love Placido Domingo's clear, powerful and rich Heldentenor and I think that in general his turn towards the German repertoire has been a blessing for music lovers - which true Wagnerite could now do without his magnificent interpretations of Parsifal, Siegfried and Tristan?
Loving Mahler's music and being a great admirer of Placido Domingo, I could do nothing else but buy this album for myself. But I have found that I do never listen to it anymore, which is a shame, considering the great artists involved. But there are a few flaws that seriously detract from a nice listening experience. Firstly, the sound is too bright and harsh, too strident, ultimately causing serious fatigue to the ears of this particular listener. Secondly, what is it with this annoying background hum/hiss? Very annoying and quite unacceptable for a modern digital recording. Thirdly, the singers sound too detatched from or uninvolved with the art they are creating. Domingo's (very slight and excusable) slip-ups with the German language are a bit of a detraction sometimes (but of course they do not overall detract from his great art, I hasten to say, so he is always excused in my view), which makes one feel that he does not have a real connection with specific word-meanings, laying too much effort in just (trying to) pronounce the words and sentences as correctly as possible. Also, Skovhus' voice acting tricks are not very much to my liking. The orchestral playing is very fine, but I do not believe that this recording in general, offers us genuinely new insights into this music. (For an astounding proof of Esa-Pekka Salonen's art, I would for example like to recommend his recording of Grieg's music for Peer Gynt on Sony SK44528.)
Altogether I have found this recording of Das Lied von der Erde, one of Mahler's most deeply personal works, rather a disappointment.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 A lot better than I expected Sep 24, 2005
Salonen made a terrific recording of the Mahler Third Sym. in spectacular 20-bit sound, soon following up with this recording of Das Lied. It's in the same vein of super-clear, detailed articulation rather than emotional overstatement, and it's very enjoyable, too. Domingo isn't just checking off his list of "All the Music a Tenor Could Possibly Sing." His singing here is gorgeously toned, and he is doing his best with the Germann. Skovhus has the bigger job, projecting a low male voice into the plush, plangent territory of a woman's part. But he does a good job, at least equal to his major rivals, Fischer-Dieksau and Hampson, sounding more lyrical than either. Ultimately, however, it's the gorgeous sound and Salonen's modern approach that draw me in. I have no desire to own a baritone Das Lied after this, yet am well satisfied to have such as good one.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
Alternative viewpoint Jun 25, 2003
I have to agree with Mr. Levine, and less with some of the other reviewers. I think the saving grace of this recording is Skovhus. Rather than dominating the balance, he fits right in, as another instrument in an intricately layered piece. His tone is beautiful and consistent, he phrases the lines with subtlety and sensitivity, and his diction is good. Domingo, on the other hand, probably had a heavier hand when negotiating with the balance engineer, and he is put farther in front of the sound, and in my opinion too loud. On top of that, it sounds as if his understanding of the music--how it all hangs together--is superficial. His tone is nice and the musicality is intelligent, but perhaps he didn't spend as much time with it as he would have liked. As for LA and Salonen, it is everything one could ask for, a very interesting, refined, and nuanced reading.
6 of 8 found the following review helpful:
A Different kind of Song of the Earth Dec 06, 2002
This recording of Mahler's most profound vocal/orchestral statement has many many moments of glory. Esa-Pekka Salonen captures Mahler's passionate and richly orchestrated score in a beautiful reading by his LA Phil. As we have come to expect from Salonen and his orchestra there is clarity and overall vision that matched only by such conductors as Boulez. The magnificence of this 'would-be 9th symphony' is always in the forefront. Placido Domingo proves that he can soar with the best of the heldentenors and his voice rings here. Bo Skovhus has a beautiful voice, somewhat laid back and hence a bit uninvolved in the peaks of this score, but though he lacks the heft and drama of a Fisher-Dieskau, his voice is never less than lovely. What he lacks in punch he makes up for in lyricism and grace in the upper register. If you're looking for a recording of Das Lied that just allows you to get to know the intricacies of Mahler's writing, this is an excellent starting point. Yes, we all are haunted by the memory of the Klemperer/Ludwig/Wunderlich recording, but this Song set belongs on your shelf, too.
2 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Had high hopes, was terribly disappointed - deserves 0 stars May 01, 2000
After I had listened to this disc the first time (in the car on the way home from Tower Records), I found myself thinking, "Boy, the singers sound so disconnected. It's almost like they aren't in the same room or even in the same time zone." When I got home I read through the liner notes to find that was in deed the case. The 3 Domingo cuts were recorded on different days than the 3 Skovhus cuts. I find that to be terribly disappointing. In order for these songs to hang together the singers need to really understand and empathize with each other during the performace. That's pretty damn hard to do when they're not even in the same city (probably).This is the only Domingo disc I own that I will likely never listen to again - to the used CD store I go!
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