Mahler Symphony No 9 - Horenstein American Symphony Orchestra (Live)
FIRST RELEASE OF HORENSTEIN CONDUCTING MAHLER SYMPHONY NO. 9
WITH AMERICAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, NOVEMBER 10, 1969
HDTT is very pleased to present a previously unreleased live recording of Mahler’s masterful Symphony No. 9 conducted by the great maestro Jascha Horenstein. It was recorded from the audience in Carnegie Hall on November 10, 1969 in quite vivid sound, and it has been carefully restored from the original live tapes. We believe this release is a very important addition to Horenstein’s Mahler discography, presented in a variety of high-resolution options and on conventional CD. This was the second of two performances by Horenstein as guest conductor of Leopold Stokowski’s American Symphony Orchestra, and it well demonstrates the orchestra’s excellent quality. Mahler’s last completed symphony is one of his most popular works - Wikipedia states that there are more than 100 released recordings of it. Horenstein, who is widely recognized today as one of Mahler’s most ardent, authoritative and beloved interpreters, was no stranger to this popular symphony, and for many listeners who came of age during the LP era, his 1952 Vox recording with the Vienna Symphony was their introduction to this work, as well as their touchstone for it. Here we have the great Horenstein’s final recorded thoughts on this magnificent work.
Artists: Jascha Horenstein conducting the American Symphony Orchestra
Recording Info: Live recording made in Carnegie Hall on November 10, 1969 (Mahler Symphony No. 9) and November 9, 1969 (Beethoven Egmont Overture); recorded on tape from the audience recording equipment unknown. Transfer of original in-house tapes by Robert Witrak, HDTT, at DSD256 (2024). Restoration and remastering for all tracks by Robert Witrak, HDTT, and John H. Haley, Harmony Restorations LLC, at 352.8 kHz, 24 bits (2024).
Analog: Transferred using a modified Nagra 4SJ tape deck feeding a Merrill Tape Preamp Digital: Merging Hapi Analog to Digital Converter clocked by an Antelope Audio 10MX Atomic Clock Power Conditioning: Shunyata Research Everest 8000 for all components. Shunyata Research Triton and Typhon for digital components
All components grounded to Shunyata ALTAIRA Hubs
Cover and booklet design by Robert Witrak; booklet notes by John H. Haley.
Grateful thanks to Misha Horenstein, Jerry Bruck, Louise Bloomfield, John Akbari, and Ray Edwards.
Booklet, compilation, restorations, and remasterings: © (p) 2024 High Definition Tape Transfers, Inc., 118 Tower Hill Road, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada L4E 0K6. Product of Canada. All rights reserved.
1 Beethoven: Overture to Incidental Music to Egmont, Op. 84 (8:47)
Mahler: Symphony No. 9 in D Major
2 I. Andante comodo (26:23)
3 II. Im Tempo eines gemächlichen Ländlers (In a comfortable ländler tempo) (17:29)
4 III. Rondo: Burlesque. Sehr trotzig (Very defiant) (13:13)
5 IV. Adagio (25:52)
Please Note: This release was edited in DXD PCM from a DSD256 Master
then the DXD edited master was used to generate the final DSD files using
Merging Technologies Album Publishing.
DXD (352.8KHz 24/32 bit PCM) is one of the best and least destructive formats for post-processing DSD originated digital recordings
Copyright © & ℗ High Definition Tape Transfers 2024, including all compilation, transfer, remastering, and restoration aspects
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Best of the 3 Horenstein 9ths I've heard
The first Mahler 9th I heard was Horenstein's old mono performance on Vox. I divide recordings roughly into two kinds: the ones that are good enough to listen ∫to/, and those that have to be listened /through/. That is, recordings in which it takes some imagination to infer what the performance was really like, despite the imperfect capture by the recording. The Vox was definitely in the "listen through" category. So too, though by a narrower margin, is the Horenstein 9th live performance released by Music and Arts, in rather unconvincing aritificial stereo, and containing a hard-to-ignore flub when the horn and flute get out of sync in their exposed duet near the end of the first movement. (Not as serious as the notorious AWOL trombones in the Berlin Bernstein recording, but still . . . .) I have not heard the live recording that used to circulate on the BBC archival label and do not intend to pay the $200 dollars this out of print item now commands. The present recording is the best played of the three. I'm not a score-reading demon, but I heard nothing that was distractingly "off." The ASO was Stowkowski's orchestra, which means they knew how to make an opulent sound. I have no idea what the tape Bob Witrak was working from sounded like before he got to work on it, as there has been no previous public release of this performance. What I can say is that it definitely falls into the "listening to" category. It is not quite the sort of astonishing resurrection that Mr. Witrak has achieved in so many of his remasterings--there's a lack of auditory depth surrounding the instruments, and at high volume there's a hint of tinniness and congestion. But I'm so glad to have at last Horenstein's 9th securely played and well enough recorded so that i can simply listen and appreciate the greatness of Mahler and Horenstein. So five stars without reeservation. Thank you, Mr. Witrak!

A real act of service by HDTT
Fabulous sound and a great performance by Hornstein and the ASO live! It occurs to me that the release of recordings like this by HDTT is a real service to music lovers. Thank you Bob Witrak!

Jascha Horenstein
Great recording from a legendary conductor.
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