Mahler symphonies - help

[Larry Rinkel]

Sh*t you caught me !

You're thinking of Bruckneria.

[Greta]

Oh my, I am just finishing the Maazel/NY Phil Mahler 7th from their recent season finale. My word. It is at Operashare in excellent quality, do not hesitate. This is an amazing performance.  Whoever was there, seriously had a night to remember.

Maybe I haven't been collecting that long but I have not heard a 7th quite like this, ever. They play with total commitment and aplomb, completely brilliant playing. And Maazel does some incredibly interesting things. He has this long and super intense first movement, with brass playing that is really focused and full of cojones. Near the end of it he has them play utterly cold and clipped and military-like, which is so effective. The soloists sound beautiful, with really nice communication in the Nachtmusik...the Finale is blazing. It is a thoughtful interpretation where he let not a moment pass by without doing something with it. And it makes sense. The whole thing just sparkles.

If anyone can point me to anything similar on disc, please do. For all the 7th's schizoness and wandering around, this one held my attention.

Edit: Didn't realize until hearing this particular Scherzo what modern music it is. They achieve some fun effects here, nasty, devilish stuff. There are parts of the Scherzo that sound like they could have been written 20-30 years later.

[Bonehelm]

Does anyone have the recording of Sir Simon Rattle's final concert with the BRSO doing M2? It's recorded in 1998. I really want it, but don't know which one it is..also, can anyone please compare it with Klemperer's version for me? I'm looking to buy one of the two. Thanks (both are on EMI i guess)

[MishaK]

Does anyone have the recording of Sir Simon Rattle's final concert with the BRSO doing M2? It's recorded in 1998. I really want it, but don't know which one it is..also, can anyone please compare it with Klemperer's version for me? I'm looking to buy one of the two. Thanks (both are on EMI i guess)

BRSO (Bayerisches Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester)? Or do you mean CBSO (City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra)?

[mahlertitan]

BRSO (Bayerisches Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester)? Or do you mean CBSO (City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra)?

I would take a wild guess and say that it's the latter.

[MishaK]

I would take a wild guess and say that it's the latter.

Oh, so he means the BRRRRmingham Symphony Orchestra. 

[Bonehelm]

Ya Mensch...I meant the BRRRRRRRRRRmingham orchestra. I think it's on EMI, and has 2 discs..but I need to confirm before buying. And I don't know if he will suit my tastes better or Klemperer will, hence the question from my previous post. If someone can do a comparison between the two that would be great. Thanks.

[Greta]

Does anyone have the recording of Sir Simon Rattle's final concert with the BRSO doing M2? It's recorded in 1998.

The CBSO, yes, the video that is, put it at Operashare, YouTube also. I could post the links if needed. It's my favorite Mahler 2 right now. Along with the 5th, 2nd is my favorite Mahler symphony, so I've heard many, but it is my favorite. I have the Rattle/CBSO recording and really like it, but it has different singers, the farewell concert has Anne Sophie von Otter, who gives me chills in the Urlicht. 0:) Is the CBSO farewell concert even on disc? I didn't think it was.

It's hard to describe, the similar ideas as his EMI recording, but more...everything. Super intense. CBSO in full glory. Possibly one of his best concerts ever. No doubt, CBSO was eating out of his hand that night, complete control, clear direction, he and the players very focused. The high level of communication between them was just fascinating to watch.

This clip from the 1st mvmt. recap I love:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLUKkyCw4WE

I'm not as familiar with the Klemperer, but it's quite good too, the playing is not as refined, it has a great immediacy, a certain visceral nature, though dated sound.

So considering what is actually on disc, it would be a tough choice, depends on your tolerance for certain features of older recordings. I might prefer Klemperer just a shade more, disregarding anything else besides the emotion. But if the Ratlte farewell concert is on disc, or becomes so, it gets the vote.

My other that I love is Bernstein's late 80s recording, very interesting and powerful direction.

Haven't heard Mehta or Kaplan yet though! 

[Bonehelm]

Thanks, the great Greta!

[Renfield]

I found by immersing myself in the symphonies, I had to listen to them over and over until I could really begin to appreciate them. That sort of discovery period, opened Mahler up to me, and made the rest of his works accessible. I say, try the symphonies, and be willing to listen to a movement a few times before moving on. I spent several months on Mahler's early symphonies, and that was a period of contiunous growth and discovery.

This (quoted from one of the early pages) is exactly the way I approached Mahler myself. And it worked, really! When I first started listening to Mahler, I almost couldn't even "touch" the Third and Seventh. And that was, amusingly enough, around 8 months (and a LOT of Mahler cycles) earlier than the time I'm writing this.

Anyway, the issue of recommendations for a "beginner's cycle" I have given a lot of thought to, recently, due to my arranging a similar list for a pianist friend who kept getting on my nerves about Mahler being "bombastic" and "incomprehensible". So here goes:

For a full cycle of the symphonies, bought "in one package", my earlier line was that it just isn't going to work. After hearing the Gary Bertini/Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra (EMI) cycle, however, I must say I'm suitably impressed: it really is an all-round good Mahler cycle.

Or rather, it is a Mahler cycle with no immediately discernible weaknesses. like the 5th of Bernstein's 60's cycle, for instance: and parts of certain performances in there are positively fantastic! So that's my recommendation for an integral cycle of the symphonies, which is still not a very good idea, however.

The "ideal" cycle, even when hand-picked, most here will agree cannot exist: there's just too much variety over Mahler interpretations to account for, and too much depends on personal preference between "emotive", "objective", or "idiomatic" Mahler. So we're talking more about "personal favourites" than anything else, in this context.

That having been said, and with "modern sound" a requirement (ruling out the Walter 4th and 9th with the VPO, for instance), this would be my short-list, with three recommendations for each except the Tenth:


Symphony No. 1

Kubelik/BRSO (DG) is, as has been noted, probably the top recommendation - balanced, in accord with Mahler's idiom and very well played.

And I personally like the Bernstein/Concertgebouw Orchestra (DG) recording a great deal, too. It's more ravishing than the Kubelik, and the Concertgebouw Orchestra is without peer on certain passages - so this one is less balanced, but somewhat more emotive and "boastful" (in a good sense).

Remember the Bertini/CRSO (EMI) set? For some reason, out of all the other Mahler First recordings that have left me with a good impression (including Abbado, Walter, and even the recent Jansons with the RCO), this one managed to "stick" to me the most than any other (beyond the above two, of course): the way the opening passage is handled is among the most impressive I have ever heard.


Symphony No. 2

Klemperer/Philharmonia (EMI) would be my first pick here, if only for the "staying power". I think that says it all, really: commited, somewhat idiosyncratic, but never mundane Mahler. And very good singing, too.

Second choice would be the Fischer/BFO (Channel). The recording is broad enough to fit the distance between the Earth and the Moon leaving a hair's width empty, meaning you'll need very good speakers/headphones and either very high volume or very twitchy fingers, but I think it's all worth it: his reading is superbly balanced, and the playing is excellent as well. One thing to note, however, is that his soloists are not en par with Klemperer's.

A third recommendation for the Second... I feel like I've commited a crime for not having heard the Solti! Anyway, I'll go for the Bernstein/NYPO (Sony) for this one: the sound is a bit dated, but the performance exhibits a tension that seems to have been replaced with opulence in his later (DG) version from the 80's. And Rattle's might be good, but it's idiomatic, and hence not that good a recommendation for a "Mahler newbie", for the Second.


Symphony No. 3

The big Third! The Third has a lot of excellent recordings, as the others have noted - and most of them have already been mentioned, so I'll be brief, here... My first choice would be the Boulez/VPO (DG), for that "frustratingly" pinpoint-precision articulation that serves this behemoth of a symphony very well indeed! Technically superb, as well.

My second choice - or more appropriately "tied for my first choice, but mentioned second" - would be the Bernstein/NYPO (Sony), which is just fantastic, in a very "Bernstein" sort of way: emotive approach, without doubt, and beautiful enough to enchant. The recording is, however, somewhat dated when compared to high-end digital...

Third choice of mine would be the Haitink/CSO one, recently released by their own label, about which the rest have already said a great deal: it's solid, it's forceful, and the final movement is almost literally "a blast!" Good enough recording, too - though likely not as good as it should have been.


Symphony No. 4

The delicate Fourth. Given your restriction for good sound, I'll recommend the Szell/Cleveland Orchestra (Sony) one, hands down. Definitely a bit hard-driven, but the Cleveland Orchestra plays so well that you can't fault it, really. And a very good recording, for its age!

As second recommendation I'll be controversial and suggest the Rattle/CBSO (EMI). It is idiomatic, but it's also very beautiful - even insightful, at times. The finale is definitely a weak point, though, which would have made this my third recommendation, if it wasn't for the absence of the Walter/VPO recording I consider "par excellence" for the Mahler Fourth.

Third recommendation? I've heard Horenstein's done a very good Fourth, but after his recording of the Third literally gave me a headache when trying to listen through it, I passed on the Fouth. So I'll say Bertini/CRSO (EMI) over Abbado, Tennstedt and the others, for the sake of the magnificent recording, if nothing else.


Symphony No. 5

Easy three choices, for the Fifth: first and foremost, the Bernstein/VPO (DG)! It's not exactly Mahler's Fifth, but it is certainly magnificent. Its most enchantingly urbane Scherzo is a definite high point, and the recording is nearly faultless. Top choice.

Second choice? Barbirolli/Philharmonia Orchestra (EMI). "Glorious John" knows what he wants, and the Philharmonia seem to know how to deliver it. Very lyrical reading, but in no way does it disappoint, except for the recording being of slightly dated standards. Another top choice.

Third choice for me would be the Rattle/BPO (EMI) live recording, much-vaunted by Gramophone. Like many other recordings by Rattle, it's not nearly as astonishingly good as they say, and it's definitely idiomatic. But it is an impressive performance indeed, with the most mind-blowingly fantastic phrasing I have ever heard in a Mahler Fifth. A third top choice.


Symphony No. 6

Here, it gets a bit tricky. I'll assume you don't especially care about the order of the middle movements, as that can really complicate the matter: first choice, under that condition, is the mind-blowing Karajan/BPO (DG). This is a recording one experiences, more than just "listens to", all in all. And the third movement is simply without equal!

Second recommendation for the Sixth would be the Bernstein/VPO (DG) for me: probably the only one of Bernstein's "opulent" readings that I feel really hits the mark. Where Karajan is sleek and mighty, Bernstein bears down upon your ears with the full weight of the VPO. It's relentless and occasionally meandering, but it really has to be heard.

Third reccomendation could well be the recent Abbado/BPO (DG) - not because it's a memorable performance, but because it manages to be as unobtrusive as to become special, in my ears. In other words, it's a very different take from the above two, which I think makes is worth hearing for the sake of having an alternative; and this one has the Scherzo second, as well, unlike the other two.


Symphony No. 7

Abbado/Chicago Symphony Orchestra (DG) first here, beyond doubt. You just will not find a more commited performance of the Mahler Seventh - or at least I've yet to do so, by far. The reading is Abbado-style: objective-ish, but not without a homely touch here and there... And the recording is very good.

Bernstein/NYPO (Sony) for a second choice, for performance reasons: it's another emotive Bernstein reading, but, like the third, it does not fail to convince. Even more so, to paraphrase a comment I once read about this recording, it makes the Seventh feel like a symphony, even more than the Abbado/CSO does. A firm second choice.

A third choice for the Seventh can go any number of ways: I'll fall back to the Bertini/CRSO (EMI) set again, for this one. Giving the impression as I might be that I only have his and Bernstein's cycles, it really is worth one's attention to this degree: especially since it's a first-time approach to Mahler we're discussing. Again an excellent recording, and a reading as solid as any other I can think of.


Symphony No. 8

A lot of people have problems with this one: it's big, it's noisy and it's definitely out of the ordinary. Personally, I think that's what Mahler wanted. And nothing, in my opinion, conveys this better than the Tennstedt/LSO (EMI) recording. It needs a lot of volume for it to "do its thing", but it is fantastic, through and through; enough said.

As a "lighter" alternative, there's the very popular Solti/CSO (Decca). To me, it keeps sounding something like Verdi, but it's still a viable second choice, if nothing else, for its commitment. The choir sounds like it wants to sing out the opening Hymnus, most definitely! And the second part, although far weaker than the Tennstedt/LSO reading, is viable enough so as not to spoil the whole.

Given that the Tennstedt/LSO reading has the hands-down best Part II, and the Solti/CSO reading has the "happiest" Part I, there would be little to recommend but a reading balanced between the two. Towards that purpose, I'll go for the Rattle/CBSO (EMI) Eighth which, for all its lack of "operatic splendour", does offer a highly enchanting alternative: soft-grained, but not at all in a bad way, from where I see it.


Das Lied von der Erde

Yes, it's a song-cycle/symphony; but the second part is still "symphony", so I'm adding it in this list. First recommendation would be the Wunderlich/Ludwig/Klemperer/Philharmonia (EMI), which is just peerless, in my opinion. It is fantastic, and astonishingly "hi-fi" for its age.

Second recommendation I'll offer is the Shade/Urmana/Boulez/VPO (DG) collaboration, which is also fantastically performed, and a very solid reading indeed. It doesn't sweep you off your feet like the Klemperer, but it might charm you off them!

Third recommendation, another classic recording: Patzak/Ferrier/Walter/VPO  The quality is a bit borderline for your preference, but it's still a very solid and especially touching performance that I can't not recommend. If the sound doesn't help that much, try the (you-know-I'm-going-to-say-it) Bertini recording of the same work; it's also good, but not en part with those three...


Symphony No. 9

The Ninth itself is, among other reasons, a pinnacle in Mahler's work in that it can be perceived in yet more different ways than the rest of his symphonies. There are sombre readings, objective readings, enchanting readings, impulsive readings, pedantic readings... Pick and choose! But the supreme reading of them all is the mighty live Karajan/BPO (DG) recording from the 80's. It's enchanting enough to touch you, and impulsive enough to inspire you: cathartic, in other words, and a perfect match for the music itself, in my opinion.

Another solid Ninth, with an almost diametrically opposed reading, is the recent Abbado/BPO (DG). Remeber what I noted about the Sixth from the same partnership? Well, the Ninth is all that and more: it's objective enough to "stay on track" but also sleek and sombre enough to project its message fully. A very good choice.

And my third ecommendation for the Ninth is from a perhaps-unexpected source (and not Bertini): Barbirolli/BPO (EMI). Suave and lyrical, this is also a very different "species" of Mahler Ninth - but it does not disappoint, and the recording itself is almost as good as one could hope for, given its age (1964). Worth listening to!


Symphony No. 10

I'll assume you want Deryck Cooke's performing version for this, rather than just the opening Adagio: in which case I only have one recommendation, as it's the only one I've heard - Rattle/BPO (EMI) It is, however, so excellent that I don't expect it to disappoint one looking to hear how Mahler's last symphony could, hypothetically, have sounded. Top choice, which I think the others here are likely to confirm.


And that, as they say, is that: my own top picks for the 10 symphonies and Das Lied von der Erde, with the requirement for modern(-ish) sound taken into account. Without that last "catch", I'd have recommended the Walter/VPO (Andante) Fourth as my first choice, and the Walter/VPO (Dutton) Ninth as second choice, after the Karajan.

Perhaps you'll take this "guide" into account - or perhaps you'll prefer suggestions from people who have listened to even more Mahler recordings than I have. Even better, you might prefer to just find what you like and listen to it, instead: in any case, enjoy!

Note: This post has officially taken an entire afternoon to write. Please don't ask me to write a similar one for Bruckner before Christmas.

[mahlertitan]

This (quoted from one of the early pages) is exactly the way I approached Mahler myself. And it worked, really! When I first started listening to Mahler, I almost couldn't even "touch" the Third and Seventh. And that was, amusingly enough, around 8 months (and a LOT of Mahler cycles) earlier than the time I'm writing this.

Anyway, the issue of recommendations for a "beginner's cycle" I have given a lot of thought to, recently, due to my arranging a similar list for a pianist friend who kept getting on my nerves about Mahler being "bombastic" and "incomprehensible". So here goes:

For a full cycle of the symphonies, bought "in one package", my earlier line was that it just isn't going to work. After hearing the Gary Bertini/Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra (EMI) cycle, however, I must say I'm suitably impressed: it really is an all-round good Mahler cycle.

Or rather, it is a Mahler cycle with no immediately discernible weaknesses. like the 5th of Bernstein's 60's cycle, for instance: and parts of certain performances in there are positively fantastic! So that's my recommendation for an integral cycle of the symphonies, which is still not a very good idea, however.

The "ideal" cycle, even when hand-picked, most here will agree cannot exist: there's just too much variety over Mahler interpretations to account for, and too much depends on personal preference between "emotive", "objective", or "idiomatic" Mahler. So we're talking more about "personal favourites" than anything else, in this context.

That having been said, and with "modern sound" a requirement (ruling out the Walter 4th and 9th with the VPO, for instance), this would be my short-list, with three recommendations for each except the Tenth:


Symphony No. 1

Kubelik/BRSO (DG) is, as has been noted, probably the top recommendation - balanced, in accord with Mahler's idiom and very well played.

And I personally like the Bernstein/Concertgebouw Orchestra (DG) recording a great deal, too. It's more ravishing than the Kubelik, and the Concertgebouw Orchestra is without peer on certain passages - so this one is less balanced, but somewhat more emotive and "boastful" (in a good sense).

Remember the Bertini/CRSO (EMI) set? For some reason, out of all the other Mahler First recordings that have left me with a good impression (including Abbado, Walter, and even the recent Jansons with the RCO), this one managed to "stick" to me the most than any other (beyond the above two, of course): the way the opening passage is handled is among the most impressive I have ever heard.


Symphony No. 2

Klemperer/Philharmonia (EMI) would be my first pick here, if only for the "staying power". I think that says it all, really: commited, somewhat idiosyncratic, but never mundane Mahler. And very good singing, too.

Second choice would be the Fischer/BFO (Channel). The recording is broad enough to fit the distance between the Earth and the Moon leaving a hair's width empty, meaning you'll need very good speakers/headphones and either very high volume or very twitchy fingers, but I think it's all worth it: his reading is superbly balanced, and the playing is excellent as well. One thing to note, however, is that his soloists are not en par with Klemperer's.

A third recommendation for the Second... I feel like I've commited a crime for not having heard the Solti! Anyway, I'll go for the Bernstein/NYPO (Sony) for this one: the sound is a bit dated, but the performance exhibits a tension that seems to have been replaced with opulence in his later (DG) version from the 80's. And Rattle's might be good, but it's idiomatic, and hence not that good a recommendation for a "Mahler newbie", for the Second.


Symphony No. 3

The big Third! The Third has a lot of excellent recordings, as the others have noted - and most of them have already been mentioned, so I'll be brief, here... My first choice would be the Boulez/VPO (DG), for that "frustratingly" pinpoint-precision articulation that serves this behemoth of a symphony very well indeed! Technically superb, as well.

My second choice - or more appropriately "tied for my first choice, but mentioned second" - would be the Bernstein/NYPO (Sony), which is just fantastic, in a very "Bernstein" sort of way: emotive approach, without doubt, and beautiful enough to enchant. The recording is, however, somewhat dated when compared to high-end digital...

Third choice of mine would be the Haitink/CSO one, recently released by their own label, about which the rest have already said a great deal: it's solid, it's forceful, and the final movement is almost literally "a blast!" Good enough recording, too - though likely not as good as it should have been.


Symphony No. 4

The delicate Fourth. Given your restriction for good sound, I'll recommend the Szell/Cleveland Orchestra (Sony) one, hands down. Definitely a bit hard-driven, but the Cleveland Orchestra plays so well that you can't fault it, really. And a very good recording, for its age!

As second recommendation I'll be controversial and suggest the Rattle/CBSO (EMI). It is idiomatic, but it's also very beautiful - even insightful, at times. The finale is definitely a weak point, though, which would have made this my third recommendation, if it wasn't for the absence of the Walter/VPO recording I consider "par excellence" for the Mahler Fourth.

Third recommendation? I've heard Horenstein's done a very good Fourth, but after his recording of the Third literally gave me a headache when trying to listen through it, I passed on the Fouth. So I'll say Bertini/CRSO (EMI) over Abbado, Tennstedt and the others, for the sake of the magnificent recording, if nothing else.


Symphony No. 5

Easy three choices, for the Fifth: first and foremost, the Bernstein/VPO (DG)! It's not exactly Mahler's Fifth, but it is certainly magnificent. Its most enchantingly urbane Scherzo is a definite high point, and the recording is nearly faultless. Top choice.

Second choice? Barbirolli/Philharmonia Orchestra (EMI). "Glorious John" knows what he wants, and the Philharmonia seem to know how to deliver it. Very lyrical reading, but in no way does it disappoint, except for the recording being of slightly dated standards. Another top choice.

Third choice for me would be the Rattle/BPO (EMI) live recording, much-vaunted by Gramophone. Like many other recordings by Rattle, it's not nearly as astonishingly good as they say, and it's definitely idiomatic. But it is an impressive performance indeed, with the most mind-blowingly fantastic phrasing I have ever heard in a Mahler Fifth. A third top choice.


Symphony No. 6

Here, it gets a bit tricky. I'll assume you don't especially care about the order of the middle movements, as that can really complicate the matter: first choice, under that condition, is the mind-blowing Karajan/BPO (DG). This is a recording one experiences, more than just "listens to", all in all. And the third movement is simply without equal!

Second recommendation for the Sixth would be the Bernstein/VPO (DG) for me: probably the only one of Bernstein's "opulent" readings that I feel really hits the mark. Where Karajan is sleek and mighty, Bernstein bears down upon your ears with the full weight of the VPO. It's relentless and occasionally meandering, but it really has to be heard.

Third reccomendation could well be the recent Abbado/BPO (DG) - not because it's a memorable performance, but because it manages to be as unobtrusive as to become special, in my ears. In other words, it's a very different take from the above two, which I think makes is worth hearing for the sake of having an alternative; and this one has the Scherzo second, as well, unlike the other two.


Symphony No. 7

Abbado/Chicago Symphony Orchestra (DG) first here, beyond doubt. You just will not find a more commited performance of the Mahler Seventh - or at least I've yet to do so, by far. The reading is Abbado-style: objective-ish, but not without a homely touch here and there... And the recording is very good.

Bernstein/NYPO (Sony) for a second choice, for performance reasons: it's another emotive Bernstein reading, but, like the third, it does not fail to convince. Even more so, to paraphrase a comment I once read about this recording, it makes the Seventh feel like a symphony, even more than the Abbado/CSO does. A firm second choice.

A third choice for the Seventh can go any number of ways: I'll fall back to the Bertini/CRSO (EMI) set again, for this one. Giving the impression as I might be that I only have his and Bernstein's cycles, it really is worth one's attention to this degree: especially since it's a first-time approach to Mahler we're discussing. Again an excellent recording, and a reading as solid as any other I can think of.


Symphony No. 8

A lot of people have problems with this one: it's big, it's noisy and it's definitely out of the ordinary. Personally, I think that's what Mahler wanted. And nothing, in my opinion, conveys this better than the Tennstedt/LSO (EMI) recording. It needs a lot of volume for it to "do its thing", but it is fantastic, through and through; enough said.

As a "lighter" alternative, there's the very popular Solti/CSO (Decca). To me, it keeps sounding something like Verdi, but it's still a viable second choice, if nothing else, for its commitment. The choir sounds like it wants to sing out the opening Hymnus, most definitely! And the second part, although far weaker than the Tennstedt/LSO reading, is viable enough so as not to spoil the whole.

Given that the Tennstedt/LSO reading has the hands-down best Part II, and the Solti/CSO reading has the "happiest" Part I, there would be little to recommend but a reading balanced between the two. Towards that purpose, I'll go for the Rattle/CBSO (EMI) Eighth which, for all its lack of "operatic splendour", does offer a highly enchanting alternative: soft-grained, but not at all in a bad way, from where I see it.


Das Lied von der Erde

Yes, it's a song-cycle/symphony; but the second part is still "symphony", so I'm adding it in this list. First recommendation would be the Wunderlich/Ludwig/Klemperer/Philharmonia (EMI), which is just peerless, in my opinion. It is fantastic, and astonishingly "hi-fi" for its age.

Second recommendation I'll offer is the Shade/Urmana/Boulez/VPO (DG) collaboration, which is also fantastically performed, and a very solid reading indeed. It doesn't sweep you off your feet like the Klemperer, but it might charm you off them!

Third recommendation, another classic recording: Patzak/Ferrier/Walter/VPO  The quality is a bit borderline for your preference, but it's still a very solid and especially touching performance that I can't not recommend. If the sound doesn't help that much, try the (you-know-I'm-going-to-say-it) Bertini recording of the same work; it's also good, but not en part with those three...


Symphony No. 9

The Ninth itself is, among other reasons, a pinnacle in Mahler's work in that it can be perceived in yet more different ways than the rest of his symphonies. There are sombre readings, objective readings, enchanting readings, impulsive readings, pedantic readings... Pick and choose! But the supreme reading of them all is the mighty live Karajan/BPO (DG) recording from the 80's. It's enchanting enough to touch you, and impulsive enough to inspire you: cathartic, in other words, and a perfect match for the music itself, in my opinion.

Another solid Ninth, with an almost diametrically opposed reading, is the recent Abbado/BPO (DG). Remeber what I noted about the Sixth from the same partnership? Well, the Ninth is all that and more: it's objective enough to "stay on track" but also sleek and sombre enough to project its message fully. A very good choice.

And my third ecommendation for the Ninth is from a perhaps-unexpected source (and not Bertini): Barbirolli/BPO (EMI). Suave and lyrical, this is also a very different "species" of Mahler Ninth - but it does not disappoint, and the recording itself is almost as good as one could hope for, given its age (1964). Worth listening to!


Symphony No. 10

I'll assume you want Deryck Cooke's performing version for this, rather than just the opening Adagio: in which case I only have one recommendation, as it's the only one I've heard - Rattle/BPO (EMI) It is, however, so excellent that I don't expect it to disappoint one looking to hear how Mahler's last symphony could, hypothetically, have sounded. Top choice, which I think the others here are likely to confirm.


And that, as they say, is that: my own top picks for the 10 symphonies and Das Lied von der Erde, with the requirement for modern(-ish) sound taken into account. Without that last "catch", I'd have recommended the Walter/VPO (Andante) Fourth as my first choice, and the Walter/VPO (Dutton) Ninth as second choice, after the Karajan.

Perhaps you'll take this "guide" into account - or perhaps you'll prefer suggestions from people who have listened to even more Mahler recordings than I have. Even better, you might prefer to just find what you like and listen to it, instead: in any case, enjoy!

Note: This post has officially taken an entire afternoon to write. Please don't ask me to write a similar one for Bruckner before Christmas.

that's a pretty good list, I have heard all of them, and i agree with what you say, only with some minor differences. For instance, i would add Abbado with BP for Mahler's 1st, Mehta with WP for Mahler's 2nd
Kondarshin's mahler's 4th (if you don't mind the russian), Barshai with JDS for Mahler's 5th, Haitink's 7th with RCO (2nd one) + Boulez's 7th with WP + Abbado's 7th BP;
as for the 9th, oh boy! Mitropoulos's live recording in 61, Giulini's CSO, Barenboim with SB, Sinopoli with ST, Walto with CSO, and many many more.....

I only have one top favourite 10th, Barshai's with JDS, despite having heard many other good but not excellent 10ths.

[PSmith08]

No list is complete without Dimitri Mitropoulos' searing 1959 Mahler 6th from Cologne. It can be found, in good-enough sound and at a very reasonable price on the Mitropoulos "Great Conductors of the 20th Century" set. Indeed, despite the mono (which is still serviceable), this recording is - probably - the only Mahler 6th you really, really need. This is as tightly wound a recording as any for which you could hope. I've always liked Von Karajan's record, and it is the one (more so, even, than his equally fine 5th) that makes me wish he'd done a complete Mahler cycle on record. Eschenbach's recent Ondine set is very nice, too, with Boulez' providing a very compelling performance with the WP.

Still, I would have to say, the sine qua non of any collection of Mahler 6ths, indeed, a necessary recording for any collection of Mahler's symphonies on record, is that Mitropoulos set.

Otherwise, a solid list.

[Que]

No list is complete without Dimitri Mitropoulos' searing 1959 Mahler 6th from Cologne. It can be found, in good-enough sound and at a very reasonable price on the Mitropoulos "Great Conductors of the 20th Century" set. Indeed, despite the mono (which is still serviceable), this recording is - probably - the only Mahler 6th you really, really need.

SECONDED!

Without that last "catch", I'd have recommended the Walter/VPO (Andante) Fourth as my first choice, and the Walter/VPO (Dutton) Ninth as second choice, after the Karajan.

Is that Mahler 4th Walter/VPO from the 24th of august 1950 with Irmgard Seefried?

And I'm missing another "golden oldie": the 4th with Willem Mengelberg and the Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Q

[Bonehelm]

Could anybody please help me get the membership on OperaShare? Thanks a lot

[mahlertitan]

Could anybody please help me get the membership on OperaShare? Thanks a lot

what is OperaShare, and what is so good about it?

[Renfield]

Is that Mahler 4th Walter/VPO from the 24th of august 1950 with Irmgard Seefried?

With Hilde Güden - and from 1955. The source I have it from (an Andante issue) also has a live "Das Lied von der Erde" with the Ferrier/Patzak team, from a performance just before the Decca recording. Both very fine performances, but both obviously quite "dated" for what the original poster wanted.

And I haven't succeeded in getting my hands on that Mitropoulos 6th, something which has frustrated me quite a bit. You'd think that in Greece, out of all places, Mitropoulos recordings would be somewhat available! Of course, nobody really seemed to like Mitropoulos, over here, for all their post-mortem praise for him; and neither amazon.com nor amazon.uk have had that recording in stock ever since I've started looking for it, either.

[Que]

With Hilde Güden - and from 1955. The source I have it from (an Andante issue) also has a live "Das Lied von der Erde" with the Ferrier/Patzak team, from a performance just before the Decca recording. Both very fine performances, but both obviously quite "dated" for what the original poster wanted.

Thanks! I was wondering about that because I have the '50/VP/Seefried myself and I much prefer the '53/NYPSO/Seefried (both available on Tahra). Now I'm wondering how the later would compare to one with Güden... ..I have a hunch I'd probably opt for the Seefried because of Seefried anyway.

And I haven't succeeded in getting my hands on that Mitropoulos 6th, something which has frustrated me quite a bit. You'd think that in Greece, out of all places, Mitropoulos recordings would be somewhat available! Of course, nobody really seemed to like Mitropoulos, over here, for all their post-mortem praise for him; and neither amazon.com nor amazon.uk have had that recording in stock ever since I've started looking for it, either.

It is available - at very much inflated prices however...  , which shows the significance of the issue.


    Amazon.com

(Google the ASIN number for the other Amazons - though they are more expensive)

Q

[Renfield]

It is available - at very much inflated prices however...  , which shows the significance of the issue.


    Amazon.com

(Google the ASIN number for the other Amazons - though they are more expensive)

Q

Hmm... Something to keep in mind for my next order, then! Although I'm tempted to "go the extra mile" and order the "Mahler Broadcasts" issue from the NYPO, which - I understand - also contains a very good Mahler 6th by Mitropoulos; not to mention a lot of other great performances, as well.

Incidentally, I just realised there's a Mahler 5th by Gustavo Dudamel and "his" Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra due for release in two days. And, having just heard a sample from each part, just now, I must admit that - even with Bernstein and Barbirolli as benchmarks - I'm impressed.

I wonder how good the entire performance will turn out to be, once I have it in my hands... Time will tell, I guess.

(Samples available at: http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/special/?ID=dudamel-mahler5)

[mahlertitan]

speaking of Mitropoulos, anyone know anything about the 60's Mahler Symphony no. 9? I have it for some reason on my computer, and i don't know whether it was issued on CDs or not.

[Renfield]

speaking of Mitropoulos, anyone know anything about the 60's Mahler Symphony no. 9? I have it for some reason on my computer, and i don't know whether it was issued on CDs or not.

I realised with this question that I'd never seriously looked for just what Mahler Mitropoulos has recorded, and proceeded to resolve the matter via google.

Came up with this, astonishingly enough: http://www.musicandarts.com/CDpages/CD1021.html - samples included!

So it appears he had, in fact, recorded the 1st, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th, the Adagio of the 10th and an edited version of the 3rd. That's about 4 recordings more than I knew ever existed of Mitropoulos' Mahler, to say the least.

Edit: I wonder what manner of twisted, dark, and evil ritual I would have to perform to get either Music & Arts, or someone to reissue that set.