Search - Gustav Mahler, Erich Leinsdorf, Boston Symphony Orchestra :: Mahler: Symphony Nos. 3 & 1

One of the great Mahler recordings

Robert J. Cruce | Muskogee, OK United States | 09/19/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I had not heard Leinsdorf's recording of the 1st symphony before I bought this set. The 3rd was the recording I had treasured for years. So how fortunate to get two fine performances. This is the Boston Symphony when they put "the aristocrat of orchestras" on their album covers and I have never doubted it for a moment. Orchestral excellence rules the day in these recordings and what a stunning remastering they have done. This is the kind of release we could only dream about in the LP era when we wondered how close we could get to what the master tape sounded like even with the best equipment available. The trouble with releases like this is that we'll all get spoiled for stupendous remasterings. I am ready to be pampered. This is a great Mahler performance of the third symphony with all the grandeur and vision the composer demanded. A must have release."

WOW!

Donald C. Allen | Carlisle, MA USA | 05/31/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I once had the privilege of spending a part of a morning walking around the grounds at Tanglewood with Mr. Leinsdorf, and I treasure that memory. He was an absolutely extraordinary man and a great musician/conductor who, I think, has always been a bit under-rated (I think he's one of the greatest Mahler conductors on record -- a great antidote, along with Boulez, to the over-wrought Bernstein approach), perhaps because he could be a bit abrasive. In any case, I just heard this performance of the 1st Symphony on the radio, never having heard it before, and all I can say is WOW! This is almost certainly the best Mahler 1st I've ever heard, and I still have the old Bruno Walter/NY Phil LP. Leinsdorf's choices, tempi, phrasing, dynamics, plus the virtuosity of the Boston Symphony, plus the recorded sound combine to make a really outstanding recording. Highest recommendation."

Superb

Glen A. Gill | Cincinnati, OH United States | 06/11/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have long awaited for these to be issued on CD and finally the best is here. A First with a power and drive not found in any other recordings. A performance that has always knocked my socks off. The Third, also, does not belabor the point. Another reviewer referred to the Third's finale being too fast. He should read the score. The Finale is perfectly paced and coherent in Leinsdorf's hands. And then there is Shirley Verret. A great mezzo whose performances I remember when I was a kid during the 60's when my mother took me to the opera. My one note of disapproval is the overall sound. The sound has a heavier quality than I remember from the original vinyl pressings.

Now, while no single conductor does all of Mahler perfectly, if you are looking to add Mahler's First and Third to your library, you cannot do better than Leinsdorf and the Boston Symphony.

Other wonderful additions to your Mahler library you may want to consider: Bernstein/London S.O. "Resurrection" (#2) Symphony and Symphony #8, Eduard van Beinum/Concertgebouw O. Symphony #4 (a Mono recording which is finally available on CD but in a hard to find/purchase Japanese Decca CD), for Symphonies #'s 5, 6, and 9 the only choice is Karajan/Berlin P.O.(though Leinsdorf/Boston is a close second on numbers 5 and 6), Bernstein/New York P.O. for Symphony #7. All of the above are available on CD.

There are complete sets out there by the likes of Solti, Haitink (2 sets; 1 audio with the Concertgebouw and 1 video with the Berlin Phil), Kubelik , Bernstein (3 sets; 2 audio with primarily the New York and Vienna Phils and 1 video with primarily the Vienna Phil.), and other lesser known conductors. These are uneven in quality and invariably will drive the Mahler-ite to look for more satisfying performances.

One thing to keep in mind, the best, most satisfying, interpretation will not always be the best sounding (as with the Van Beimun Mono recording mentioned above). So, if you insist on both, be prepared to put-down some major bucks."