Classical Music Forum banner

Another list of Mahler Symphonies

32K views 92 replies 48 participants last post by  DarkAngel 
#1 · (Edited)
After doing some research I have compiled the list I most want for Mahler's symphonies. Comments appreciated. If you think I am totally off the mark on a particular recording then let me know. The ones I have already bought are in red.

no.1 Kubelik

no.2 Mehta

no.3 Abbado Jessye Norman version

no.4 Bernstein Sony

no.5 Bernstein DG live

no.6 Abbado live

no.7 Abbado live (same series as 6)

no.8 Solti

no.9 Barbirolli / Karajan ? should I get the famous karajan one?

no.10 Kubelik ( I don't want the Cooke version for now )
 
See less See more
#4 · (Edited)
But that is too many conductors for only nine complete symphonies. who are Inbal, Neumann and Bertini? Are they very old recordings? I tend to go on a mixture of top recommendations from BBC 3, Penguin, Rough Guide and Gramophone as well as Amazon reviews and having some clue of the conductors from other CDs I own. I have strangely never seen Sinopoli mentioned above any of the other conductors although I know he is supposed to be a top Mahlerian. Maybe there is some kind of bias. I would have gotten Rattle for number 2 or 10 but it is too late :)
Barenboim is surely not of the calibre of Bernstein or Barbirolli as regards Mahler? Boulez is brilliant yes but his kind of Mahler is a bit detached for my liking. I very nearly got him conducting the 3rd but again more positive things were said about Bernstein and Abbado - that these, from a large consensus of people, are definitive.
You have opened some doors here though. I like that :) I know that Mahler is a tricky one cos the list of potential great performances is obviously huge, as much or more than even Beethoven or at least there are a lot of people with strong opinions on the issue.

J
 
#7 ·
But that is too many conductors for only nine complete symphonies. who are Inbal, Neumann and Bertini? Are they very old recordings? I tend to go on a mixture of top recommendations from BBC 3, Penguin, Rough Guide and Gramophone as well as Amazon reviews and having some clue of the conductors from other CDs I own. I have strangely never seen Sinopoli mentioned above any of the other conductors although I know he is supposed to be a top Mahlerian. Maybe there is some kind of bias. I would have gotten Rattle for number 2 or 10 but it is too late :)
Barenboim is surely not of the calibre of Bernstein or Barbirolli as regards Mahler? Boulez is brilliant yes but his kind of Mahler is a bit detached for my liking. I very nearly got him conducting the 3rd but again more positive things were said about Bernstein and Abbado - that these, from a large consensus of people, are definitive.
You have opened some doors here though. I like that :) I know that Mahler is a tricky one cos the list of potential great performances is obviously huge, as much or more than even Beethoven or at least there are a lot of people with strong opinions on the issue.

J
Let me be quite frank with you, Rough Guide, Penguin, BBC, and Gramophone don't have a clue as to what to recommend. They would be my last resort for any kind of information about a recording. They definitely don't know anything about Mahler.

Having that said, I think you will find all Mahler fans will point to one box set for consistency: the Gary Bertini set on EMI. Bertini is joined by the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra, which in my opinion, held their own in set. This is the most consistently rewarding cycle of Mahler available on the market. No Mahler fan would disagree with these statements.

In the end, you do what you want to, I probably own more Mahler recordings than anyone on this forum, so I'm completely guilty of going overboard with his music, which will happen as soon as you really start sinking your teeth into the music.

Allow me to give you my own list for greatest Mahler recordings:

Sym. 1 - Kubelik
Sym. 2 - Rattle
Sym. 3 - Salonen
Sym. 4 - Haitink
Sym. 5 - Chailly
Sym. 6 - Abbado
Sym. 7 - Tilson Thomas
Sym. 8 - Solti
Sym. 9 - Karajan
Sym. 10 Adagio - Bernstein

That's my list. Take it or leave it.
 
#8 ·
Thanks for the list. It's interesting. We agree in any case on a few of them. I must look into Tilson Thomas for 7. I like 7 and wanted a really good recording.

'That's my list. Take it or leave it' ..... what's with the defensive attitude ? :) I am posting here for love of music not to score points. This is not a personal criticism.
I do find it a little odd that you think none of a whole list of impartial critics from various sources are all wrong. Having said that you didn't mention Bertini for a single symphony so in any case I won't be going down that road. I do need to listen to him though as a matter of interest. You have aroused my interest. Anyone else have any opinions on this??

J
 
#9 ·
Thanks for the list. It's interesting. We agree in any case on a few of them. I must look into Tilson Thomas for 7. I like 7 and wanted a really good recording.

'That's my list. Take it or leave it' ..... what's with the defensive attitude ? :) I am posting here for love of music not to score points. This is not a personal criticism.
I do find it a little odd that you think none of a whole list of impartial critics from various sources are all wrong. Having said that you didn't mention Bertini for a single symphony so in any case I won't be going down that road. I do need to listen to him though as a matter of interest. You have aroused my interest. Anyone else have any opinions on this??

J
Most magazine writers are wrong. First of all, most critics know nothing about music. They don't know what it takes to become a musician or a composer and how hard it is, so what they do and how they think they're helping musicians out is by giving criticism of it. Critics belong to the barbaric and ruthless crowd known as "the media."

That's why I don't need someone from a magazine telling me what's good or not. I'll find that out for myself.

I didn't have to mention Bertini, because he excels in all the symphonies. Didn't you read what I wrote about his cycle?

As far as my own list is concerned, this is a merely "off the top of my head" type of list. This could change everyday and this is why these lists are really pointless, because you're going to buy whatever you want to anyway, right?

Anyway, Mahler is a very complex composer. Many conductors and orchestras have performed his music, and there are better Mahler conductors than Bernstein and that's a fact.

Bertini, Kubelik, Chailly, Tennstedt, and Abbado have recorded, in my opinion, the best Mahler symphony cycles.
 
#10 ·
OK well some critics I'm sure don't know what they are talking about but perhaps some do know something about music and if a lot agree and are presumably not in league then perhaps there is something to what they say. That's by the by anyway.
I am a composer and pianist myself and I agree that lists like this are not foolproof. It's really just a curiosity. I also don't have the money to try out a number of Mahler cycles sadly so again that's why here is a good place to get some ideas from other people. There are many ways to approach Mahler and I for one have learned something.
I can't it seems get Bertini's symphonies on seperate discs, which is a drawback. Your point about Bertini therefore being that if his symphonies were individually for sale they would all be equal if not better than any of the other conductors. That's what I understand by what you say.
As for you saying the list could change every day. Maybe I am looking for your favorite versions then and that would be highly personal. Anyway, again thanks for the information.
Food for thought.

J
 
#11 ·
I'm not sure why the Bertini cycle isn't available individually. It's probably because Bertini isn't a top drawer name like Kubelik, Abbado, or Bernstein. Whatever the case may be, this set is the only way you can buy it.

I don't have a favorite Mahler performance, because all the recordings I own offer they're own unique insights into this man's music, which can be and has been interpreted in many, many ways.

Here is my Mahler collection:

- Symphony No. 1 "Titan" And Symphony No. 10 "Adagio"
Orch: NY Philharmonic
Cond: L. Bernstein
Label: Sony

- The Complete Symphonies (12-CD set)
Orch: NY Philharmonic
Cond: L. Bernstein
Label: Sony

- Symphony No. 4 (Hybrid SACD)
Orch: Chicago Symphony
Cond: Fritz Reiner
Label: RCA

-Symphonies 1-10 (10-CD set)
Orch: Bavarian Radio Symphony
Cond: Rafael Kubelik
Label: DG

-Symphony No. 5
Orch: Atlanta Symphony
Cond: Yoel Levi
Label: Telarc

-Symphony No. 7
Orch: Atlanta Symphony
Cond: Yoel Levi
Label: Telarc

-Symphony No. 8
Orch: Atlanta Symphony
Cond: Robert Shaw
Label: Telarc

-Symphony No. 6
Orch: Atlanta Symphony
Cond: Yoel Levi
Label: Telarc

-Symphony No. 4
Orch: Atlanta Symphony
Cond: Yoel Levi
Label: Telarc

-Symphony No. 2/Symphony No. 10 (2-CD set)
Orch: Atlanta Symphony
Cond: Yoel Levi
Label: Telarc

-Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection”
Orch: Vienna Philharmonic
Cond: Zubin Mehta
Label: Decca

-The Complete Symphonies (10-CD set)
Orch: London Philharmonic
Cond: Klaus Tennstedt
Label: EMI

-Symphony No. 9
Orch: Berlin Philharmonic
Cond: Sir Simon Rattle
Label: EMI

-Symphony No. 10
Orch: Berlin Philharmonic
Cond: Sir Simon Rattle
Label: EMI

-Symphony No. 5
Orch: Berlin Philharmonic
Cond: Sir Simon Rattle
Label: EMI

-Symphony No. 8
Orch: City of Birmingham Symphony
Cond: Sir Simon Rattle
Label: EMI

-Symphony No. 7
Orch: City of Birmingham Symphony
Cond: Sir Simon Rattle
Label: EMI

-Symphony No. 6
Orch: City of Birmingham Symphony
Cond: Sir Simon Rattle
Label: EMI

-Symphony No. 4
Orch: City of Birmingham Symphony
Cond: Sir Simon Rattle
Label: EMI

-Symphony No. 2 (2-CD set)
Orch: City of Birmingham Symphony
Cond; Sir Simon Rattle
Label: EMI

-Symphony No. 9
Orch: Czech Philharmonic
Cond: Karel Ancerl
Label: Supraphon

-Symphony No. 5
Orch: Vienna Philharmonic
Cond: L. Bernstein
Label: DG

-Symphony No. 1/Strauss: Till Eulenspiegels
Orch: Czech Philharmonic
Cond: Karel Ancerl
Label: Supraphon

-Symphony No. 1; Songs of the Wayfarer
Orch: Bavarian Radio Symphony
Cond: Rafael Kubelik
Label: DG

-Symphony No. 8
Orch: Chicago Symphony
Cond: Georg Solti
Label: Decca

-Symphony No. 6; Zemlinsky: 6 Maeter Link
Orch: Royal Concertgebouw
Cond: Riccardo Chailly
Label: Decca

-Symphony No. 10
Orch: Cincinnati Symphony
Cond: Jesus Lopez-Cobos
Label: Telarc

-Symphony No. 5
Orch: Berlin Philharmonic
Cond: Karajan
Label: DG

-Symphony No. 4
Orch: Chicago Symphony
Cond: James Levine
Label: RCA

-Symphony No. 3 (2-CD set)
Orch: City of Birmingham Symphony
Cond: Sir Simon Rattle
Label: EMI

-Symphony No. 7
Orch: Chicago Symphony
Cond: Claudio Abbado
Label: DG

-Symphony No. 6
Orch: Vienna Philharmonic
Cond: Pierre Boulez
Label: DG

-Symphonies 1 & 9
Orch: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic
Cond; Andrew Litton, Libor Pesek
Label: Virgin Classics

-Symphony No. 5
Orch: Vienna Philharmonic
Cond; Lorin Maazel
Label: DG

-Symphony No. 4
Orch: Berlin Philharmonic
Cond: Karajan
Label: DG

-Symphony No. 10
Orch: Bournemouth Symphony
Cond: Sir Simon Rattle
Label: EMI

-Symphony No. 1; Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen
Orch: NY Philharmonic
Cond: Kurt Masur
Label: Teldec

-10 Symphonies (12-CD set)
Orch: Berlin Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Vienna Philharmonic
Cond: Claudio Abbado
Label: DG

-The Symphonies (10-CD set)
Orch: Royal Concertgebouw
Cond: Bernard Haitink
Label: Philips

-Symphony No. 9
Orch: Chicago Symphony
Cond; Pierre Boulez
Label: DG

-The Symphonies (12-CD set)
Orch: Royal Concertgebouw
Cond; Riccardo Chailly
Label: Decca

-Symphonies 1-10 (15-CD set)
Orch: Frankfurt Radio Symphony
Cond: Eliahu Inbal
Label: Brilliant Classics

-Symphony Nos. 1-10 (14-CD set)
Orch: Vienna Philharmonic
Cond: Lorin Maazel
Label: Warner Classics

-Symphony No. 7
Orch: Chicago Symphony
Cond: Georg Solti
Label: Decca

-Symphony No. 7
Orch: London Symphony
Cond: Michael Tilson Thomas
Label: RCA

-Symphony No. 1. Blumine
Orch: Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra
Cond: David Zinman
Label: RCA

-Symphony No. 5; Lieder aus Des Kraben
Orch: Finnish Radio Symphony
Cond: Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Andrew Litton, Charles Mackerras
Label: RCA

-Symphony No. 4
Orch: Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
Cond: David Zinman
Label: Apex

-Symphony No. 1
Orch: Chicago Symphony
Cond; Georg Solti
Label; Warner Classics

-Symphony No. 8
Orch: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Cond: Riccardo Chailly
Label: Decca

-Symphony No. 5
Orch: Chicago Symphony
Cond; Daniel Barenboim
Label: Teldec

-Symphony No. 4
Orch: Dresden Staatskapelle
Cond; Sinopoli
Label: Profil

-Symphony No. 5
Orch: London Symphony
Cond: Harold Farberman
Label: Vox

-Symphony No. 10
Orch: Philadelphia Orchestra
Cond: Eugene Ormandy
Label: Sony

-Symphony No. 1
Orch: Chicago Symphony
Cond: Pierre Boulez
Label: DG

-Symphony No. 9
Orch: Chicago Symphony
Cond: Carlo Maria Giulini
Label: Decca

-Symphony No. 3
Orch: Zurich Tonhalle
Cond; David Zinman
Label: RCA

-Adagio Mahler
Orch: Polish Radio Symphony
Cond; Antoni Wit
Label: Naxos

-Symphony No. 1
Orch: London Philharmonic
Cond: Eugene Ormandy
Label: RCA

-Symphony No. 10
Orch: Royal Concertgebouw
Cond; Riccard Chailly
Label: Decca

-Symphony No. 4
Orch: London Philharmonic
Cond; Jascha Horenstein
Label: Classics for Pleasure (EMI)

-Symphony No. 5
Orch: National Symphony Orchestra of Polish Radio
Cond; Antoni Wit
Label: Naxos

-Symphony No. 9
Orch: Royal Concertgebouw
Cond: Riccard Chailly
Label: Decca

-Symphony No. 6
Orch: London Symphony
Cond; Harold Farberman
Label: Vox

-Symphony No. 1
Orch: St. Louis Symphony
Cond: L. Slatkin
Label: Telarc

-Symphony No. 5
Orch: NY Philharmonic
Cond; Zubin Mehta
Label: Warner Classics

-Symphony No. 1
Orch: Florida Philharmonic
Cond: James Judd
Label: Hmf

-Symphony No. 4
Orch: NY Philharmonic
Cond; L. Bernstein
Label: Sony

-Symphony No. 6
Orch: London Symphony
Cond: Valery Gergiev
Label: LSO

-Symphony No. 6
Orch: NY Philharmonic
Cond: L. Bernstein
Label: Sony

-Symphony No. 4
Orch: Cleveland Orchestra
Cond: George Szell
Label: Sony

-Symphony No. 5
Orch: Philadelphia Orchestra
Cond; James Levine
Label: RCA

-Symphony No 7
Orch: Netherlands Philharmonic
Cond: Hartmut Haenchen
Label: Laserlight

-Symphony No. 4
Orch: Vienna Philharmonic
Cond; Lorin Maazel
Label: Sony

-Symphony No. 4
Orch: Gran Canaria Philharmonic
Cond; Adrian Leaper
Label: Arte Nova

-Symphony No. 3
Orch: Gran Canaria Philharmonic
Cond: Adrian Leaper
Label: Arte Nove

-Symphony No. 7
Orch: National Symphony Orch. Of Polish Radio and Television
Cond; Michael Halasz
Label: Naxos

-Symphony No. 4
Orch: Zurich Tonhalle Orch.
Cond; David Zinman
Label: RCA

-Symphony No. 2 (2-CD set)
Orch; Zurich Tonhalle Orch.
Cond; David Zinman
Label: RCA

-Symphony No. 5
Orch; Zurich Tonhalle Orch.
Cond; David Zinman
Label; RCA

-Symphonies 1-10 (11-CD set)
Orch: Cologne Radio Symphony
Cond; Gary Bertini
Label; EMI

-The Symphonies (10-CD set)
Orch: Chicago Symphony
Cond: Sir Georg Solti
Label: Decca

-Symphony No. 6
Orch: London Symphony
Cond; Mariss Jansons
Label: LSO

-Symphony No. 7
Orch: Cleveland Orchestra
Cond; Pierre Boulez
Label: DG

-10 Symphonies (15-CD set)
Orch: Sofia Philharmonic
Cond: Emil Tabakov
Label: Capriccio

-Symphony No. 2
Orch: Royal Concertgebouw
Cond; Otto Klemperer
Label: Miesterwerke

-Symphony No. 7
Orch: Berliner Staatskapelle
Cond: Daniel Barenboim
Label; Warner Classics

-Symphony No. 1
Orch: National Symphony Orchestra of Polish Radio and Television
Cond; Michael Halasz
Label; Naxos

-Symphony No. 4
Orch: National Symphony Orchestra of Polish Radio and Television
Cond: Antoni Wit
Label: Naxos

-Symphony No. 5
Orch: Gerwandhausorchester Leipzig
Cond; Vaclav Neumann
Label: Brilliant Classics

-Symphony Nos. 1 & 3 (2-CD set)
Orch: Israel Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic
Cond; Zubin Mehta
Label; Decca

-Symphony No. 5
Orch: NY Philharmonic
Cond; Zubin Mehta
Label: Teldec

-Symphony No. 2 (2-CD set)
Orch: London Symphony
Cond; Gilbert Kaplan
Label: MCA

-Symphony No. 3; Symphony No. 10 (2-CD set)
Orch: Israel Philharmonic
Cond: Zubin Mehta
Label: Sony

-Symphony No. 6
Orch: Berlin Philharmonic
Cond; Karajan
Label: DG

-Symphony No. 10
Orch: Vienna Philharmonic
Cond; Daniel Harding
Label: DG

-Symphony No. 6
Orch: Utah Symphony Orch.
Cond; Maurice de Abravanel
Label: Silverline

-Symphony No. 6; Strauss: Ein Heldenleben (2-CD set)
Orch: New Philharmonia, London Symphony
Cond: Sir John Barbirolli
Label: EMI

-Symphony No. 7 (2-CD set)
Orch: Philharmonia Orch.
Cond; Sinopoli
Label: DG

-Symphony No. 4
Orch; Netherlands Philharmonic
Cond: Hartmut Haenchen
Label: Brilliant Classics

-Symphony No. 4
Orch; Los Angeles Philharmonic
Cond; Esa-Pekka Salonen
Label: Sony

-Symphony No. 5
Orch: New Philharmonia Orch.
Cond: Sir John Barbirolli
Label; EMI

-Symphony No. 1
Orch; Dresden Philharmonic
Cond; Herbert Kegel
Label: Berlin Classics

-Symphony No. 9
Orch: Vienna Philharmonic
Cond; Bruno Walter
Label; Classica D’oro

-Symphony No. 1
Orch: Royal Philharmonic
Cond; Yuri Simonov
Label: RPO

-Symphony No. 1; Reger: Ballet Suite
Orch: Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
Cond; Armin Jordan
Label; Apex

-5 fruhe Lieder; Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen
Orch: Philharmonia Orchestra
Cond; Luciano Berio
Label: Elektra

-Symphony No. 5
Orch: London Symphony
Cond: Rudolf Schwarz
Label: Everest Records

-Symphony No. 5
Orch: New Philharmonia
Cond; Sir John Barbirollio
Label: EMI

-Symphony No. 5
Orch: Los Angeles Philharmonic
Cond: Zubin Mehta
Label: Decca

-Symphony No. 5
Orch: City of Birmingham Symphony
Cond; Sakari Oramo
Label: Warner Classics

-Symphonies 1 & 5 (2-CD set)
Orch: Philharmonia Orchestra
Cond: Giuseppe Sinopoli
Label: DG

-Symphony No. 5
Orch: Radio Symphonicorchester Ljublijana
Cond; Anton Nanut
Label: Platinum Disc Corporation

-Symphony No. 5
Orch: Royal Philharmonic
Cond; Frank Shipway
Label; RPO

-Symphony No. 5
Orch: Gürzenich-Orchester Kölner Philharmoniker
Cond; James Conlon
Label: EMI

-Symphony No. 1
Orch: Minnesota Orchestra
Cond; Edo de Waart
Label: Virigin Classics

-Mahler III: Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon (5-CD set)
Orch: Veinna Philharmonic
Cond; L. Bernstein
Label: DG

-Mahler II: Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon (5-CD set)
Orch: NY Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic
Cond; L. Bernstein
Label: DG

-Mahler I: Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon (6-CD set)
Orch: NY Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw
Cond; L. Bernstein
Label: DG

-Symphony No. 7
Orch: Berlin Philharmonic
Cond; Claudio Abbado
Label: DG

-Symphony No. 1
Orch: Berlin Philharmonic
Cond: Claudio Abbado
Label: DG

-Symphony No. 9
Orch: Berlin Philharmonic
Cond: Claudio Abbado
Label: DG

-Symphony No. 6; Strauss: Ein Heidenleben (2-CD set)
Orch: London Symphony, New Philharmonia
Cond: Sir John Barbirolli
Label: EMI

-Symphonies Nos. 8 & 10 (2-CD set)
Orch: Philadelphia Orch.
Cond: Sinopoli
Label: DG

-Symphony No. 1; Bartok: Piano Concerto No. 3
Orch: Vienna Philharmonic
Cond: Georg Solti
Label: Orfeo D'or

-Symphony No. 9
Orch: Kyoto Symphony
Cond: Uwe Mund
Label: Arte Nova

-Symphony No. 10 (Reconstructed by Joe Wheeler)
Orch: Polish National Radio Symphony
Cond: Robert Olson
Label: Naxos

-Symphony No. 8
Orch: Royal Concertgebouw
Cond: Bernard Haitink
Label: Philips

-Symphony No. 4
Orch: St. Louis Symphony
Cond: Hans Vonk
Label: Pentatone

-Symphony No. 7
Orch: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic
Cond: Gerard Schwarz
Label: Artek

-Symphony No. 6
Orch: Cleveland Orch.
Cond: George Szell
Label: Sony

-Symphony No. 4 (Hybrid SACD)
Orch: Chicago Symphony
Cond: Fritz Reiner
Label: RCA

-Symphonies 1 & 10
Orch: Chicago Symphony, Vienna Philharmonic
Cond: Claudio Abbado
Label: DG
 
#15 ·
ahler Symhonies' interpretations



Titan with Blumine(1) - Israel/Zubin Mehta
Resurrection(2) - Wiener/Zubin Mehta
Purgatorio(3) - Berliner/Haitink + Bayreuth/Mehta
Angelic(4) - Concertgebouw/Solti + Israel/Mehta
Fate (5) - New York/Mehta + Berliner/Abbado
Tragic(6) - Chicago/Solti+ Berliner/Karajan+ Israel/Mehta
Nocturnal (7) - Berliner/Haitink + New York/Bernstein
Magnificent Symphony of a Thousand (8) - Chicago/Solti+London/Bernstein
Death (9) - Wiener/Horenstein +Moscow/Kondrashin
Farewell (10) - Berliner/ Rattle + Philadelphia/Ormandy + New Philharmonia/Wyn Morris
 
#18 ·
Yeah right. I don't believe this for a second. Sanderling isn't that great of a conductor, which is why I don't even own any recordings with him, because he's mediocre at best. Rattle and Chailly both put Sanderling to shame any day of the week and there will be many that agree with me.
 
#19 · (Edited)
NONSENSE! Kurt Sanderling was a supurb conductor! His recordings of Shostakovich on Berlin Classics are on a par with Mravinsky's, and in 1956 he made a Rachmaninoff 2nd Symphony with The Leningrad Philharmonic for DG which has rarely been bettered. Don't knock the Sanderling Mahler 10th until you've actually heard it. He made a few subtle changes to Cooke's score as did Rattle, which are nothing sort of ingenious. To quote David Hurwitz: "This is indeed the finest ever version of this controversial piece. Sanderling uses his own modified edition of Deryck Cooke's completion, and he quite simply makes it sound like a late Mahler symphony, period. His sucess has something to do with a few additional, characteristic touches in orchestration, and more with Sanderling's totally convincing sense of the work's structure and tempo. The second scherzo, in particular makes sense as never before ... there is no reason not to investigate this astonishing recreative act ... particularly when the CD's technical values do the interpretation full justice. Highest recommendation."
 
#20 ·
I don't even like the completed version of Mahler's 10th by Cooke, so I could really careless who conducts it. In my mind, Mahler's last symphony was the 9th and he only left and adagio for what would be the 10th (which was never finished).
 
#38 · (Edited)
Finally, some love for Boulez. A nice change of approach compared to most. Mahler more than any other composer I can think of can be performed/interpreted in a wide variety of ways and still give me everything I listen to Mahler for.

I've been buying Mahler Symphonies since 1972 when a record store salesman recommended I start my indoctrination with #2 by Ormandy and Philadelphia on RCA LP which had just been released at that time. Managed to get a copy of the Japanese CD re-mastering of that recording done in 2003, recently.

I find it difficult to pick just one performance of any one of his symphonies or Das Lied and say I can live happily without the rest, (#8 excepted as I've never been able to muster much enthusiasm for it).

I find myself enjoying Boulez, he gets excellent engineering that allows me to hear into the complexities of the scoring, (as does Tennstedt with LSO). Both get great balances from the orchestra to allow horn details to come through better than most and yet both have very different, even opposing ways of performing Mahler.

I've got most of Rattle most of Bernstein (2 different sets) Haitinks original analogues with the Concertgebouw, and dozens of incomplete sets and one offs by VK, Abbado, Barshai, Levi, and on and on. And I continue to investigate with Chailly, Gergiev, and anyone else who attempts Mahler.

When I'm in the mood for a 5th that's ridden hard and put away wet, I like Solti/Chicago with a horn chorale return in the finale of the fifth movement worthy of the second coming followed by some exciting, run amok, closing bars.

For a more relaxed approach with subtlety of detail and the best handling of tempos in the difficult second movement, Barbirolli.
His closing doesn't provide me with quite the level of excitement I want but everything else is so right.

Again, for listening into the score, Tennstedt and Boulez.

I've just started looking into Chailly, and Gergiev.

There's much to be said for Walter, Klemperer and Horenstein too! Whenever I spin one of these old veterans I come away thinking, wow, that's much better than I remember.

It all depends on my mood. And when the moon is full and my OCD is peaking I love to pick just one of his symphonies and listen to all the versions I have, comparing performances over several days.

Surprisingly, or maybe not so, one conductor who's not, to my knowledge, recorded any Mahler symphonies and who I've seen live delivering amazing performances is Charles Dutoit. I think it was 2 or 3 years ago here in Philly I saw him do Mahler 3 and it was an experience I'm glad I did not miss. Many years ago he did a Mahler 5 I will never forget; with just 3 bars to go the baton slipped from his hand, arched up to the right of the second violins, and hung as if suspended for a fraction of a second before arching downward. You could hear the entire audience sucking air for a brief instant as the baton hit the peak of its arc, simultaneously, the first horn lets it all hang out at that point with 3 bars left and before the baton hit the floor, the orchestra didn't miss a beat, the applause was deafening.
 
#24 · (Edited)
I have the Solti and Neumann cycles, both superb in their differing ways: the Solti dynamic and vibrant, with the finest playing on record and stunning recording; the Neumman bringing a freshness and simplicity to music that is often exaggerated beyond recognition (Bernstein, Sinopoli, Tennstedt). We should remember that Mahler grew up in the Sumava mountains in southern Bohemia, and the Czech Philharmonic woodwinds in particular remind us of this. Kubelik is also utterly idiomatic and thoroughly recommendable, though his orchestra is not as characterful as the Czechs.

Walter and Klemperer's Mahler is, of course, indispensible, and Barbirolli's insights, though highly personal, are based on a love and empathy with the music (as ever with this conducter) rather than a desire to force his interpretations on the listener.

However, at the moment I am bowled over by the current Gergiev cycle. there seems to be a good deal of anti-Gergiev sentiment around at the moment, but in the case of his Mahler I think it is severely misplaced. Most of the criticisms seemed to be based upon the notion that the readings are too fast and frenetic, but I find that they bring out a visceral excitement and power not heard since his mentor Solti. We should remember that Mahler suffered with manic depression, which in medical terms (not that I fully subscribe to the medical model) is a psychosis, rendering the self-consciously neurotic versions of the aforementioned trio of conductors inappropriate, to say the least.

Gergiev seems to encapsulate this element of uncontolled, and indeed uncontrollable energy probably more than any other conductor, the rough edges commented on by many critics being an essential part of the the performances as phenomena rather than an intrinsic fault.

The LSO play their hearts out with utter commitment and the recordings are splendid.

Try to listen to them with fresh ears and an open mind, and remember that the classic Walter recordings are often faster and more direct than we have become used to post-Bernstein.
 
#25 ·
1 - leinsdorf/bso
2 - klemperer/philharmonia & solti/london
3 - levine/chicago
4 - reiner/chicago
5 - solti/chicago
6 & 7 - anything that's in tune
8 - don't care, don't like it
9 - barbirolli/berlin
10 - ormandy/philly, inbahl/frankfurt

like most of you, i have more. these are the ones i enjoy most often. NEVER overlook walter, horenstein, and some of the bernstein.

dj
 
#26 ·
David: I am in total agreement with you regarding the Leinsdorf BSO Mahler 1st. It is one thumping performance, with tempos perfectly judged, with not one bar lacking any kind of tension. However, I can offer you one even better. I have one of the Live performances they did just a day or two before their RCA recording was made, in excellent broadcast sterero. If you would like a copy on CD (actually a Maxell musis CDR), go to US ebay and type in Live Leinsdorf Mahler in the search engine. If you click on the view sellers items link afterwards, you will see that I also have a Live BSO/Leinsdorf Prokofiev 5th snd a number of Live Munch BSO offerings.
 
#27 · (Edited)
No.1 - Kubelik is fine (it is without the Blumine). Recommended: Zubin Mehta with the Israel Philharmonic.
N0. 2- Mehta with Wiener on Decca is the definitive.
No. 3 - Abbado has lost it. Two recommendations: Jascha Horenstein with London Symphony or Bernard haitink with the Berliner Philharmoniker.
No. 4- Bernstein is good. So also is Solti with the Concertgebouw Amsterdam.
No. 5- Bernstein is listless and rushed! So is Abbado! Mehta with New York and Vaclav Neumann with the Czech Philharmonic are good.
No. 6- Abbado does not gel with Mahler. Karajan and Solti are good.
No. 7- Not Abbado but Kurt Masur with Gewandhaus Leipzig is excellent with 7.
No.8 - Yes Solti! there is no alternative to Solti. This is the recording of the twentieth century.
No. 9- Neither Barbirolli nor Karajan. It is Vaclav Neumann/Czech Philharmonic or Moscow/Kirill Kondrashin. They have got the pain of death brought out in the opening and closing movements.
No.10- Kubelik is bland. Wyn Morris, Eugene Ormandy or Simon Rattle has done well.
 
#28 ·
No.8 - Yes Solti! there is no alternative to Solti.
I could easily list several alternatives to Solti's Mahler 8; two are just plain better: Ozawa's and Boulez'. The interpretations are much better, the orchestras are much less brash and hard-edged, and the bloody organs don't drown out the rest of what's going on.

Personally I think that in many ways Solti's Mahler 8 is the most overrated recording ever made.
 
#34 ·
My first encounter with Mahler's works was Symphony No. 2 (Resurrection) conducted by Leonard Bernstein. I have all by Bernstein with the exception of the 10th. I equally enjoy other versions:

Symphony No. 3 conducted by Sir Georg Solti w/ Chicao Symphony Orchestra (Decca)
Symphony No. 9 conducted by Carlo Maria Guilini w/ Chigago Symphony Orchestra (DG)

Happy listening!
:)
 
#35 ·
I actually posted a similar comment in the "listening now" thread, but just found this one comparing Mahler's performances. Currently I am really into Mahler's Fifth.

I actually own Barenboim's version with the Chicago Symphony. It is ok, I am not really thrilled with his version. To be honest I don't like his other interpretations very much.
Since I cannot afford to buy tons of cds, I do a lot of youtubing.

I am a huge fan of Bernstein:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Tokkemon#grid/user/2326BC50651F9E9B
I also found this guy who reminds me of Solti in the interpretation...his tempo seems to have more movement than some other conductors
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=F45D39CB143944A4

Still haven't found a favorite though
 
#37 ·
Well...
No.1 - Bernstein WPO
No.2 - Rattle Birmingham SO
No.3 - Rattle Birmingham SO
No.4 - Szell {Don't remember the orchestra}
No.5 - Bernstein WPO
No.6 - Thomas Sanderling SPb PO or Jansons LSO (And Abbado's version was disappointment, colleagues; Rattle's one is illogically dark)
No.7 - Tilson Thomas, LSO
No.8 - Rattle Birmingham SO!
No.9 - Haitink RCO & Rattle Berlin SO!
No.10 (five movements) - Slatkin, St. Louis SO

Yeah, I love Rattle's sound and non-trivial expression. By the way, I've heard of some wonderful new recordings of Mahler's 6th, they're
Haitink Chicago SO (2008) and
Ashkenazy Sydney SO (2012). If you're familiar with any of them, what's your opinion?
 
#39 ·
There's basically two camps in Mahler Symphonies. Collectors who enjoy the more lyrical readings, and the remainder who revel in kick-***. I'm generally with the latter, with very good sound, though exceptions can be made for both.

My starters:

1. Muti (EMI Japan, 24-bit remaster)
2. Scherchen (Millennium Classics, 20-bit remaster)
3. Bernstein (Sony Century)
4. Harding (Virgin)
5. Shipway (RPO, 32-bit remaster)
6. Barbirolli (EMI Rouge et Noir, S-A order)
7. Solti (Decca Originals, '71)
8. Bernstein (Sony Classics, LSO, '66, 24-bit remaster)
9. Bernstein (Sony Century)
10. Harding (DG)
DLVDE - Tennstedt (EMI)
 
#41 · (Edited)
2 cycles, DG and Sony. They both have their merits. The Sony which is his first is a little fresher and recorded with a 10th row perspective.

The later DG on the whole, is more introspective. And recorded with more of a 1st row perspective.

The new Sony box sounds great and has many of the symphonies on 1 one disc, which I really enjoy.

The new budget issue of the DG set has them split all over the place.
The earlier DG incarnation is better, but costs more.

I have both cycles and I think I prefer the Sony by a few hairs. :)
It's a great buy too.

 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top