Today is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Gustav Mahler. The Resurrection Symphony was the first Mahler I ever heard. I remember seeing it listed in FM Guide magazine for broadcast on New York’s WNCN at the ungodly hour of 1AM back in 1974. That was when the Music Through the Night With Fleetwood program was on, a bit of a problem since it was a school night, but I actually set my alarm clock and put my headphones on to hear Bruno Walter lead the New York Philharmonic. I was hooked. I saved my lunch money to buy the recording – back in those days I would eat a 75 cent pretzel and save the rest of my lunch money to buy records—and two weeks later I had a double LP Odyssey recording of the Walter performance. God bless all the budget labels that I was able to buy back then, they were my musical education. Odyssey, Seraphim, Nonesuch, Turnabout, Vox, London Stereo Treasury, RCA Victor were my lifeblood. There was no Naxos back then and these labels, unlike Naxos, were the golden age recordings of an earlier generation.
I bought the Mahler and 36 years later have never looked back. Mahler has been one of those composers who always nails me right between the eyes. Sentimental, acerbic, neurotic and schmaltzy, Mahler connects with me.
I have two and half large binders filled with Mahler CDs. The collection is ever-growing but here’s some of my favorites. I believe all of them are currently available, I only wish the older recordings still had their original cover art.
Symphonies
Symphony No. 1
The London Symphony Orchestra
Georg Solti
The original cover had a glowing red sun burning the surrounding sky
Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection”
Emilia Cundari, soprano; Maureen Forrester, alto; The Westminster Choir; The New York Philharmonic
Bruno Walter
I remember the Odyssey reissue has having a blue cover?
Symphony No. 3
Petra Lang, mezzo-soprano; Prague Philharmonic Choir; Netherlands Children’s Choir; The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Riccardo Chailly
Symphony No. 4
Reri Grist, soprano; The New York Philharmonic Orchestra
Leonard Bernstein
It's a little faded, but the original artwork is charming
Symphony No. 5
The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Leonard Bernstein
Symphony No. 6
The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Claudio Abbado
Symphony No. 7
The Cleveland Orchestra
Pierre Boulez
Symphony No. 8 “Symphony of a Thousand”
Soloists; The Chicago Symphony Chorus; The Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Sir Georg Solti
Symphony No. 9
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Carlo Maria Giulini
Symphony No. 10
The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Sir Simon Rattle
Song Cycles
Das Klagende Lied
Marina Shaguch, soprano, Michelle DeYoung, mezzo-soprano; Thomas Moser, tenor; Sergei Leiferkus, baritone; San Francisco Symphony Chorus; San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Michael Tilson-Thomas
Das Lied von der Erde
Christa Ludwig, mezzo-soprano; Fritz Wunderlich, tenor; The New Philharmonia Orchestra
Otto Klemperer
Das Lied von der Erde (version with baritone)
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone; James King, tenor
The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Leonard Bernstein
The original cover had Lenny in profile against a black background
Des Knaben Wunderhorn
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, soprano; Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone; The London Symphony Orchestra
George Szell
Kindertotenlieder
Janet Baker, mezzo-soprano; Hallé Orchestra
Sir John Barbirolli
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen
Anne Sofie von Otter, mezzo-soprano; North German Radio Symphony Orchestra
John Eliot Gardiner
Rückert Lieder
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone; Daniel Barenboim, piano
Resurrection Symphony finale — nothing more can be said
Some Modest Proposals 