YOUR Mahler Cycle

[not edward]

The VSOO/Scherchen 7th sounds tempting. The Toronto one is one of my favourite 7ths, and a really bleak view of the music, even though Scherchen's stretching the orchestra beyond breaking point at times.

[Drasko]

In Scherchenian order of things VSOO seventh is middle of the road, almost polite reading, but he conjures the mood of the middle movements better than anyone in my opinion. Orchestra is almost on top of things. Haven't hear the Toronto recording, nor live VSO one.

[techniquest]

#1 - LPO / Delogu
#2 - DNRO / Segerstam OR Robert Schumann Philharmonie / Caetani (if only for the finale)
#3 - Philharmonia / Zander OR NYO / Bernstein OR CBSO / Rattle OR Chicago / Levine
#4 - Ljubljana SO / Nanut
#5 - Sinfonica of London / Morris
#6 - Levine OR Barbirolli
#7 - Klemperer / New Phil OR Concertgebouw / Chailly
#8 - Warsaw crew / Wit OR Sinfonica of London / Morris
#9 - Klemperer / New Phil OR Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Saarbruken / Herbig
I don't know No.10 or DLvDE well enough to make a choice. Most of the others have an awful lot of also-rans and close-calls such as Inbal / Frankfurt SO for both #2 and #3 and Ljubljana RSO / Horvath for #2; the Berlin crew / Nagano for #8.

[mahler10th]

The Inbal cycle is particularly good, superbly recorded and played with the right amount of sensitivity and thunder.  Why it isn't touted as often these days I don't know.  But for buying a box set, Mahler newbies can't go wrong with Tennstedt and the LPO (EMI).  Outstanding.

[knight66]

Nice to see the Wyn Morris performances get a mention; the Eighth is especially fine. I was given the complete Bertini and have collected quite a number of alternative versions of most of the others. I have about a dozen DLVDEs. The live Kubelik with Baker and Klemperer's EMI are to me the most satisfying, with Levine a close third.

Here is what I think would make interesting listening....for me.

1 Kubelik DGG
2 Mehta VPO Decca
3 Horenstein
4 Horenstein
5 Barbirolli
6 Mackerras
7 Abbado Chicago
8 Solti
9 Maderna
10 Rattle

Interesting, but not definitave.

Mike

[MDL]

I'm sure we've done this before and not too long ago, but there's no harm in going over it again. I wonder if any of mine have changed.

1) Kubelik/DG
2) Rattle/EMI, Klemperer/EMI/Philharmonia
3) Bernstein/Sony
4) Maazel/Sony
5) Bernstein/DG
6) Bernstein/DG
7) Abbado/CSO/DG
Tennstedt/EMI
9) Karajan/DG/Live
10) Chailly/Decca Rattle/BPO/EMI

[knight66]

That Kubelik no 1 seems to be standing up well, I am not surprised.

Mike

[bhodges]

1: Muti/Philadelphia - The only one he recorded, and surprisingly marvelous.
2: Bernstein/NYPO (DG) - I was in the audience when this was taped.
3: Chailly/Concertgebouw - The playing, the playing...
4: Haitink/Concertgebouw - His reticence works for me here.
5: Chailly/Concertgebouw - At times, my favorite Mahler recording.
6: Karajan/Berlin - Thrilling work from the orchestra.
7: Abbado/Berlin - Live, and makes a complex piece spring to life.
8: Chailly/Concertgebouw - Slow tempos increase the grandeur, and love the hall's organ.
Das Lied: Haitink/Concertgebouw/Baker/King - Strange, I think this is the sole CD I have of this piece.
9: Karajan/Berlin - Same virtues as their Sixth, above.
10: Chailly/RSO Berlin - Partly to get another excellent orchestra on the list.

--Bruce

[MDL]

I'm sure we've done this before and not too long ago, but there's no harm in going over it again. I wonder if any of mine have changed.

1) Kubelik/DG
2) Rattle/EMI, Klemperer/EMI/Philharmonia
3) Bernstein/Sony
4) Maazel/Sony
5) Bernstein/DG
6) Bernstein/DG
7) Abbado/CSO/DG
Tennstedt/EMI
9) Karajan/DG/Live
10) Chailly/Decca Rattle/BPO/EMI


Why is my eight a smiley? 8- 8 )

[MDL]

Now I understand. 8 followed by ) without a space turns into ! Well, that's bloody annoying!

[bhodges]

Now I understand. 8 followed by ) without a space turns into ! Well, that's bloody annoying!

And here I thought that you just absolutely loved that recording! 

--Bruce

[Harry]

For me  the Mahler cycles are, and I have them too:

RSO Frankfurt/Eliahu Inbal.
LPO/Klaus Tennstedt
Chicago SO/Claudio Abbado.
Czech PO/Vaclav Neumann.
Berliner Phil/Herbert van Karajan.

[jwinter]

If someone came looking for an introduction to Mahler, I'd hand him the Bertini boxset without hesitation.  But I'll give this a shot...

1 - Bernstein DG
2 - Kaplan or Mehta with Vienna
3 - Bernstein DG, Chailly
4 - Szell
5 - Barshai, Barbirolli
6 - Barbirolli, Boulez
7 - Abbado/Chicago, Bernstein Sony
8 - Chailly
9 - Ancerl, Abbado BPO

[Papy Oli]

I'll bite :

1 - Maazel/VPO - A thunderous final movement.
2 - How can you possibly choose between your 16 beloved kids...ok...Gielen/SWR SO 
3 - Haitink / concertgebouw - Oooooo Mensch...
4 - Reiner / Chicago SO
5 - Tennstedt / LPO (live version off an HMV Classics series - beats his boxset version hands down).
6 - Abbado / BPO - (first recording bias)
7 - Bertini/Koelner Rundfunk SO
8 - not familiar enough with this one - Tennstedt/LPO is the only version which i have manage to hear in its entirety
9 - Undecided
10 - ditto
LVDE - Kubelik/Audite

[bhodges]

2 - How can you possibly choose between your 16 beloved kids...ok...Gielen/SWR SO 

  Lovely expressivity...

And I somehow forgot about this one, that is pretty high on my list, too.

--Bruce

[mahler10th]

What what what?  Berliner Phil/Herbert van Karajan did a Mahler cycle>

[Drasko]

#4 - Ljubljana SO / Nanut

Thanks for a reminder, always meant to pick that one up but never gotten around to actually do it.
Never thought that idea of using a boy soloist is such a bad one, and Cencic ought to be better than that woeful boy of Bernstein's. I believe Cencic was a lead soloist for Vienna Boys Choir back then?
Nobody will ever mistake Ljubljana for a great band but Nanut is quite decent Mahler conductor, could work nicely.

Now only to locate a copy.

[MDL]

And here I thought that you just absolutely loved that recording! 

--Bruce

Yeah, well, I do, but not that much!

[Harry]

What what what?  Berliner Phil/Herbert van Karajan did a Mahler cycle>

Not quite, but almost........

[Haffner]

Not quite, but almost........

I wish!