Search - Gustav Mahler, Claudio Abbado, Chicago Symphony Orchestra (No. 1) :: Mahler: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 10 [Germany]

The real Abbado's greatness in Mahler

Carlos Quintero | Caracas, Venezuela | 10/31/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"


There's no doubt for me that these Chicago Mahler's recordings by

Abbado are much better played than his remakes with BPO. The orchestra

plays better and Abbado ideas and insight in this symphony is really

interesting. Nothing new to say can be appreciated in the remake. This

is a really great Mahler conductor and we can see a refreshment in his

new recordings with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra. To know the real

Abbado's greatness in Mahler, go for these Chicago recordings.





"

A fine Mahler First, but Abbado kept growing

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 02/24/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Like Bernstein before him, Claudio Abbado found new things to say when he rerecorded Mahler symphonies. This studio version of the First with the CSO (avaolable much cheaper if you do a little looking around at Amazon) is played virtuosicaqlly, but the interpretation remains rather studied and plain-faced. It's also in fairly shrill digital sound and therefore never rose to match the best readings, by Bruno Walter (mono, with the NY PHil. on Sony), Kubelik (DG), Levine (RCA) and Bernstein (two versions, on Sony and DG). HOwever, Abbado's live remake with the Berlin Phil. showed how a conductor can grow into greatness--it's the most imaginative and expressively free version I've ever heard, far preferable to this earlier effort."