Yeah. I wish I had more time to bring out No.1 performances I like, but most of them are included in cycles where the other symphonies share the style of the No.1 (I mean performance-wise). I can only think of the Kubelík DG No.1 as a stand-out in the cycle, but these would get the most of my listens for conducting or sound quality:

I'm yet to listen to the Fischers. I think I shouldn't do this with all the symphonies, because I have to do the Final Mahler challenge next summer and so far my two favourites are always the same.

 

Speaking only from my own experience, I found this a most remarkable live recording, unforgettable as a Mahler 1st. (I also love the Anton Nanut with the Ljubljana Symphony.) Why the Tennstedt? Because about the first four minutes start out so unexpectedly ragged and unpromising-the strings are unfocused and struggling to find their pitch (excruciating), the winds are slightly out of tune with the strings (as if their instruments were cold), the winds do not come in precisely (such as the bass clarinet), and just about everything sounds disjointed and the orchestra uncomfortable in their skins... But from those humble & unpromising beginnings, the performance gets better and better and better, more focused as it goes along, and finishes triumphantly with a great sense of warmth and richness of feeling... This remarkable performance (that's also well-recorded) shows just how far an orchestra sometimes has to travel to pull itself together after a cold start, and I have never forgotten how human and illuminating this is, not to mention how inspiring... because the orchestra rose to the challenge and overcame its initial beginnings-a very real, human & memorable performance that also sounds well-paced and unforced. Just wow at the end and thunderous applause.

 

I'm going to approach this differently: which historical recording would I choose? Yes, Mahler sounds best in modern, hi-fi sound. How can older mono recordings compete? Well - they can. Once you get past the limited dynamic range, the narrow sound field, and some surface distortion, you realize that we didn't suddenly wake up and hear Mahler thanks to Bernstein and his generation. Mahler was quite well known long before and for every one of the symphonies there's are some terrific recordings that you should seek out. So...my choice for number 1:

Too bad there's no one like Mitropoulos alive today. This is one of the great Mahler 1sts - long before the "critical edition". Thrilling and just so right all the way. If this thread continues on through the Mahler works, this conductor's name will appear more than this time.

 

I will toss out another from the pre-Mahler boom era, 1957, this one in early stereo. Of the various recordings that I have and have heard, it is the one I go to most frequently.

 

I will toss out another from the pre-Mahler boom era, 1957, this one in early stereo. Of the various recordings that I have and have heard, it is the one I go to most frequently.

View attachment 110881

Yep, it's between that and Horenstein with Vienna Symphony for me

 

So many good ones, but one I always enjoy is with Leinsdorf/Boston. The triple-tongued trumpet arpeggios at the end come out better in that recording than in most others. Try any mentioned here and you will be pleased.

 

I just listened to the Leinsdorf BSO Mahler 1 today. The sound quality leaves something to be desired. For example, the bass drum at the beginning of the last movement is distorted--probably overloaded on the master tape.

 

I've been enjoying this early (1893) version of the "Tone Poem in the form of a Symphony, Titan". The orchestration is smaller than the final symphony. A dramatic reading by de Vriend and Netherlanders.

 

Any thoughts on Benjamin Zander? That's the one I cut my teeth on, and so naturally, it's what sounds right to me.

 

Bruno Walter---either his mono N.Y. Philharmonic and/or stereo Columbia Symphony performance.

 

I have

Kubelik - the best version of all imo - just right

Bernstein - pretty good

Mehta - a bit behind the other two

 

I'll back you up on Kubelik! First choice!

I would also add that I like the Blumine movement. Not necessarily within the symphony itself, as it screws up the overall balance, but it's a pretty piece, and quite magical. I also have a recording of the 1893 Titan tone poem, on Hungaroton, by an obscure western Hungarian orchestra, and mine's the Weimar, not Hamburg, version. Worth hearing, indeed for its lighter orchestration. I wonder what it'd be like with a really good orchestra?

Of the more mainstream recordings, I'd recommend Solti's earlier London recording, Bertini, And The Ivan Fischer recording (Hungaroton again!), which has Blumine.

 

Don't have an asolute favorite (although I think the Horenstein pretty good). But the landler of the First was the first Mahler I had ever heard (never even heard of the composer previously) on an inexpensive Columbia Bruno Walter sampler LP in the early-to-mid-1960s. It was last number on side two, listened to the recording casually, and when it came on I had never heard anything even approaching its style, tunefulness, orchestration, etc. Played it a second and third time, read the label -- "Mahler?" -- looked him up in the Schwann Catalogue (indispensible music reference at the time), discovered a short recordings list -- mostly nine symphonies of which an inordinate number required double-album sets, no more than one or two recordings of each. Went to the public library, found a newly issued recording by my home orchestra (Leinsdorf/BSO), listened to it, and was hooked.

I vaguely remember a recording from the 1960's by a major label that had a remarkable cut in the last movement -- as if no one would notice.

 

Kubelik's Mahler 1 was (I think) the first ever Mahler recording I listened to, and it's still one of my favourite of any symphony. Beautiful work.

 

I've got more Mahler 1sts than any other Mahler symphony (as it's my favourite) This one's my favourite account:

Followed by:

Then Horenstein, Kubelik (studio), Leinsdorf, Jansons, Tennstedt (live), Bernstein (DG) ..... Loads of very good ones but Honeck whups them all for me.

The absolute worst for me are Kegel and Solti (CSO) . I find Solti's 1st totally wrong and Kegel's utterly unbearable. Not keen on Rattle's first one with the CBSO either but he made up for it with the BPO account. Never been mad on Barbirolli's weedy strings in his version with the Halle, either.

 

My first was Bernstein's DG recording, and I still really enjoy it, but like others, my favorite recording is Kubelik's live recording on Audite. It is wonderful. His live recording of Das Lied von der Erde, also on Audite, is also great!

 

Oh and this is a cracker too (as long as you miss out boring Blumine).

View attachment 110941

 

I'm interested as to which recording you are referring to Merl - the attachment won't open for me!

 

 

I find Mahler 1 so amicable in every way. Don't really have a favourite recording. Big name star stick wavers have all done it brilliantly IMHO. In fact, there isn't even one that I dislike...... so let me throw one on the table that's rather unusual, Svetlanov 1992 with the Russian State Symphony Orchestra. Some may enjoy the idiosyncrasy. For some others, it might ruin your festive mood.

 

 

Just wondering if you know what the recording date of this is? Trying to figure out if he recorded it more than once with Halle. Thank you.

 

What about Muti and Philadelphia Orchestra? Another conductor that never lets me down

 

Sadly Judith one of the few Mahler recordings I have had that found its way to the charity shop.
It is well recorded, from memory, well enough played but I'm not sure if Muti was/is a natural Mahlerian, nothing really wrong but nothing to mark it out as special imo.

 

I like Tennstedt from the EMI box, and Ozawa's 1988 digital recording.

 

I have the Tennstedt box and no 1 is superb.

 

Kubelik, Tennstedt, Walter, Horenstein are tops.

Boulez is quite, quite good.

Also, surprisingly, Mehta with NYPO.

 

why surprisingly on Mehta? I think he's a much underrated conductor, having heard him with the NYPO and in Munich at the opera. Hearing the NYPO is always an ordeal, I used to go yearly just to convince myself (successfully, unfortunately) every year that you couldn't really hear the orchestra in that awful hall and that they probably couldn't really hear each other. But I heard a Gurrelieder that was breathtaking (be quite an achievement to make it dull) and a magnificent Brahms concert with Brendel in the first concerto (they did get a bit at cross purposes) and 1st symphony. The thing that impressed me most was the Mehta has a conception of sound, his Brahms sounded like his and no one else's.

My Mahler 1 remains:

The BSO just plays the bejesus out of it. Great recording, beautiful, great orchestra and Ozawa doesn't get in the way. Really, BSO here, world beating.

 

This is one of the few Mahler Horensteins that I am not as fond of. For me the interpretation lacks forward direction. It feels a little aimless.

 

Just found this thread. Walter (either stereo or mono). For something more ethereal Solti LSO.

 

I will vote for Muti, unexpected but full of freshness and fabulously played. A sleeper.

David Hurwitz suggested that DG almost had a monopoly on this, which I can kind of see: Boulez, Ozawa, Kubelik.

I don't rate Bernstein (too exaggerated for me) or Haitink (too plain).

I also like Yoel Levi on Telarc (he includes the Blumine movement), and Suitner in Dresden (Eterna recording from the 60s). That, Kubelik and Ozawa (either DG or Philips) would be my analogue choices.

 

I have Mackerras with the Royal Liverpool PO, and have always liked it. (I haven't listened to that many alternatives though to be fair.)

Indeed, whenever I have a Mackerras recording of anything I tend to like it, but never find it mentioned in discussions like this. He seems like someone who turned out a string of good performances while garnering little attention.

Perhaps the thing is that although I might like a performance where a conductor puts his stamp on a piece and does so convincingly, I more like the idea of a conductor who executes a mainstream interpretation of a piece well. Hence, with notable exceptions, I am likely to favour recordings which are in good sound, and executed well in terms of playing standards, but which are not controversial in terms of interpretation. The best performance may often be the most middle-of-the-road in terms of interpretive choices - that's kind of what you would expect: the "reference version" if you like. IMO, of course.

In another genre I might point to Gilels and the Grieg Lyric Pieces. There you have a great virtuoso, who could doubtless beat the hell out of those pieces, and take your breath away with his daring this or that. but he takes the pieces for what they are, and therefore makes the most of them beautifully. There's little that annoys me more than a performer taking an unassuming piece of music, and beating it about the head to show what they can do. "Look I can play really fast while staying very quiet indeed. I'll bet you can't do that."

Anyone got any opinions re Mackerras in this work?

 

That Mackerras / RLPO is a real sleeper. I return to it every couple of years and it gets right under my skin again. It's an excellent account but Mackerras rarely did anything badly. Good call, indeed, Al. Listen to Mackerras' pacing on that version, btw. It's superb. Like his Sibelius 2 and Mahler 5, he nails it.