Symphony

asin: B00000DI2T binding: Audio CD list price: $191.98 USD amazon price: $191.98 USD

This 16-disc set contains what is without a doubt the most distinguished collection of Mahler performances ever to have been assembled in one place. DG has sensibly collected all of Bernstein's Mahler for Polygram labels, including the London "Das Lied von der Erde," and all of the orchestral song cycles: "Song of a Wayfarer," "Kindertotenlieder," "Rückert-Lieder," and "Des Knaben Wunderhorn." All of these recordings have been issued separately to general critical acclaim, and despite a veritable warehouse of new Mahler discs in the '90s, Bernstein's versions by and large still reign supreme. For this, his second complete symphony cycle, Bernstein chose three great orchestras and programmed with each one the most suitable symphonies. The New York Philharmonic, probably the greatest Mahler orchestra in the world, gets Symphonies Nos. 2, 3, and 7. The Vienna Philharmonic plays Nos. 5, 6, 10, and 8 (a live recording from the Salzburg Festival that replaces what would have been a New York Eighth had Bernstein not died). Finally, Europe's great Mahler orchestra, the Royal Concertgebouw of Amsterdam, gets Nos. 1, 4, and 9. At mid-price, this is Mahler deluxe, an essential set for anyone interested in the composer, and a terrific gift idea if you're looking to make a convert or two. --David Hurwitz

asin: B00006I9K2 binding: Audio CD list price: $16.98 USD amazon price: $16.98 USD

Mahler called himself a "summer composer," writing most of his music in the countryside he loved during vacations from his duties as director of the Vienna Opera. His Fifth Symphony was composed in 1901 and 1902 in his new summer home at the lovely Carinthian Wörther Lake, just after his marriage to the famous beauty Alma Schindler. His happiness is reflected in the second part of the symphony: a tender, humorous, exhilarating Scherzo, (really a Ländler, that characteristically Austrian rustic waltz), featuring a big horn solo; the famous ardent, glowing Adagietto, which Alma claimed was a love song for her; and an exuberant, joyful, triumphant Finale that quotes one of Mahler's gently ironic songs. The first two movements, however, are exactly the opposite: a heavy, tragic Funeral March introduced by a trumpet fanfare, followed by an outburst of turbulent ferocity interrupted by mournful lamentations. In this live performance, the great Berlin Philharmonic and Simon Rattle play masterfully, with an all-out, no-holds-barred approach. The sound is simply glorious, though the dynamic contrasts tend to be so extreme as to require a finger on the volume control. Rattle brings out each movement's character, going to the emotional edge but never beyond. The Adagietto glows passionately, the second movement has a wild but controlled abandon, the Waltz lilts without becoming vulgar. He gives the music a grand, surging sweep, yet not a detail is lost. His transitions are smooth, and he can change mood, sound, and expression instantly. --Edith Eisler

asin: B000000SCV binding: Audio CD list price: $16.98 USD amazon price: $16.98

Zubin Mehta's Mahler has always been underrated, and this performance is no exception. It's true that the finale may not be the last word in physical excitement, but it's so well played--and superbly recorded--that few will complain. In fact, it features the most spectacular work from the brass section that you'll likely ever hear in this music. Give it a shot. You'll be pleasantly surprised. --David Hurwitz

asin: B00000C2KM binding: Audio CD list price: $71.98 USD amazon price: $64.99 USD

Hot on the heels of DG's new reissue of the Bernstein's complete Mahler symphonies and song cycles, EMI has repackaged Klaus Tennstedt's recordings of all 10 symphonies. Although he remade symphonies 5 through 7, these are his first versions, essentially the same performances that used to be available in three separate boxes at mid price. Now at budget price, and at virtually a third of the cost of DG's Bernstein set, Tennstedt's Mahler is one hell of a bargain. The performances aren't as consistent as Bernstein's. The London Philharmonic was never a great Mahler orchestra, and minor errors are fairly common, especially in the Sixth Symphony, which was the conductor's own favorite among all his recordings despite the lapses in the brass section. It's a performance of frightening intensity, and it's easy to understand his affection for it. All of Tennstedt's Mahler features such spontaneity, emotional honesty, and real human warmth that reservations about execution and sound largely fall by the wayside. Hearing it again is a deeply moving experience. --David Hurwitz

asin: B0000042I7 binding: Audio CD list price: $16.98 USD amazon price: $16.98 USD

The Royal Concertgebouw has recorded this symphony only once before, with Bernard Haitink--a performance of no special involvement or excitement. Given that they are one of the world's three great Gustav Mahler orchestras (with the New York Philharmonic and the Czech Philharmonic), it was high time that they had another crack at it under a more interpretively proactive conductor. While Riccardo Chailly's performance isn't exactly the last word in orchestral imagination, so magnificent is the playing and sound of this disc that no one is likely to care. This is, then, principally a showcase for a great orchestra with a great Mahler tradition, and that's good enough for most of us. --David Hurwitz

asin: B0009PLM26 binding: Audio CD list price: $26.99 USD amazon price: $26.99 USD

Water Lily Acoustics is proud to present the legendary orchestras of St. Petersburg, Russia, in live concert recordings which capture the excitement and sense of occasion of attending a live performance as no studio recording can. The philosophical and technical ethos of the Water Lily approach to recording is, here, perhaps for the first time, given free rein to produce a musical experience unparalleled in its realism and impact. Forged from the precious metals of the opulent age of the Czars, and tempered in the crucible of Communism, the orchestras of the former Soviet Union occupy a position in world culture that is truly unique. It is a privilege to be the first American record company to have captured the essence of these great orchestras in their native city. A century after they were written, Mahler's symphonies remain among the most challenging works in the symphonic repertoire, demanding the highest level of orchestral virtuosity and the utmost interpretive insight from the conductor. Mahler's spectacular orchestration presents a sonic palette of the utmost diversity, and a range of dynamic - from whispering solos to apocalyptic climaxes - certain to immerse the listener completely in his unique sound-world. Astonishingly, this recording marks the first time that any of Maestro Temirkanov's critically and publicly lauded Mahler interpretations with the St Petersburg Philharmonic has been available in recorded form. Now, finally, audiences the world over have an opportunity to experience this extraordinary music in the hands of one of its greatest living interpreters.

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With 50 or so recordings of this great work available, with superb Bernstein and Boulez fascinating at opposite ends of the heat spectrum and dozens of other valid ones in between, a reviewer approaches a new set with trepidation and the possibility of a stifled yawn. On goes this CD, and voila! One is dazzled. Recorded live in Koln in 1997, this finds the Chicago Symphony at its most virtuosic and Barenboim at his most engaged. The bitter is distinct from, rather than taken for, the gloomy; the martial does not seem out of place with the romantic. The third movement whips itself toward the ideal frenzy; the famous Adagietto is as lovely and lyrical as it gets. The performance holds together brilliantly in the way that Mahler wanted--all the disparate elements make their individual statements, but they are clearly part of the same worldview. This is superb, really--and even with an embarrassment of Mahler Symphony No. 5 riches out there, this one shines. --Robert Levine

asin: B000NPE7RO binding: Audio CD list price: $36.98 USD amazon price: $36.98 USD

Gustavo Dudamel, "quite Simply the Hottest New Conductor for a Generation" (The Observer), Presents his Highly Anticipated Second Album on Deutsche Grammophon. Again with the Forces of the Sbyov, the Disc features Another Symphonic Masterpiece. With Its Energetic Outbursts, Expressive Cantilenas and Constant Changes of Mood, Mahler's Symphony No. Five is the Ideal Repertoire to Showcase the Forces of the Sbyov and Its Conductor. Dudamel and the Orchestra Caused a Sensation on their 2006 Tour of Italy When Claudio Abbado, who was Announced to Conduct the Symphony, Handed the Baton Over to Dudamel at the Last Minute. Even in Abbado's Home Country, Gustavo and his Orchestra Pulled off a Mahler Five that Brought the Euphoric Audience to their Feet. "critics have Called the Venezuelan Phenomenon Gustavo Dudamel One of the Most Talented Young Conductors in the World - and They Are Absolutely Right." (The New York Times).