# Recommended Mahler Symphonies, 11 Different Conductors, 11 Different Orchestras



## Knorf

Here's a game. Make Mahler symphony recommendations, but you can name a conductor only once, and you have to include _Das Lied von der Erde_ and No. 10 for full points. To make it level-2 challenging, you can only name each orchestra once as well. ETA, for level-3, you can only name each recording label once as well. (N.B., something like CBS/Sony counts as the same label, or London/Decca.)

Here are my eleven for Level-2:


#1Walter, Columbia Symphony, 1962#2Kubelík, Bavarian Radio, 1969#3Boulez, Vienna Philharmonic, 2001#4Szell, Cleveland Orchestra, 1965#5	Shipway, Royal Philharmonic, 1996#6Iván Fischer, Budapest Festival, 2005#7Abbado, Berlin Philharmonic, 2002#8	Gielen, SWR Symphony, 2002Das Lied von der ErdeKlemperer, Philharmonia, 1967#9Bernstein, Concertgebuow, 1990#10Dausgaard, Seattle Symphony, 2016


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## Allegro Con Brio

No. 1: Walter/Columbia
No. 2: Tennstedt/LSO
No. 3: Haven’t heard enough to make a fair choice
No. 4: Mengelberg/RCO
No. 5: Barshai/Junge Deutsche Philharmonie
No. 6: Bernstein/VPO
No. 7: Kubelik/BRSO
No. 8: Horenstein
Das Lied von der Erde: Klemperer/Philharmonia
No. 9: Barbirolli/BPO
No. 10: Ditto with No. 3

Alright, I don’t get rewarded full points from Judge Knorf for leaving out 3 and 10, but those are the two Mahler symphonies that I haven’t spent the requisite time studying and comparing versions. I’m pretty satisfied with the rest of my choices - even though a couple of them wouldn’t be my absolute first overall they’re still in my upper echelon.


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## MrMeatScience

An interesting game. I'd go for

No. 1 Boulez/Chicago 1998
No. 2 Mehta/WPO 1975
No. 3 Haitink/BRSO 2017
No. 4 Mengelberg/Concertgebouw 1938
No. 5 Walter/NYPO 1947
No. 6 Currentzis/Music Aeterna 2018
No. 7 Gielen/SWR 1993
No. 8 Fischer/Düsseldorfer 2019
DLvdE Klemperer/Philharmonia 1964
No. 9 Karajan/BPO 1980
No. 10 Chailly/RSO Berlin 1988

A lot of my favorites aren't represented for the sake of variety, but I enjoy all of these recordings.


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## Kiki

Interesting rules! (Certainly more interesting than a simple my favourite/the best list.)

Started with the symphonies that I have clear favourite performers and then filled in the rest without repeating the performers... with some hard choices of give-and-take -


#1François-Xavier RothLes Siècles2018 (Harmonia mundi)#2Otto KlempererPhilharmonia Orchestra1961/62 (EMI)#3Jascha HorensteinLondon Symphony Orchestra1970 (Unicorn-Kanchana)#4Manfred HoneckPittsburgh Symphony Orchestra2010 Live (Exton)#5Leonard BernsteinWiener Philharmoniker1987 Live (DG)#6Teodor CurrentzisMusicAeterna2016 (Sony)#7Ádám FischerDüsseldorfer Symphoniker2015 Live (Avi Service for Music)#8Riccardo ChaillyLucerne Festival Orchestra2016 Live (Accentus)DLVDEKlaus TennstedtLondon Philharmonic Orchestra1982/84 (EMI)#9Herbert von KarajanBerliner Philharmoniker1982 Live (DG)#10Thomas DausgaardSeattle Symphony Orchestra2015 Live (Seattle Symphony Media)

Level-2 compliant! Do I get certification? (Sorry it's a software engineering joke.)


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## Knorf

MrMeatScience and Kiki are now Level-2 Compliant!

Allegro con brio needs to spend a wee bit more time with the Third and Tenth.


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## Becca

I had to get a wee bit creative for this, especially as Sanderling's recording, while otherwise very good, uses S/A 

#1 Kubelik, Bavarian Radio, ?
#2 Barbirolli, Stuttgart Radio, 1970
#3 Horenstein, LSO, ?
#4 Tilson Thomas, SFSO, 2004
#5 Barshai, Junge Deutsche Philharmonie, 1999
#6 T. Sanderling, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, 1995
#7 Gielen, SWR Symphony, 1993
#8 Dudamel, LA Philharmonic & Simon Bolivar O., 2012
Das Lied von der Erde Klemperer, Philharmonia, 1967
#9 Rattle, BPO, 2007
#10 Harding, Vienna Philharmonic, 2008

Incidentally, after recently having listened to a number of recordings of the 10th, my opinion of Dausgaard has dropped some, but that's a topic for another thread.


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## NLAdriaan

Great game! Let's go:

#1 Kondrashin, NDR Sinfonieorchester, EMI 1981 
#2 Vladimir Jurowski, LPO, LPO 2011 (2009 recording)
#3 Haitink, BRSO, BR Klassik, 2017
#4 Ivan Fischer, BFO Challenge Classics 2009
#5 Bernstein, VPO DG 1988
#6 Abbado, Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Blu Ray/DVD Lucerne Festival 2011
#7 Chailly, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Accentus DVD, 2015 
#8 Boulez, Staatskapelle Berlin, DG, 2013
DLVDE Luisi, RCO, DVD RCO live, 2011
#9 Karajan, BPO (live), DG, 1982
#10 Gielen, SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden Baden & Freiburg, SWRmusic/Naxos, 2005



A few compromises to reach level 2 compliance  and for DLVDE one extra to get the indispensable RCO in. I would almost have been level 3 compliant (11 different record labels), if it wasn't for DG, which appears 3 times, still 9 labels. 

Apart from this, all recordings are worthwhile and most are my first choice.


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## Kiki

That's interesting, Becca. 

I would have picked Harding/VPO for #10 which is my personal favourte of #10, but the VPO was already picked for #5. For #5 I could have picked Abbado/BPO to free up the VPO, but the BPO was already assigned to #9, which I couldn't change as my top favourites for #9 were all done by the BPO. :lol: 

Therefore for #10 I took the compromise and picked my next favourite Dausgaard, although Dausgaard's "turbulence" is very different from Harding's "fluffiness". I gather what others heard/like in them might be very different though.


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## Knorf

Becca and NLAdriaan have earned Level-2 compliance. Level-3 would be quite extraordinary! I don't think I could do it. Hmmm...

I like this game because some really interesting choices inevitably pop up. I'm making notes myself to listen to some new Mahler recordings I'm unfamiliar with! And seeing which choices we have in common, but how much variety remains, is very cool. Mahler recordings have come a long way from the days when hardly anyone knew or performed more than 1, 2, 4 and maybe 5.

NLAdriaan, I share your enthusiasm for Boulez's Mahler 8.


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## david johnson

1 Leinsdorf BSO
2 Klemperer Philharmonia
3 Levine CSO
4 Reiner CSO
5 Solti CSO
6/7/8 no preference
9 Barbirolli BPO
10 Ormandy Philly
dlvde no preference


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## NLAdriaan

Knorf said:


> Becca and NLAdriaan have earned Level-2 compliance. Level-3 would be quite extraordinary! I don't think I could do it. Hmmm...
> 
> I like this game because some really interesting choices inevitably pop up. I'm making notes myself to listen to some new Mahler recordings I'm unfamiliar with! And seeing which choices we have in common, but how much variety remains, is very cool. Mahler recordings have come a long way from the days when hardly anyone knew or performed more than 1, 2, 4 and maybe 5.
> 
> NLAdriaan, I share your enthusiasm for Boulez's Mahler 8.


Level 3 compliance could be reached within agreeable quality limits for my list as follows:
swapping #5 for Vaclav Neumann with the Czech Philharmonic on Supraphon
swapping #8 for Gergiev with the LSO on LSO live (quite a good one from this cycle)

Et Voila, level 3


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## Knorf

Gauntlet thrown! Ok, I'll work on one as well. Mine has four Deutsche Grammophon and two CBS/Sony. Eep.


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## Knorf

Level-3 Compliant! I'm kind of proud of this list.


#1Solti, Chicago Symphony, 1983, Decca#2Klemperer, Philharmonia, 1962, EMI#3Abbado, Lucerne Festival, 2007, Euroarts#4Szell, Cleveland Orchestra, 1965, Sony#5	Shipway, Royal Philharmonic, 1996, RPO Edition#6Iván Fischer, Budapest Festival, 2005, Channel Classics#7Bernstein, New York Philharmonic, 1985, Deutsche Grammophon#8	Gielen, SWR Symphony, 2002, HänsslerDas Lied von der ErdeKubelík, Bavarian Radio, 1970, Audite#9Neumann, Leipzig Gewandhaus, 1969, Berlin Classics#10Dausgaard, Seattle Symphony, 2016, SSM


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## Granate

No.1 Mariss Jansons Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks Audite-BR
No.2 Otto Klemperer Philharmonia Orchestra EMI
No.3 Bernard Haitink Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam Philips
No.4 André Previn Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra EMI
No.5 Leonard Bernstein Wiener Philharmoniker DG
No.6 John Barbirolli Berliner Philharmoniker Testament
No.7 Claudio Abbado Chicago Symphony Orchestra DG
No.8 Bertrand de Billy ORF Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Oehms
No.9 Jonathan Nott Bamberger Symphoniker Tudor
DLVDE Yannick Nézet-Séguin London Philharmonic Orchestra LPO
No.10 Thomas Dausgaard Seattle Symphony Orchestra SSO

How's that for Level 2?


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## Knorf

Nice, Granate. Everyone's choices are really interesting! My list of "Mahler to listen to" grows ever longer. 

NLAdriaan, I also feel wrong leaving the RCO off a Mahler list. I could swap out Mahler 8 with Gielen for Jansons and RCO on their home label, a superb performance. 

Alrighty. Current states of compliance:

Perhaps didn't read the directions: david johnson
Non-compliant: Allegro con brio
Level-1: None
Level-2: Becca, Granate, Kiki, MrMeatScience
Level-3: NLAdriaan


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## NLAdriaan

Knorf said:


> NLAdriaan, I also feel wrong leaving the RCO off a Mahler list. I could swap out Mahler 8 with Gielen for Jansons and RCO on their home label, a superb performance.


I would go for Chailly/RCO in Mahler 8. If you go for the limited edition recording of the Mahlerfeest 1995, issued on RNW (Dutch radio worldservice), you still are level 3 compliant. I listened to both interpretations live and Chailly clearly has something going with Mahler 8, bright and transparant. His inaugural Lucerne DVD recording of 2017 is also widely praised.


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## wkasimer

This is very hard; there were a couple of recordings that I absolutely had to include, which then limited me if I wanted to be level 3 compliant (level 2 would have been much too easy). I ended up having to leave off some of my favorite Mahler conductors (e.g. Barbirolli, Walter, Klemperer), usually because the label had already been spoken for. I also assumed that after the merger, RCA and Sony are the same label.

1 - Neumann/Czech PO/Supraphon
2 - Mehta/Vienna PO/Decca
3 - Horenstein/London SO/Unicorn
4 - Kubelik/SOdBR/Audite
5 - Shipway/RPO/RPO label
6 - Currentzis/Musicaeterna/Sony
7 - Tennstedt/London PO/BBC Legends
8 - Ozawa/Boston SO/Philips
9 - Karajan/Berlin PO/DG
10-Dausgaard/Seattle SO/Seattle Symphony Media
DLVDE - Bertini/Köln Radio Orchestra/EMI


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## Becca

I had enough trouble with level 2 so am not even going to attempt anything further!

As to the selections...
Which Barbirolli - 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 6th or 9th?
Which Klemperer - 2nd, DLVDE or 9th?
Which Rattle - 4th*, 8th*, 9th or 10th?

* - The OP didn't say that it had to be commercially available!


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## wkasimer

Knorf said:


> NLAdriaan, I also feel wrong leaving the RCO off a Mahler list.


I had that same discomfort. But I had to include the Ozawa 8th with the BSO on Philips, because it's the only recording of that symphony that I can stand. That meant no other Philips recording, which pretty much means no RCO, and no Mengelberg (whose 4th I really wanted to include).


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## Merl

Right, here goes......

1 - Honeck / Pittsburgh / Exton
2 - Jurowski / LPO / LPO label
3 - Haitink / RCO / Radio Netherlands Worldwide (Mahlerfeest)
4 - Barbirolli / BBC SO / BBC Legends
5 - Gielen / SWR SO / Hannsler
6 - Sanderling / St. Petersburg Phil / Real Sound
7 - Adam Fischer / Dusseldorf SO / Avi-music
8 - Nott / Bamberg SO / Tudor (but I hate all 8ths)
9 - Karajan / BPO /DG
10 - Barshai / Junge Deutsche Philharmonie / Brilliant
DLVDE - Kubelik / BRSO / Audite (I don't like any DLVDEs either)

Had to leave a few faves off but got some crackers in there. Hows that, Knorfy?


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## Granate

wkasimer, where did you find an Audite release of a Kubelík Mahler 4?


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## wkasimer

Granate said:


> wkasimer, where did you find an Audite release of a Kubelík Mahler 4?


I had a brain fart, and confused it with the Mahler 1. Back to the drawing board....

1 - Neumann/Czech PO/Supraphon
2 - Mehta/Vienna PO/Decca
3 - Horenstein/London SO/Unicorn
4 - Abravanel/Utah SO/Vanguard
5 - Shipway/RPO/RPO label
6 - Currentzis/Musicaeterna/Sony
7 - Tennstedt/London PO/BBC Legends
8 - Ozawa/Boston SO/Philips
9 - Karajan/Berlin PO/DG
10-Dausgaard/Seattle SO/Seattle Symphony Media
DLVDE - Bertini/Köln Radio Orchestra/EMI


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## Simplicissimus

Listening within my CD collection, I go with Gielen/SWR for everything except 1, 2, 4, 6, DLVDE, and 10. For the past few hours I’ve been listening to streaming versions of 3, 5, 7, and 9 in order to arrive at my favorite recorded versions outside of my CD collection so that I can have 11 different conductors. This has been enjoyable and I feel right now like I made some wonderful discoveries for these four. I had repeats of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and of some record labels, but I’m very happy with these 11 conductors’ versions.

1 Erich Leinsdorf/Boston Symphony Orchestra, 1962, RCA Living Stereo (CD)
2 Leopold Stokowski/London Symphony Orchestra (Brigitte Fassbaender mezzo, Margaret Price soprano), 1974, RCA Red Seal (CD)
3 Riccardo Chailly/Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (Petra Lang, mezzo), 2003, Decca (streaming)
4 Fritz Reiner/Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Lisa Della Casa soprano), 1958, RCA Living Stereo (CD)
5 Claudio Abbado/Chicago Symphony Orchestra, 1980, Deutsche Grammophon (via Polydor) (streaming)
6 George Szell/Cleveland Symphony Orchestra (recorded live), 1967, Sony (via Columbia Stereo) (CD)
7 Václav Neumann/Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, 1968, Supraphon (streaming)
8 Michael Gielen/SWR Sinfonieorchester, 1998, SWR Music (CD)
DLVDE Josef Krips/Wiener Symphoniker (recorded live) (Fritz Wunderlich tenor, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau baritone), 1964, Deutsche Grammophon (CD)
9 Carlo Maria Giulini/Chicago Symphony Orchestra, 1976, Deutsche Grammophon (streaming)
10 Eugene Ormandy/Philadelphia Orchestra, 1965, Sony (via Columbia Masterworks) (CD)


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## Knorf

wkasimer said:


> I also assumed that after the merger, RCA and Sony are the same label.


Sony/CBS are the same, because Sony was never anything until they bought CBS's catalogue.

RCA was independent for decades, so I think it counts as separate.

Labels are kinda goofy sometimes. After all, Decca, Phillips, and Deutsche Grammophon were owned by the same company for a long time, a couple different ones, actually (Polygram, Universal), but I think they're rightly counted as separate. (And Phillips is no more, anyway, with many of their titles re-released now on Decca.)

There are other examples. So, I wouldn't wish to interpret the "11 labels" thing too strictly.

Let's say if they were distinct labels at release, then re-releases on a new "label" that bought the old catalogue doesn't undo their original separateness. So, choosing an example from the Haikink Mahler cycle original originally released on Phillips and one from the Solti Decca cycle would not break the rule.

Fair?


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## wkasimer

Knorf said:


> Sony/CBS are the same, because Sony was never anything until they bought CBS's catalogue.
> 
> RCA was independent for decades, so I think it counts as separate.
> 
> Fair?


I'd say so. While I could now substitute the Reiner 4th, I'll stick with Abravanel because of Davrath in the finale.


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## CnC Bartok

1 Hungarian State O/Ivan Fischer/Hungaroton
2 London PO/Vladimir Jurowski/LPO own Label
3 Chicago SO/James Levine/RCA
4 Dusseldorf SO/Adam Fischer/C-Avi
5 SWR SO/Michael Gielen/SWR Classics
6 Cleveland O/George Szell/CBS
7 Czech PO/Vaclav Neumann/Supraphon
8 CBSO/Simon Rattle/EMI
9 London SO/Georg Solti/Decca
DLvdE Bavarian Radio SO/Rafael Kubelik/Audite
10 New Phillharmonia O/Wyn Morris/Philips

No Berlin/Vienna/Concertgebouw. No Haitink. No Deutsche Grammophon, what's wrong with me???

Level 3!

Can I have level 3+ for adding:
DLvdE: Virginia Arts Festival Chamber/JoAnn Falletta/Naxos (in the Schoenberg/Rihm chamber version!) I really like it, sorry!


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## Duncan

# 1 - Ádám Fischer/ Düsseldorfer Symphoniker / Label: Avi Music

# 2 - Bruno Walter/ New York Philharmonic / Label: Sony

# 3 - Sir John Barbirolli /The Hallé / Label: BBC Legends

# 4 - Ivan Fischer/ Budapest Festival Orchestra /Label: Channel

# 5 - Sir Simon Rattle/ Berlin Philharmoniker / Label: EMI Classics

# 6 - Rafael Kubelík/ Bavarian Radio Symphony/ Label: Audite

# 7 - Claudio Abbado/ Chicago Symphony Orchestra / Label: DG

# 8 - Klaus Tennstedt/ London Philharmonic Choir & Orchestra/ Label: LPO

Das Lied von der Erde - Kurt Sanderling/ Berlin Symphony Orchestra/ Label: Berlin Classics

# 9 - Bernard Haitink/ Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra/ Label: Philips

# 10 - Leonard Slatkin/ St. Louis Symphony/ Label: RCA Victor


Strange but true - I conducted Mahler's Symphony Number 8 in Grade 8 at Halifax Grammar School in Nova Scotia... Full disclosure - the better part of the "Thousand" were fellow classmates from Grades 1 through 12 who were there under duress... and who left so quickly after the performance you would have sworn someone had just yelled "Fire!"... I was all over the place... lost my way through the score so often you would have thought that I was being paid in American dollars to do so... so lost that they had to send dogs to search after me... dogs... actual dogs... The performance was released on a private label - Duncan Records - in a limited pressing of 1000... I used up about six hundred of them learning how to skeet shoot but I still have about 300 or so... Send me a PM if you want to purchase one... I'll even autograph it for you...


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## CnC Bartok

Knorf said:


> Sony/CBS are the same, because Sony was never anything until they bought CBS's catalogue.
> 
> RCA was independent for decades, so I think it counts as separate.
> 
> Labels are kinda goofy sometimes. After all, Decca, Phillips, and Deutsche Grammophon were owned by the same company for a long time, a couple different ones, actually (Polygram, Universal), but I think they're rightly counted as separate. (And Phillips is no more, anyway, with many of their titles re-released now on Decca.)
> 
> There are other examples. So, I wouldn't wish to interpret the "11 labels" thing too strictly.
> 
> Let's say if they were distinct labels at release, then re-releases on a new "label" that bought the old catalogue doesn't undo their original separateness. So, choosing an example from the Haikink Mahler cycle original originally released on Phillips and one from the Solti Decca cycle would not break the rule.
> 
> Fair?


Yes, thoroughly fair! Otherwise I'm utterly screwed!


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## Knorf

Catching up with you obsessed Mahlerians!

Merl is disqualified for being smug.

Just kidding!

Current states of compliance:

Perhaps didn't read the directions: david johnson
Non-compliant: Allegro con brio
Level-1: None
Level-2: Becca, Granate, Kiki, MrMeatScience
Level-3: CnC Bartok, Duncan*, Merl, NLAdriaan, Simplicissimus, wkasimer

*No, Duncan: you may not include your own. :lol: 



CnC Bartok said:


> No Berlin/Vienna/Concertgebouw. No Haitink. No Deutsche Grammophon, what's wrong with me???


You are clearly deranged. Your punishment is to go forth and listen to the complete DG cycles by Kubelík, Bernstein, Sinopoli, Boulez, and Abbado. Get going!


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## CnC Bartok

Knorf said:


> Catching up with you obsessed Mahlerians!
> 
> Merl is disqualified for being smug.
> 
> Just kidding!
> 
> Current states of compliance:
> 
> Perhaps didn't read the directions: david johnson
> Non-compliant: Allegro con brio
> Level-1: None
> Level-2: Becca, Granate, Kiki, MrMeatScience
> Level-3: CnC Bartok, Duncan*, Merl, NLAdriaan, Simplicissimus, wkasimer
> 
> *No, Duncan: you may not include your own. :lol:
> 
> You are clearly deranged. Your punishment is to go forth and listen to the complete DG cycles by Kubelík, Bernstein, Sinopoli, Boulez, and Abbado. Get going!


See you in 73 hours, then!


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## D Smith

The Kletzki was the very first Mahler LP I ever owned (and still have) and I was at the performace of the Maazel 7. I based my list on that which unfortunately took out Vienna and New York, so my favourite Mahler conductor Bernstein was left out 

1	Paul Kletzki, Vienna Philharmonic
2	Stokowski, London Symphony
3	Ivan Fischer, Budapest Festival
4	Pierre Boulez, Cleveland Symphony
5	Jukka-Pekka Saraste, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln
6	Michael Gielen & SWR Sinfonieorchester des Südwestrundfunks
7	Lorin Maazel New York Philharmonic
8	Yannick Nézet-Séguin, The Philadelphia Orchestra
9	Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic
10	Rudolph Barshai, Junge Deutsche Philharmonie
DLVE Forrester, Lewis, Reiner, Chicago Symphony


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## Chris Hewett

Some time ago, I made a determined effort to assess the accounts of each Mahler symphony in my possession - the box sets of Kubelik with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Tennstedt with the LPO, Boulez with the Vienna, Cleveland and Chicago bands, Neumann with the Czech Phil; incomplete sets of Horenstein and Ivan Fischer; multi-conductor anniversary collections issued by EMI and Decca/Deutsche Grammophon; and one or two odds and ends. I found Horenstein overwhelmingly good in most of the recordings that qualified as listenable (one or two being historic curiosities at best) and was pleasantly surprised at the passion levels of Boulez, having been assured of his status as the coldest of cold fish. Under the rules or this thread, however, those two masters have only one shot each. So here goes.

1: Kubelik - Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (1967)

2: Boulez - Vienna Philharmonic (2005)

3: Horenstein - LSO (1970)

4: Ivan Fischer - Budapest Festival Orchestra (2008) 

5: Bernstein - Vienna Philharmonic (live 1987)

6: Tennstedt - LPO (1983)

7: Abbado - Berlin Philharmonic (live 2001)

8: Solti - Chicago Symphony Orchestra (1971)

Das Lied: Giulini - Berlin Philharmonic 1984

9: Barbirolli - Berlin Philharmonic (1964)

10: Wigglesworth - BBC National Orchestra of Wales (live 1993)


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## Becca

Now that we have seen all these interesting lists, the *REAL* question is ... How many on your list are actually your favourite for that particular work?


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## wkasimer

Becca said:


> Now that we have seen all these interesting lists, the *REAL* question is ... How many on your list are actually your favourite for that particular work?


 I don't have definite favorites for most of the symphonies, but seven of mine would certainly be in the top three.


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## Chris Hewett

Aaaarrrgghh. I've already had one go at this - and sent it for posting - only to make the schoolboy error of orchestra repetition. I'll have another bash.

1 - Kubelik - Bavarian Radio Symphony

2 Boulez - Vienna Philharmonic

3 Horenstein - London Symphony

4 - Neumann - Czech Philharmonic

5 - Ivan Fischer - Budapest Festival

6 - Tennstedt - London Philharmonic (studio recording)

7 - Rattle - City of Birmingham Symphony

8 - Solti - Chicago Symphony

Das Lied - Giulini - Berlin Philharmonic

9 - Abbado - Lucerne Festival

10 - Wigglesworth - BBC National Orchestra of Wales


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## D Smith

Becca said:


> Now that we have seen all these interesting lists, the *REAL* question is ... How many on your list are actually your favourite for that particular work?


I don't really rank performances that exactly but Karajan 9, Barshai 10 and DLVE Reiner are right at the top. I really like the new 8 from Philadelphia but haven't listened to it enough to rank it against others. Most of my favourite Mahler performances are from Bernstein who was cut out of the list.


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## Knorf

wkasimer said:


> I don't have definite favorites for most of the symphonies, but seven of mine would certainly be in the top three.


Same for me. Actually, every single one of my Level-3 list would be in my unordered top 5 at least, for that symphony.


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## NLAdriaan

wkasimer said:


> I had that same discomfort. But I had to include the Ozawa 8th with the BSO on Philips, because it's the only recording of that symphony that I can stand. *That meant no other Philips recording, which pretty much means no RCO*, and no Mengelberg (whose 4th I really wanted to include).


Just no pre-88 recordings, since Decca took over with Chailly's cycle and RCO Live released quite some Jansons and Gatti and even a very nice Haitink 4 on CD and a full cycle on DVD with various conductors (like Harding 1, Jansons 2/3/8 ,Fischer 4, Gatti 5, Boulez 7, Luisi DLVDE, Haitink 9 and Inbal 10). Ever tried Chailly's #8? It's pretty good.


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## NLAdriaan

Merl said:


> Right, here goes......
> 
> 1 - Honeck / Pittsburgh / Exton
> 2 - Jurowski / LPO / LPO label
> 3 - Haitink / RCO / Radio Netherlands Worldwide (Mahlerfeest)
> 4 - Barbirolli / BBC SO / BBC Legends
> 5 - Gielen / SWR SO / Hannsler
> 6 - Sanderling / St. Petersburg Phil / Real Sound
> 7 - Adam Fischer / Dusseldorf SO / Avi-music
> 8 - Nott / Bamberg SO / Tudor (but I hate all 8ths)
> 9 - Karajan / BPO /DG
> 10 - Barshai / Junge Deutsche Philharmonie / Brilliant
> DLVDE - Kubelik / BRSO / Audite (I don't like any DLVDEs either)
> 
> Had to leave a few faves off but got some crackers in there. Hows that, Knorfy?


It won't spoil your ranking, but Haitink #3 of the 1995 Mahlerfeest was with the VPO. I still know, as I was there. You also have the dark red box of the 1995 Mahlerfeest recordings:tiphat:? How did you get it? Must be a nice story in itself, as they were never for sale. I got mine from the RNW boss, who I happened to know from an earlier job. I had to ask friendly, as he didn't offer it just like that. He probably didn't know of my Classical Music thing.


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## Knorf

And I really do rate Jansons's 8 with the RCO as well. It's a performance of great beauty and subtlety.


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## CnC Bartok

Becca said:


> Now that we have seen all these interesting lists, the *REAL* question is ... How many on your list are actually your favourite for that particular work?


I can ever-so-slightly outdo Bill here, nine of mine are top three, and the other two very fine recent acquisitions that I haven't properly weighed up as yet.
I am abhorred by your wanton display of cynicism, Becca! :devil::lol:


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## Merl

NLAdriaan said:


> It won't spoil your ranking, but Haitink #3 of the 1995 Mahlerfeest was with the VPO. I still know, as I was there. You also have the dark red box of the 1995 Mahlerfeest recordings:tiphat:? How did you get it? Must be a nice story in itself, as they were never for sale. I got mine from the RNW boss, who I happened to know from an earlier job. I had to ask friendly, as he didn't offer it just like that. He probably didn't know of my Classical Music thing.


PM sent. í ½í¸Š...

Oh and yes you're right NLAdriaan, it was the VPO. My bad.


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## Duncan

CnC Bartok said:


> I am abhorred by your wanton display of cynicism, Becca! :devil::lol:


Especially in light of the fact that the Knorfmeister asked for "recommendations" rather than requesting that each selection represent one's favourite for that particular work... Casting completely warranted aspersions on our collective integrity - for shame... for shame...

Henceforth to be known as "Becca the Cynic" or perhaps "Becca the Contemptuous"...

She should receive a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct...

And so should Merl for incessant whingeing about Mahler's 8th -



Merl said:


> Right, here goes......
> 
> 1 - Honeck / Pittsburgh / Exton
> 2 - Jurowski / LPO / LPO label
> 3 - Haitink / RCO / Radio Netherlands Worldwide (Mahlerfeest)
> 4 - Barbirolli / BBC SO / BBC Legends
> 5 - Gielen / SWR SO / Hannsler
> 6 - Sanderling / St. Petersburg Phil / Real Sound
> 7 - Adam Fischer / Dusseldorf SO / Avi-music
> 8 - Nott / Bamberg SO / Tudor *(but I hate all 8ths)*
> 9 - Karajan / BPO /DG
> 10 - Barshai / Junge Deutsche Philharmonie / Brilliant
> DLVDE - Kubelik / BRSO / Audite (I don't like any DLVDEs either)





Merl said:


> As many of you know, this is the one Mahler symphony I just cannot 'get'. After years of not caring much for the 3rd I've finally been recently converted (thanks to Haitink's Mahlerfeest recording and Honeck's disc) but the one sticking point for me in Mahler remains this symphony. *I've tried every recording I can think of but it still leaves me cold.* Once or twice a year I try another new recording but each time I fail but as I've finally cracked my 3rd indifference maybe I can finally break this one. For the next month or so I'm gonna immerse myself in the 8th. I'm thinking of 'chunlkng' one movement at a time. Gotta be worth a shot.





Merl said:


> *I have lots and lots of Mahler 8ths but like none of them.* I just can't bear the 8th. I like or love all Mahler's other symphonies but the 8th does nowt for me. Oh hang on, I don't like the 3rd much either.





Merl said:


> *I have lots of recordings of it in Mahler cycles but don't like the symphony so I never play it.* I've tried umpteen times but it's never going to resonate with me.





Merl said:


> That newest Mahler 8 by Inbal is the only one I've not been brave enough to attempt from his terrific Tokyo cycle *(regular TCers will know my feelings toward Mahler s 8th)*. I have it but I still can't bring myself to play it. Is there a painless way I can do it (play it backwards, play it in 2 second segments, play it in another room whilst drilling some holes, etc)?


So I spend like 10 maybe 15 minutes writing this reply to Merl which is virtually ignored by everyone except Becca the Cynic/Becca the Contemptuous who clicked the "Like" button - wait... make that "Becca the Ginger Beauty" - I don't get nearly enough likes to needlessly antagonize anyone... I worked really hard on that "mitsingen" concept and I'm still bitter over the lack of appreciation... but I digress...

This is my reply to Merl -



Duncan said:


> Yep... just skip it entirely and say - "It's my least favourite Mahler symphony"... Honestly, Merl, who's even going to know?
> 
> If someone asks you which conductor you prefer just reply with "Horenstein, definitely Horenstein..." or better yet - "Horenstein, Gielen, Wit - in that order"...
> 
> Strange but true - the nickname "Symphony of a Thousand" includes the audience members in the total count not just the instrumentalists and choristers. They do this because of the "audience participation" section of the symphony - the _mitsingen_ (sing-a-long) section - which runs from "Wie Felsenabgrund mir zu Füssen" all the way to "Komm! **** dich zu höhern Sphären! - Blicket auf zum Retterblick, alle reuig Zarten"...
> 
> I never really understood why Mahler wanted a "_mitsingen_" in the 8th rather than either the 7th or the 9th where it would have been far more appropriate especially one that requires that the audience hit a high D, one full step above a high C, followed by a F above the high C when even Pavarotti had to cheat by using his falsetto voice to hit it and at the end it goes down to D, two octaves below middle C and the very next note, after holding this low D for several measures is an octave jump... How many average audience members have the range to even do that? Half? Two-thirds? Three-quarters? - Max - The 8th isn't exactly "The Sound of Music" which, for the record, is kind of a hoot as a sing-a-long and at 3 and a half hours it's about a third less time than Bernstein's version of the 8th with the LSO and Dame Janet Baker...


And this is Merl's reply -



Merl said:


> *I know, I just keep thinking that it's the only Mahler symphony I don't like but after around 40 years I still can't stomach it.* I even tried playing it continuously over an entire day. Still didn't work. I gave up on it many years ago but do try it again every few years (just to make sure). I'm gonna try Inbal' s 8th next week as its been a long time since I played it properly. I will report back
> 
> Lol


On second thought Merl should receive a second yellow card thus leading to a an automatic red card and his dismissal from the field of play or any thread in which Mahler's 8th is going to be mentioned...


----------



## wkasimer

NLAdriaan said:


> Just no pre-88 recordings, since Decca took over with Chailly's cycle and RCO Live released quite some Jansons and Gatti and even a very nice Haitink 4 on CD and a full cycle on DVD with various conductors (like Harding 1, Jansons 2/3/8 ,Fischer 4, Gatti 5, Boulez 7, Luisi DLVDE, Haitink 9 and Inbal 10). Ever tried Chailly's #8? It's pretty good.


Good suggestions, but I was limiting myself to recordings I've heard and have on the shelf.


----------



## NLAdriaan

^^
As I said before, Mahler 8 is best served live (assuming a professional crowd for the interpretation). If this doesn't do the job, move on and forget it.


----------



## CnC Bartok

Duncan, I have clicked the "like" button just to keep you happy.:angel::angel:


----------



## DavidA

OK just from the ones I have on my shelf. Not necessarily the best as we have to restrict ourselves to one conductor for each:

1. Kubelik / BRSO

2. Jurowski / LPO

3. Mehta / LAPO

4. Szell / Cleveland

5. Barbirolli / Philarmonia

6. Bernstein / VPO

7. Abaddo / BPO

8. Tennsedt / LPO

9. Karajan / BPO

DLVDE Klemperer / Philarmonia

10. Rattle / BSO


----------



## Merl

Duncan said:


> Especially in light of the fact that the Knorfmeister asked for "recommendations" rather than requesting that each selection represent one's favourite for that particular work... Casting completely warranted aspersions on our collective integrity - for shame... for shame...
> 
> Henceforth to be known as "Becca the Cynic" or perhaps "Becca the Contemptuous"...
> 
> She should receive a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct...
> 
> And so should Merl for incessant whingeing about Mahler's 8th -
> 
> So I spend like 10 maybe 15 minutes writing this reply to Merl which is virtually ignored by everyone except Becca the Cynic/Becca the Contemptuous who clicked the "Like" button - wait... make that "Becca the Ginger Beauty" - I don't get nearly enough likes to needlessly antagonize anyone... I worked really hard on that "mitsingen" concept and I'm still bitter over the lack of appreciation... but I digress...
> 
> This is my reply to Merl -
> 
> And this is Merl's reply -
> 
> On second thought Merl should receive a second yellow card thus leading to a an automatic red card and his dismissal from the field of play or any thread in which Mahler's 8th is going to be mentioned...


LOL, are you stalking me Duncan? You crack me up, man. Apologies, I do go on about it a bit (well a lot). Does my red card mean I'm suspended from this thread for its' entirety? :lol:


----------



## Duncan

Merl said:


> LOL, are you stalking me Duncan? You crack me up, man. Apologies, I do go on about it a bit (well a lot). Does my red card mean I'm suspended from this thread for its' entirety? :lol:


If it was up to me, Merl, you would receive that red card and an automatic suspension lasting from one to three threads... but it's not up to me - it's Knorf-by-Knorfwest's thread and thus we'll have to wait for a ruling from him... He'll probably go pretty light on the sentencing - he's taken the concept of equanimity and developed it into something approaching a true art form... I find this behaviour to be oddly disconcerting...


----------



## Allegro Con Brio

Well, this thread has certainly been great to guide my Mahler listening, even if I failed the compliance test! This Jurowski Mahler 2 that keeps being mentioned has piqued my interest; I’ve never even heard of it and was barely even aware of the conductor’s existence. Shall have to seek it out. 

BTW Duncan, I think you’re the most entertaining person on this forum:lol:


----------



## Duncan

Allegro Con Brio said:


> Well, this thread has certainly been great to guide my Mahler listening, even if I failed the compliance test! This Jurowski Mahler 2 that keeps being mentioned has piqued my interest; I've never even heard of it and was barely even aware of the conductor's existence. Shall have to seek it out.
> 
> *BTW Duncan, I think you're the most entertaining person on this forum*:lol:


That makes a grand total of *two* of us who think so! - :lol:


----------



## flamencosketches

Let's give it a shot...

No.1 - Halász/Polish National RSO/Naxos
No.2 - Klemperer/Philharmonia/EMI
No.3 - Haitink/RCO/Philips
No.4 - Reiner/Chicago/RCA
No.5 - Barshai/Junge Deutsche Philharmonie/Brilliant
No.6 - Mitropoulos/New York/Archipel
No.7 - Abbado/Berlin/DG
No.8 - Tennstedt/London Philharmonic/LPO Live
Das Lied - Walter/Ferrier/Patzak/Vienna/Decca
No.9 - Ancerl/Czech Philharmonic/Supraphon
No.10 - Dausgaard/Seattle/Seattle Symphony Media

Not so bad, eh?


----------



## Becca

Duncan said:


> That makes a grand total of *two* of us who think so! - :lol:


2.5 ... I'm still undecided


----------



## NLAdriaan

Allegro Con Brio said:


> ...This Jurowski Mahler 2 that keeps being mentioned has piqued my interest; I've never even heard of it and was barely even aware of the conductor's existence. Shall have to seek it out...


Vladimir Jurowski is the third generation of Jurowski's with a professional music career. He has been Chief of the LPO for quite some time and is also Chief at RSO Berlin and from 2021 also of the Bavarian State Opera. He is a very focused and educated conductor with an interesting view on composers. I heard him conduct the RCO last year in Jeux by Debussy, Messiaen's Oiseaux exotiques, the pianoconcerto by Birtwistle and La Valse by Ravel. Already a great program and he made an event of it. Afterwards there was a meet up and we managed to talk with him briefly. A very interesting person. His Mahler recordings with the LPO are great and the 2nd is quite famous. Of course it also helps that he recorded it on the orchestra's private label, which helps to reach level 3 compliance I am actually surprised by the many listings of this recording in this thread, as it is of a relatively recent date.

Pls go listen to him, he is worth your time!


----------



## Knorf

Duncan said:


> If it was up to me, Merl, you would receive that red card and an automatic suspension lasting from one to three threads... but it's not up to me - it's Knorf-by-Knorfwest's thread and thus we'll have to wait for a ruling from him... He'll probably go pretty light on the sentencing - he's taken the concept of equanimity and developed it into something approaching a true art form... I find this behaviour to be oddly disconcerting...


Official ruling: no infraction.

Please proceed.


----------



## DavidA

NLAdriaan said:


> Vladimir Jurowski is the third generation of Jurowski's with a professional music career. He has been Chief of the LPO for quite some time and is also Chief at RSO Berlin and from 2021 also of the Bavarian State Opera. He is a very focused and educated conductor with an interesting view on composers. I heard him conduct the RCO last year in Jeux by Debussy, Messiaen's Oiseaux exotiques, the pianoconcerto by Birtwistle and La Valse by Ravel. Already a great program and he made an event of it. Afterwards there was a meet up and we managed to talk with him briefly. A very interesting person. His Mahler recordings with the LPO are great and the 2nd is quite famous. Of course it also helps that he recorded it on the orchestra's private label, which helps to reach level 3 compliance I am actually surprised by the many listings of this recording in this thread, as it is of a relatively recent date.
> 
> Pls go listen to him, he is worth your time!


The Mahler 2 is terrific. Best out there imo


----------



## Merl

Allegro Con Brio said:


> BTW Duncan, I think you're the most entertaining person on this forum:lol:


Pah, the man's a total charlatan. I'm defriending him.


----------



## flamencosketches

Thanks to this thread Jurowski and that recording of Mahler 2 is now on my radar. But I do have this to ask: does Jurowski's recording beat Tennstedt's with the same orchestra on the same label? Because that recording is amazing.










or


----------



## Duncan

Knorf said:


> Official ruling: no infraction.
> 
> Please proceed.


No infraction for incessant whingeing about Mahler's 8th?!

Non-stop post after post thread after thread day after day week after week month after month year after year decade after decade incessant whingeing about Mahler's 8th?!

Apparently this thread is now under the jurisdiction of the Australian No-Rules Football League...

Hold on... let's check something out, eh?...

Well, well, well... Look who's on the centre referee's "Friends List"... None other than "Merl the Incessant Whinger" himself...

*J'Accuse…!
*
The Canadian side will continue to play - under protest.

Please proceed...


----------



## Knorf

Duncan, that's a yellow card for dissent.


----------



## Duncan

Knorf said:


> Duncan, that's a yellow card for dissent.


Duncan was just about to reply to this egregiously unfair infraction with a colourful array of both Anglo-Saxon and French-Canadian obscenities that would have drawn him a second yellow card, an automatic red card, a season-long suspension, and an actual ban for the forum itself until his teammates wisely pulled him away and hustled him off to the sidelines and into the locker room which he is now trashing in a wild-eyed rage...

Signed...

Duncan's wife...


----------



## NLAdriaan

flamencosketches said:


> Thanks to this thread Jurowski and that recording of Mahler 2 is now on my radar. But I do have this to ask: does Jurowski's recording beat Tennstedt's with the same orchestra on the same label? Because that recording is amazing.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> or


In between the Kindergarten postings, let me stay on-topic. I think you get the answer as soon as you listen to both. I think the difference in style between these two Mahler conductors is quite huge. Even more interesting, as it concerns the same orchestra. However, there are 20+ years in between. You might call it a sign of the times, when comparing these two conducting styles. Tennstedt representing the end of an era and a relatively young Jurowski in the middle of a new Mahler era. Haitink actually developed from one to the other on his own.


----------



## Marc

Allright then.

1 Florida Philharmonic Orchestra - James Judd
2 Budapest Festival Orchestra et al - Lisa Milne, Birgit Remmert, Iván Fischer
3 Concertgebouw Orkest et al - Maureen Forrester, Bernard Haitink
4 Radio Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt - Helen Donath, Eliahu Inbal
5 Junge Deutsche Philharmonie - Rudolf Barshai
6 New Philharmonia Orchestra - John Barbirolli
7 Chicago Symphony Orchetra - Claudio Abbado
8 Boston Symphony Orchestra et al - Seji Ozawa
Das Lied von der Erde - Christa Ludwig, René Kollo, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
9 London Symphony Orchestra - Georg Solti
10 Radio-Sinfonie Orchester Berlin - Riccardo Chailly

Main victims  - Bernstein and Wiener Phil (no. 5), Klemperer/Ludwig/Wunderluch/New Philharmonia (Das Lied). The first because that's always a struggle for me, the latter because of the orchestra.


----------



## Knorf

Catching up with you obsessed Mahlerians, yet again!

Current states of compliance:

Non-compliant: Allegro con brio, david johnson
Level-1: DavidA
Level-2: Becca, Chris Hewitt, D Smith, Granate, Kiki, Marc, MrMeatScience
Level-3: CnC Bartok, Duncan, flamencosketches, Merl, NLAdriaan, Simplicissimus, wkasimer

What I enjoy about games like this, is that it forces one out of the same, more-or-less-boring usual favorites list, and inspires mentions of some very worthy and sometimes unexpected alternatives. Seriously, I've gotten more ideas for Mahler recordings to investigate from this thread than from innumerable "favorite Mahler recordings" threads. It also helps reveal what a chimera "best recording" is, in repertoire like this that has done so well in recordings.

But I'm still astounded at the variety. I'm old enough to remember not when there were no cycles, but certainly when there were very few, and it seemed like hardly anyone knew much about Mahler beyond symphonies 1, 2, 4 and 5, or _Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen_. I guess I already said that. But, still! Look how much Mahler we have!


----------



## NLAdriaan

Knorf said:


> Catching up with you obsessed Mahlerians, yet again!
> 
> Current states of compliance:
> 
> Non-compliant: Allegro con brio, david johnson
> Level-1: DavidA
> Level-2: Becca, Chris Hewitt, D Smith, Granate, Kiki, Marc, MrMeatScience
> Level-3: CnC Bartok, Duncan, flamencosketches, Merl, NLAdriaan, Simplicissimus, wkasimer
> 
> What I enjoy about games like this, is that it forces one out of the same, more-or-less-boring usual favorites list, and inspires mentions of some very worthy and sometimes unexpected alternatives. Seriously, I've gotten more ideas for Mahler recordings to investigate from this thread than from innumerable "favorite Mahler recordings" threads. It also helps reveal what a chimera "best recording" is, in repertoire like this that has done so well in recordings.
> 
> But I'm still astounded at the variety. I'm old enough to remember not when there were no cycles, but certainly when there were very few, and it seemed like hardly anyone knew much about Mahler beyond symphonies 1, 2, 4 and 5, or _Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen_. I guess I already said that. But, still! Look how much Mahler we have!


Agree, it looks like Mahler is still moving up in the Symphonic charts. Also, each conductor, each orchestra and each record label builds a Mahler-legacy. The specialists easily record their favorites multiple times. As a cycle, it might well be that Mahler is the most popular symphonic composer nowadays. Who knows Beethoven 1, 2, 4 or 8, Bruckner 0, 1 or 2, and who knows Dvorak 1-7 or Shostakovich 1-3, 6, 9, 11, 12. Of course, many here will, but in a bigger population? Anyhow, it is great that we can hear so much of his music and to anyone here I would like to say: once the concert halls are open again, go and listen to Mahler's work live when you can. It is an event, even if it is a student's orchestra. And the musicians will be as nervous as anyone, as you can't play this music on autopilot.


----------



## Duncan

Sketches - Here's a review of Jurowski's Mahler 2 which appeared on Music Web -

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/Aug11/mahler2_jurowski_LPO004.htm

"There's much that's positive about this performance and the singing, playing and recorded sound are all very good. However, Jurowski's approach is a bit too wilful at times for my taste and, in the last analysis, the catalogue contains quite a number of other versions of this symphony that have stronger claims on the attentions of collectors than this one."

And here's the review of Tennstedt's Mahler 2 which also appeared on Music Web -

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2010/May10/Mahler2_LPO0044.htm

"If you want a "safe" library choice for Mahler's Second Symphony you should look elsewhere, for this is highly personal... This, then, was Tennstedt working in a white-hot interpretative crucible. The recording will be self-recommending to all admirers of this great conductor. It certainly puts his EMI recording in the shade and I suggest that, even though it's a one-off, it's probably a fairer representation of Tennstedt in this symphony than was his studio traversal, which sounds more inhibited by comparison. Even Mahlerians who are not Tennstedt admirers should try to hear this remarkably odyssey. They may not agree with everything they hear - indeed, I'm sure they won't - but I hope they'll still be stimulated afresh in their overall appreciation of Mahler's most theatrical symphony, as I was, by experiencing Tennstedt's remarkable vision."

I genuinely enjoy Music Web's critiques - I know that Becca the Contemptuous will be championing David Hurwitz and Classics Today to an extent which will vary from "tiresome" to "tedious"... Merl, do me a favour, eh? - Send me a PM when Becca stops yakking about Hurwitz so that I can return to the thread - thanks!


----------



## Duncan

Deleted post - wrong thread... 

Note to self - try looking up every once in a while to see which thread you're actually on... sigh...


----------



## flamencosketches

flamencosketches said:


> Let's give it a shot...
> 
> No.1 - Halász/Polish National RSO/Naxos
> No.2 - Klemperer/Philharmonia/EMI
> No.3 - Haitink/RCO/Philips
> No.4 - Reiner/Chicago/RCA
> No.5 - Barshai/Junge Deutsche Philharmonie/Brilliant
> No.6 - Mitropoulos/New York/Archipel
> No.7 - Abbado/Berlin/DG
> No.8 - Tennstedt/London Philharmonic/LPO Live
> Das Lied - Walter/Ferrier/Patzak/Vienna/Decca
> No.9 - Ancerl/Czech Philharmonic/Supraphon
> No.10 - Dausgaard/Seattle/Seattle Symphony Media
> 
> Not so bad, eh?


I thought of a way better No.1: Kubelik/Bavarian RSO/Audite


----------



## flamencosketches

Anyway, thanks for the feedback, Duncan and Adriaan. I'm going to be thoroughly sampling both LPO recordings and will likely buy one or the other (like I need another Resurrection!—but being that I don't have any live, concert recordings of that great symphony, I think I do!)—if not both. Tennstedt is a conductor whom I admire, but I know few of his recordings; Jurowski, as I alluded to, is barely on my radar at all and only because of this thread (and because I would occasionally see his name on those LPO Live album covers while browsing). 

@Adriaan, I would love for you to expound on this "new-school Mahler", and in what ways you think latter-day Haitink fits into it.


----------



## CnC Bartok

These would be an ever-changing top three on each, where there are four, the one I chose was up-and-coming in my estimation, being a newish acquisition.

1 Hungarian State O/Ivan Fischer/Hungaroton; Kubelik/BRSO/DGG; Solti/LSO
2 London PO/Marek Janowski/LPO own Label. Klemperer/Phillharmonia/EMI; Rattle/CBSO/EMI; Mehta/Vienna PO/Decca (plus an unjustifiable soft spot for Kaplan's first record)
3 Chicago SO/James Levine/RCA. Horenstein/LSO/Unicorn; Haitink/Concertgebouw/Philips
4 Dusseldorf SO/Adam Fischer/C-Avi. Maazel/Vienna PO/Sony, Kubelik/BRSO/DGG, Szell/Cleveland/CBS
5 SWR SO/Michael Gielen/SWR Classics; Barbirolli/New Phillharmonia/EMI; Chailly/Concertgebouw/Decca
6 Cleveland O/George Szell/CBS, Boulez/Vienna PO/DGG, toss up between two controversial ones, Barbirolli or Karajan!
7 Czech PO/Vaclav Neumann/Supraphon, Abbado/Chicago SO/DGG, Gielen/SWR SO/SWR
8 CBSO/Simon Rattle/EMI; Solti/Chicago SO/Decca, Gielen/Frankfurt Opera/Sony
9 London SO/Georg Solti/Decca; Ancerl/Czech PO/Supraphon; Karajan/Berlin PO (studio)
DLvdE Bavarian Radio SO/Rafael Kubelik. Concertgebouw/Haitink/Philips, Vienna PO/Bernstein/Decca
10 New Phillharmonia O/Wyn Morris/Philips, Bournemouth SO/Rattle/EMI, Polish NRSO/Olsen/Naxos


----------



## flamencosketches

I'm sorry to spiral this thread further off the rails, but in doing a bit of side-by-side comparison between Tennstedt and Jurowski, I notice that the latter seems to have a lot more presence and clarity, as well as being mixed louder, maybe overall more high energy, where the Tennstedt seems to be a bit more recessed, but seems to focus a lot on big, dramatic dynamic contrasts. Jurowski strikes me as altogether much faster. The brass chorale in the Urlicht of the Tennstedt is one of the best I've ever heard. One odd thing I noticed about the Jurowski: the decay of the tam-tams at the end of the scherzo seem to ring out well into the Urlicht. They are still audible when the soloist begins with her "O Röschen roth!"—I don't think I have heard anything like it in any other recording. I can't decide. Both sound awesome. 

I'll shut up about this now...


----------



## DavidA

Duncan said:


> NL, for the sake of fairness and truth in advertising you should have prefaced your comment with the statement -
> 
> "Duncan found my posting style so offensive that he actually "defriended" me" months ago...
> 
> Now, let's really get back on topic, eh?
> 
> Sketches - Here's a review of Jurowski's Mahler 2 which appeared on Music Web -
> 
> http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/Aug11/mahler2_jurowski_LPO004.htm
> 
> "There's much that's positive about this performance and the singing, playing and recorded sound are all very good. However, Jurowski's approach is a bit too wilful at times for my taste and, in the last analysis, the catalogue contains quite a number of other versions of this symphony that have stronger claims on the attentions of collectors than this one."
> 
> And here's the review of Tennstedt's Mahler 2 which also appeared on Music Web -
> 
> http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2010/May10/Mahler2_LPO0044.htm
> 
> "If you want a "safe" library choice for Mahler's Second Symphony you should look elsewhere, for this is highly personal... This, then, was Tennstedt working in a white-hot interpretative crucible. The recording will be self-recommending to all admirers of this great conductor. It certainly puts his EMI recording in the shade and I suggest that, even though it's a one-off, it's probably a fairer representation of Tennstedt in this symphony than was his studio traversal, which sounds more inhibited by comparison. Even Mahlerians who are not Tennstedt admirers should try to hear this remarkably odyssey. They may not agree with everything they hear - indeed, I'm sure they won't - but I hope they'll still be stimulated afresh in their overall appreciation of Mahler's most theatrical symphony, as I was, by experiencing Tennstedt's remarkable vision."
> 
> I genuinely enjoy Music Web's critiques - I know that Becca the Contemptuous will be championing David Hurwitz and Classics Today to an extent which will vary from "tiresome" to "tedious"... Merl, do me a favour, eh? - Send me a PM when Becca stops yakking about Hurwitz so that I can return to the thread - thanks!


Having read the review of Jurowski's performance I say I heartily disagree. It really is very good. Tremendously exciting. Of course Mahler is so subjective that you can almost have what you want!


----------



## Duncan

DavidA said:


> Having read the review of Jurowski's performance I say I heartily disagree. It really is very good. Tremendously exciting. Of course Mahler is so subjective that you can almost have what you want!


Totally agree... I wanted to add the Gramophone review but I had to access the article from a server that wasn't located in Canada -

I can't provide the link but here it is in its totality -

*Mahler Symphony No 2

Finally a Resurrection to prompt superlatives*

"A performance of revelations, big and small, and easily the most illuminating to have appeared on disc in a very long time. Jurowski wipes the floor with the recent Rattle and Jansons accounts and is probably now the prime recommendation, the "library" choice, that has for so long eluded us. And I include the excellent Ivan Fischer account on Channel Classics in that assesment. I was present at this live performance, what was a momentous evening at the Royal Festival Hall in September 2009 but wondered how it might translate to disc in the cool light of day. So often musical occasions writ large in one's memory achieve optimum impact only in the moment of performance and pale on reproduction and repetition. Not so, this Resurrection.

The really big factor here is Jurowski's command of Mahler's very particular and very dramatic way with rubato and the shock of newness that comes from those explicit extremes. The urgency of the opening Allegro maestoso (the emphasis, unlike Rattle, on the allegro) is strikingly underlined with the premature arrival of the lyric second subject where Jurowski's emphasis on the agitated bass-line has an edge-of-seat disquiet. When the music does settle - the balmy second subject now shyly reappearing - the effect is doubly magical. Weight in Jurowski's reading does not necessarily mean sheer heft but rather the breadth of those big expansive ritenutos and tenutos. Rarely have I heard the wild neurotic contrasts in this music more scrupulously and uncompromisingly realised: emphatic marcatos, wild accelerandos so sudden and unexpected that you reach for the score for confirmation and then wonder why so many conductors downplay or simply ignore them.

So many moments in this first movement sound renewed: the grisly tread of string basses marking the approach to the climax of the development; the electrifying col legno passage, like the beating wings of the angel of death, so deliberate as to accentuate the sudden rush to the precipice (note: no ritardando) and the terrifying reiteration of that ugly stack of notes marking the point of no return. Then that beautiful passage in portamento-festooned strings demonstrating just how far the LPO have come under Jurowski's directorship.

A strange distracted elegance marks the second movement, with the restless string ostinato and especially the entry of the string basses serving to remind us that this is no mere diversion but rather an ironic variant, the flip-side, if you like, of the first movement. The pizzicato return has a sinister charm, a deliberation, which suggests a different kind of march - the elfin variety. And that ironic rusticity proceeds in the vividly projected third movement with its quirky country dance in fiddle and flute, and delicious Trio in close-harmony trumpets. The climaxes again romp forwards with precipitous abandon while the soft, still, maternal voice of Christianne Stotijn seems to emerge supernaturally from the final tam-tam stroke.

The finale is tremendous and highly theatrical, with spatial effects beautifully managed in a hall not noted for its accommodation of acoustical special effects. The anticipation of the silence before the brass chorale deliver the Dies irae is heart-stopping, as is the hair-raising climax setting the offstage band on a collision course with the orchestra. You might quibble that the soprano soloist, Adriana Ku∂erová, is set too close for that magical separation from the chorus but the whole final paragraph is thrilling, with Mahler's returning Resurrection hymn phrased with urgency and uplift. You may think you know how Mahler's Second Symphony goes. Think again."


----------



## CnC Bartok

flamencosketches said:


> I'm sorry to spiral this thread further off the rails, but in doing a bit of side-by-side comparison between Tennstedt and Jurowski, I notice that the latter seems to have a lot more presence and clarity, as well as being mixed louder, maybe overall more high energy, where the Tennstedt seems to be a bit more recessed, but seems to focus a lot on big, dramatic dynamic contrasts. Jurowski strikes me as altogether much faster. The brass chorale in the Urlicht of the Tennstedt is one of the best I've ever heard. One odd thing I noticed about the Jurowski: the decay of the tam-tams at the end of the scherzo seem to ring out well into the Urlicht. They are still audible when the soloist begins with her "O Röschen roth!"-I don't think I have heard anything like it in any other recording. I can't decide. Both sound awesome.
> 
> I'll shut up about this now...


Please don't! ......


----------



## Duncan

Both the Janowski and Tennstedt were never less than interesting but neither would be able to crack my personal top 5 

1.) Bruno Walter/ New York Philharmonic

2.) Rafael Kubelík/ Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra/ DG

3.) Otto Klemperer/ Philharmonia Orchestra/ EMI

4.) Sir Georg Solti/ London Symphony Orchestra/ Decca

5.) Sir John Barbirolli/ Berlin Philharmonic/ Testament


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## CnC Bartok

^^^^ The potatoe chap, you mean?


----------



## Duncan

These are a series of highly recommended Mahler symphony threads created by DavidA which appear in the "Orchestral Music" section of the forum -

https://www.talkclassical.com/58896-mahler-symphonies-no-1-a.html?highlight=

https://www.talkclassical.com/58983-mahler-symphony-2-a.html?highlight=

https://www.talkclassical.com/59125-mahler-symphony-3-a.html?highlight=

https://www.talkclassical.com/59185-mahler-symphony-no-4-a.html?highlight=

https://www.talkclassical.com/59260-mahler-symphony-5-a.html?highlight=

https://www.talkclassical.com/59293-mahler-symphony-no-6-a.html?highlight=

https://www.talkclassical.com/59343-mahler-symphony-no-7-a.html?highlight=

https://www.talkclassical.com/59353-mahler-symphony-8-a.html?highlight=

https://www.talkclassical.com/57601-mahler-das-lied-von.html?highlight=

https://www.talkclassical.com/59356-mahler-symphony-no-9-a.html?highlight=

https://www.talkclassical.com/59420-mahler-symphony-no-10-a.html?highlight=


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## NLAdriaan

CnC Bartok said:


> 2 London PO/Marek Janowski/LPO own Label.





> Both the Janowski and Tennstedt...


From ....owski on it goes fine, But Marek Jan.. and Vladimir Jur.. are two of a different kind.


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## CnC Bartok

NLAdriaan said:


> From ....owski on it goes fine, But Marek Jan.. and Vladimir Jur.. are two of a different kind.


Fair enough, got it right first time around, though......:tiphat:


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## NLAdriaan

flamencosketches said:


> @Adriaan, I would love for you to expound on this "new-school Mahler", and in what ways you think latter-day Haitink fits into it.


Because you insist:

After 4 decades of listening to many Mahlers, starting in my teens, I noticed that my taste developed. Where early on a Mahler concert would be a dramatic romantic rollercoaster, just what a teenager would need , and dramatizing Mahler's life-events to even add to that drama, a Mahler symphony would be a almost unbearable event. But hey, this is what it should be! Some dramatic highlights include Mahler 9, which is an easy victim for anyone who believes that music is a composer's diary. The last Christmas concert (1987) of Haitink after he was unwillingly asked to leave the RCO, he conducted Mahler 9 as his own diary. And, oh how appropriate, his baton fell to the floor after the last note, it was televised internationally. This was musical drama at its best (or worst). A few years earlier (1985), I attended Bernstein's Mahler 9 in the same Concertgebouw (the one which was live recorded for DG) and as Bernstein was an extravert dramatic compared to Haitink, he didn't need personal drama to add to the music. He just did.

In the meantime, Chailly already started to clarify Mahler's music and Boulez even more so. With all this dramatic thick layers of varnish removed, Mahler's music sounded new and fresh and it became clear that Mahler actually was much more of a modernist.

In recent years, I listened to Haitink when we would be in Amsterdam. In June of 2018, I listened to Haitink conducting Mahler 9 with the RCO. Haitink gradually developed to a wise old man who still is at the top of his game. And the difference could not have been greater with this very symphony on this very podium with his former orchestra. Haitink displayed a transparency and a Mount Everest view into Mahler 9, but he kept his unparalleled grip to the music, one tension arc. Strangely enough, his baton didn't fall, but during the ovational applause Haitink himself fell to the ground when walking his way through the orchestra and was lying there for a while. It was terrifying as we all thought this might just be the end of him. Luckily he recovered, but likely it has helped him deciding on his retirement last year. This time however, the drama was not part of the music, on the contrary. We just watched one of the most modern interpretations of Mahler 9.

So, I think that Jurowski and Tennstedt represent the new vs the old approach towards Mahler. And likely the reviewer on Musicweb prefers the old. The reviewer of Gramophone might as well prefer the UK over the rest of the world, as this magazine all too often does

It does take some effort to appreciate the 'new' if you are used to the dramatic rollercoaster experience. It might sound a bit clean and cold at first, especially if you are comparing two such opposite recordings. The good thing with Haitink is that he gives you the best of both worlds in his recordings of this century. You might try Haitink's recordings from Dresden, Munich or Amsterdam, Mahler as well as Bruckner. But even his Mahler recordings with the BPO for Philips (incomplete cycle, soon after he left the RCO), already show a development for the better. In fact, Haitink's first Mahler cycle with the RCO for Philips is not really his best.

I hope this clarifies my ideas:tiphat:


----------



## flamencosketches

I ended up ordering the Tennstedt/LPO Live because an eBay seller offered me a great deal on it, and am excited to explore it. But moreover I am still planning on also getting my hands on the Jurowski just because of how great it sounded. After that, no more Mahler 2nds for me. 6 is quite enough


----------



## Merl

NLAdriaan said:


> It does take some effort to appreciate the 'new' if you are used to the dramatic rollercoaster experience. It might sound a bit clean and cold at first, especially if you are comparing two such opposite recordings. The good thing with Haitink is that he gives you the best of both worlds in his recordings of this century. You might try Haitink's recordings from Dresden, Munich or Amsterdam, Mahler as well as Bruckner. But even his Mahler recordings with the BPO for Philips (incomplete cycle, soon after he left the RCO), already show a development for the better. In fact, Haitink's first Mahler cycle with the RCO for Philips is not really his best.
> 
> I hope this clarifies my ideas:tiphat:


I much prefer newer Haitink Mahler to the older stuff. It's cleaner, uncluttered and seems to have greater focus but Haitink is a conductor who seems to have matured with age and looked back on his older recordings, then revised his ideas. I like when a conductor does that.


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## Knorf

Merl said:


> I much prefer newer Haitink Mahler to the older stuff. It's cleaner, uncluttered and seems to have greater focus but Haitink is a conductor who seems to have matured with age and looked back on his older recordings, then revised his ideas. I like when a conductor does that.


I quite agree with this. Haitink's recent work for me is his best. I used to think, with a few exceptions, that Haitink was solid but a bit dull. Shostakovich being the main exception. But now I definitely regard him as one of the best conductors alive. Well, except, he's retired now. You know what I mean. If he is healthy, I hope he comes out of retirement occasionally, but he is 91.


----------



## flamencosketches

I ought to check out some recent Haitink/Mahler... I've heard his 3rd with the Bavarian RSO is a killer.


----------



## Granate

flamencosketches said:


> I ought to check out some recent Haitink/Mahler... I've heard his 3rd with the Bavarian RSO is a killer.


*Raises the hand*

If we are talking about very modern Mahler recordings, this would be my pick cycle, without any game.

No.1 Jansons SOdBR
No.2 Gatti RCO
No.3 Haitink SOdBR
No.4 Jurowski LPO
No.5 Jansons SOdBR ??
No.6 Currentzis MA ??
No.7 ??
No.8 ??
No.9 Nott Bamberger
No.10 Dausgaard Seattle
DLVDE YNS LPO ??

And the Haitink 4 and 9th in the Bavarian Radio (available in the portrait Box along a superb Missa Solemnis) are also really good.


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## MrMeatScience

flamencosketches said:


> I ought to check out some recent Haitink/Mahler... I've heard his 3rd with the Bavarian RSO is a killer.


As soon as I heard it, it shot up to the top of my Mahler 3 heap. He really nails it. Are there other particularly exceptional recent Haitink Mahler recordings?


----------



## Granate

MrMeatScience said:


> As soon as I heard it, it shot up to the top of my Mahler 3 heap. He really nails it. Are there other particularly exceptional recent Haitink Mahler recordings?





Granate said:


> My most recommended modern Mahler composite cycle is on Sale in Amazon Spain. I think I shouldn't buy it because I already have the best Mahler 3 and all the others are just recommendable for their superb SQ.
> 
> *20€ plus delivery. Be fast.*


Look!...............


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## Knorf

The Bavarian set with various conductors is on sale at jpc.de:
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/sinfonien-1-9/hnum/8160092
€27.99


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## NLAdriaan

Granate said:


> *Raises the hand*
> 
> If we are talking about very modern Mahler recordings, this would be my pick cycle, without any game.
> 
> No.1 Jansons SOdBR
> No.2 Gatti RCO
> No.3 Haitink SOdBR
> No.4 Jurowski LPO
> No.5 Jansons SOdBR ??
> No.6 Currentzis MA ??
> No.7 ??
> No.8 ??
> No.9 Nott Bamberger
> No.10 Dausgaard Seattle
> DLVDE YNS LPO ??
> 
> And the Haitink 4 and 9th in the Bavarian Radio (available in the portrait Box along a superb Missa Solemnis) are also really good.


Great idea, I am really glad that you add Gatti's RCO 2, which is a real gem.

As a suggestion, may I recommend Francois-Xavier Roth's recording of 1 (incl Blumine) with his own orchestra Les Siecles and 5 with the Gurzenich-Koln-Orchestra? You may get that I am not that much of a fan of the last Jansons recordings (a decade earlier with the RCO he recorded some pretty good Mahlers, but he didn't develop new ideas and became a bit dull in the end IMHO).

For 7 and 8, there are highly praised new recordings by Chailly (7 with Leipzig and 8 with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, of his inaugural concert). These are unfortunately only obtainable on DVD/BD (Accentus).

It would also be nice if K. Petrenko's Mahler 6 with the BPO would be released, you can watch it in the BPO Digital Concert Hall.


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## Merl

NLAdriaan said:


> For 7 and 8, there are highly praised new recordings by Chailly (7 with Leipzig and 8 with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, of his inaugural concert). These are unfortunately only obtainable on DVD/BD (Accentus).


Recommended wholeheartedly here too. Good call NLA. For modern mahler, some other ideas.....

Inbal's Tokyo latest 7th on Exton is an absolute killer (the whole cycle is terrific, IMO). 
Stenz's Melbourne live 5th 
Janson's BRSO recordngs
Nezet-Seguin (a cracking #1)
Adam Fischer (interesting performances but #3 especially)
Nott (underrated cycle) 
Honeck (#1 & #4 in particular are outstanding but they are all at least good) 
Lintu (#1)

A shout out for some of Kobayashi's Mahler too but that's a little bit older.


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## realdealblues

They are all favorites as well.

Symphony 1 - Kubelik/Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra/Audite
Symphony 2 - Klemperer/Philharmonia Orchestra/EMI
Symphony 3 - Bernstein/New York Philharmonic/Sony
Symphony 4 - Honeck/Pittsburgh Symphony/Exton
Symphony 5 - Paray/Detroit Symphony/Tahra
Symphony 6 - Sanderling/St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra/Real Sound
Symphony 7 - Gielen/SWR Symphony Orchestra/Hannsler
Symphony 8 - Wit/Warsaw National Orchestra/Naxos
Symphony 9 - Karajan/Berlin Philharmonic/DG
Symphony 10 - Barshai/Junge Deutsche Philharmonie/Brilliant Classics
Das Lied Von Der Erde - Haitink/Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/Philips


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## realdealblues

Merl said:


> LOL, are you stalking me Duncan? You crack me up, man. Apologies, I do go on about it a bit (well a lot). Does my red card mean I'm suspended from this thread for its' entirety? :lol:


I did send Merl a version of Mahler's 8th he hasn't heard which he promised to listen too...right Merl  Hopefully he will finally find a little enjoyment in it :lol:


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## Knorf

Here is your thread referee, again catching up with you obsessed Mahlerians!

Current states of compliance:

Non-compliant: Allegro con brio, david johnson
Level-1: DavidA
Level-2: Becca, Chris Hewitt, D Smith, Granate, Kiki, Marc, MrMeatScience
Level-3: CnC Bartok, Duncan, flamencosketches, Knorf, Merl, NLAdriaan, realdealblues, Simplicissimus, wkasimer


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## perdido34

Going for Level 3

1: MTT San Francisco (SFSO Media)
2: Tennstedt LPO (LPO Live label)
3: Haitink RCO from Kerstmatinees set (Philips)
4: Battle Maazel Vienna (Sony)
5: Solti CSO (the first one, despite the multi-miking) Decca
6: Zander (Telarc)
7: Rattle Vienna (EMI)
8: Jansons RCOA (RCO Live)
9: Gilbert Stockholm (BIS)
10: Cooke Version: Wigglesworth BBC; (BBC Music)
Das Lied: Baker, Lewis, Szell/Cleveland (the orchestra released this in a commemorative set)


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## CnC Bartok

^^^ you'll be told off for that! Concertgebouw twice, Vienna Phil. twice. Then again, if you go for Rattle's Birmingham recording of No.7 ( the only one I know of) that's one issue surmounted! I think that's one of his weaker Mahler recordings, for what it's worth.

The Zander is with the Phillharmonia, btw.


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## perdido34

^^^
Oh well, I tried. The Rattle/Vienna M7 has personal meaning for me because this is a live recording from the 1990 Mahler Festival in Amsterdam, and I was in the hall for the concert. First time hearing the VPO, first time in the Concertgebouw.


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## CnC Bartok

^^^ Is that Rattle recording available, then?


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## perdido34

CnC Bartok said:


> ^^^ Is that Rattle recording available, then?


Sadly, not any more. It was issued on EMI, I believe.


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## JoeC

My favorite individual recordings of each symphony:

#1 - Tennstedt/Chicago Symphony
#2 - Bernstein/New York Philharmonic (Sony)
#3 - Tennstedt/London Philharmonic
#4 - Maazel/Vienna Philharmonic
#5 - Haitink/Berlin Philharmonic
#6 - Abbado/Berlin Philharmonic
#7 - Abbado/Chicago Symphony
#8 - Tennstedt/London Philharmonic
#9 - Bernstein/Amsterdam Concertgebouw
#10 (Adagio only) - Sinopoli/Philharmonia
#10 - Rattle/Berlin Philharmonic
Das Lied von der Erde - Klemperer/Philharmonia

Integral cycles are always a mixed bag, but which do I like best? Thomas/San Francisco Symphony 

Here is another fun list: Which Mahler live performances were the favorites?

#1 - Muti/Chicago Symphony
#2 - Haitink/London Philharmonic
#3 - Ashkenazy/Berlin Radio Symphony
#4 - Nezet-Seguin/Philadelphia Orchestra
#5 - Jansons/Vienna Philharmonic
#6 - Abbado/Berlin Philharmonic (this was one of the live performance recorded by DG)
#7 - Chailly/Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra
#8 - Thomas/San Francisco Symphony (I think this was also one the performances that was recorded)
#9 - Tie: Abbado/Berlin Philharmonic (not the live performance from the DG recording in Berlin, but a performance given on tour in Chicago Orchestra Hall) and Tennstedt/Philadelphia Orchestra


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## DarkAngel

Merl said:


> Recommended wholeheartedly here too. Good call NLA. For modern mahler, some other ideas.....
> 
> *Inbal's Tokyo latest 7th on Exton is an absolute killer* (the whole cycle is terrific, IMO).
> Stenz's Melbourne live 5th
> Janson's BRSO recordngs
> Nezet-Seguin (a cracking #1)
> Adam Fischer (interesting performances but #3 especially)
> Nott (underrated cycle)
> Honeck (#1 & #4 in particular are outstanding but they are all at least good)
> Lintu (#1)
> 
> A shout out for some of Kobayashi's Mahler too but that's a little bit older.
> 
> View attachment 137557


Thanks for heads up Merl, I have my music listening project for this weekend since Tidal streaming has most of the newer Inbal Tokyo series available........back in the 1980s I quite liked the Inbal Frankfort series on old Denon label


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## Allegro Con Brio

Alright, now that I’ve done a great deal of Mahler listening since I posted on this thread, I feel like I can now meet the challenge satisfactorily!

No. 1: Walter/NYPO 
No. 2: Barbirolli/Stuttgart RSO
No. 3: Kubelík/BRSO
No. 4: Mengelberg/RCO
No. 5: Barshai/Junge Deutsche Philharmonie
No. 6: Bernstein/VPO
No. 7: Abbado/CSO
No. 8: Horenstein/LSO
DLVDE: Klemperer/Philharmonia
No. 9: Ančerl/Czech Philharmonic
No. 10: Dausgaard/Seattle

This will of course probably change soon once I discover more top-notch performances (Mahler listening has become a near-addiction for me now), but I would be more than satisfied with this cycle on a desert island.


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## Knorf

Here is your thread referee, once again catching up with you obsessed Mahlerians!

Current states of compliance:

Non-compliant: david johnson, JoeC,
Level-1: DavidA, perdido34
Level-2: Allegro con brio, Becca, Chris Hewitt, D Smith, Granate, Kiki, Marc, MrMeatScience
Level-3: CnC Bartok, Duncan, flamencosketches, Knorf, Merl, NLAdriaan, realdealblues, Simplicissimus, wkasimer


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## BoHed

Here is a contribution from Sweden:

1: Rafael Kubelik & Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks/ Audite
2: Claudio Abbado, Chicago Symphony Orchestra / DG
3: Jascha Horenstein & London Symphony Orchestra/ Unicorn
4: Michael Tilson Thomas, San Francisco Symphony / SFSO Media
5: Frank Shipway, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Membran
6: Mariss Jansons, London Symphony Orchestra / LSO Live
7: Hans Zender, Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra / CPO
8: Seiji Ozawa, Boston Symphony Orchestra / Philips
Das Lied von der Erde: Kurt Sandering, Berliner Sinfonie Orchester / Berlin Classics 
9: Simon Rattle, Berliner Philharmoniker, Warner Classics (his second recording of this work...)
10: Rudolph Barshai, Junge Deutsche Philharmonie / Brilliant Classics

Comments:
Horenstein is great in No 1, but he has to be included for No 3 which is totally outstanding. As Tony Duggan put it on "Music Web": "The greatest recording of any Mahler symhony ever set down..."
Simon Rattle gives a magnificent No 2 with Birmingham Symphony Orchestra with Janet Baker, but I can't omit his 9th...
I love Barschai's 5th, bit Shipway's is really wonderful.
It's really difficult to chose between Kubelik/Janet Baker/Bayerischen Rundfunk and the above mentioned Sanderling rendering of Das Lied...

Ah, if only there were more years in ones life in order to have the time to fully penetrate the glorious world of Mahler...


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## Ulfilas

1: Philadelphia Orchestra, Riccardo Muti (EMI)

2: Schäfer, DeYoung, Vienna Philharmonic, Pierre Boulez (DG)

3: Horne, Chicago Symphony, James Levine (RCA)

4: Schäfer, Concertgebouw, Bernard Haitink (RCO)

5: Atlanta Symphony, Yoel Levi (Telarc)

6: New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein (CBS)

7: Boston Symphony, Seiji Ozawa (Philips)

8: Soloists, Berlin Philharmonic, Abbado (DG)

9: Cincinnati Symphony, Jesus Lopez-Cobos (Telarc)


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## BoHed

Addendum:
As for No. 10, which was not meant to be included in the "rules", I couldn't refrain from including Barschai's recording, which is quite interesting because it is his own orchestration, not any of the versions by Deryck Cook, fine as they are. Barschai gives an interesting view on this work, and though some may find his orchestration somewhat more creative in the process of speculating on Mahler's intent with this unfinished work, it is certainly worth listening to, in my opinion. Gives a somewhat different perspective on the eternal question on what path Mahler might have taken, would he been allowed to live beyond the age of fifty...
If symphony No. 10 is not "allowed" in this list, then I would place Barschai's recording with Junge Deutsche Philharmonie of the fifth in my list instead of Shipway, fine as Shipway's recording certainly is. But Barshai gives a fenomenal performance of the fifth. It's hard to believe that it is a one-take live recording with an orchestra of music students...


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## BlackAdderLXX

This is a great thread. I'm subscribing for when I get around to Mahler. 

To anyone: are there threads like these for any other composers? Hurwitz has been doing these videos using similar rules and whether you like him or not, it's a concept that invites more input than the favorite x,y,z threads.


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## BoHed

BoHed said:


> Addendum:
> As for No. 10, which was not meant to be included in the "rules", I couldn't refrain from including Barschai's recording, which is quite interesting because it is his own orchestration, not any of the versions by Deryck Cook, fine as they are. Barschai gives an interesting view on this work, and though some may find his orchestration somewhat more creative in the process of speculating on Mahler's intent with this unfinished work, it is certainly worth listening to, in my opinion. Gives a somewhat different perspective on the eternal question on what path Mahler might have taken, would he been allowed to live beyond the age of fifty...
> If symphony No. 10 is not "allowed" in this list, then I would place Barschai's recording with Junge Deutsche Philharmonie of the fifth in my list instead of Shipway, fine as Shipway's recording certainly is. But Barshai gives a fenomenal performance of the fifth. It's hard to believe that it is a one-take live recording with an orchestra of music students...


Sorry about this unnecessary post above. Symphony No. 10 was indeed included from the outset. Forgive me.
Other than that, I still stand with my opinions...


----------



## Ulfilas

Here's my updated list, all digital recordings.

This has been quite a process, I'm pretty happy with this list! 

1: Philadelphia Orchestra, Riccardo Muti (EMI)

2: Suga, Stutzmann, Saito Kinen Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa (Sony Classical)

3: DeYoung, San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas (SFS Media)

4: Battle, Vienna Philharmonic, Lorin Maazel (Sony Classical)

5: Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim (Teldec)

6: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly (Decca)

7: SWR Symphony Orchestra, Michael Gielen (Hännsler)

8: Soloists, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Eliahu Inbal (Denon)

9: New York Philharmonic, Kurt Masur (Teldec)

10: Cincinnati Symphony, Jesús López-Cobos (Telarc)


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## Brahmsianhorn

Don’t know how I missed this. Skipping the 10th as I don’t know it.

1 - Walter/NBC SO
2 - Mehta/VPO
3 - Adler/VSO
4 - Mengelberg/RCO
5 - Shipway/RPO
6 - Bernstein/NYPO
7 - Klemperer/Philharmonia 
8 - Horenstein/LSO
9 - Barbirolli/BPO
DLVDE - Kubelik/Bavarian RSO


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## BachIsBest

I'll try:

1 - Kubelick/BRSO
2 - Mehta/VPO
3 - Bernstein/NYP
4 - Rosbaud/SWR
5 - Rosbaud/CRSO (okay I cheated: sue me)
6 - Barbirolli/BPO
7 - Abbado/BPO
8 - Bertini/KRSO
DLVDE - Klemperer/NPO
9 - Karajan/BPO 1981
10 - Rattle/BPO 2001


Harder than I thought it was going to be. I couldn't come up with much for 4 (at least not something I thought worthy of such a list) so just cheated a bit. At least the orchestra is different. But that's what life is about after all: try your best cheat the rest.


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## Brahmsianhorn

Wait, different labels? Good Knorf!

1 - Walter/NBC SO (Music & Arts)
2 - Mehta/VPO (Decca)
3 - Adler/VSO (Harmonia Mundi)
4 - Mengelberg/RCO (Philips)
5 - Shipway/RPO (Membran)
6 - Bernstein/NYPO (Sony)
7 - Klemperer/Philharmonia (EMI)
8 - Horenstein/LSO (BBC)
DLVDE - Kubelik/Bavarian RSO (Audite) 
9 - Barbirolli/Torino RAI (IDIS)
10 - Morris/NPO (Scribendum)


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## Granate

^^^

Sorry to break it to you. The Wyn Morris Mahler 10 was first released on Philips. Charles Adler Mahler 3 and Shipway Mahler 3 have the right labels.


----------



## Broos

Mahler

1.	Symphonie Orchester Bayerischen Rundfunk Kubelik DG

2. London Philharmonic Orchestra Jurowski LPO

3. Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Haitink Philips

4 Budapest Festival Orchestra Fischer Channel classic

5.	New York Philharmonic Bernstein Sony

6. St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra Sanderling Darpro

7. New Philharmonia Orchestra Horenstein BBC music

8. The Symphonica Of London Morris IMP

DLVDE Wiener Philharmoniker Walter	Naxos

9.	Berliner Philharmoniker Barbirolli EMI 

10. Radio Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt Inbal Denon


Disclaimer:
All albums in my collection.
I like all the albums listed but some would not always be my absolute favorite.


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## Subutai

1. Bernstein/NYP
2. Klemperer/PO
3. Horenstein/LSO
4. Gielen/SWR
5. Barbirolli/NPO
6. Fischer/BFO
7. Tilson-Thomas/SFS
8. Solti/CSO
9. Abbado/BPO
10. Rattle/BPO
Dlvde. Haitink/RCO


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## Kreisler jr

1 Walter/Columbia (or NYP, both good, but the better sound of the stereo recording helps)
2 Mehta/Vienna (Decca)
3 Gielen/SWR (Hänssler)
4 Abravanel/Davrath (Vanguard)
5 Bernstein/Vienna (DG)
6 Kondrashin (Melodiya)
7 Scherchen (Westminster)
8 Nagano (but I should pass, I hardly know the piece) 
9 Maderna/BBC
10 Sanderling/Berlin
LvdE Klemperer/Wunderlich/Ludwig
(Das klagende Lied: Boulez)


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