Recommended recordings

Of course, tastes differ and one can discuss at length which performances of Mahler's works on video and audio carriers are the best. The suggestions below only aim to give the novice Mahler lover a good start in the search for his or her favourite Mahler performances.

 

RECOMMENDED BOX SETS

This overview ignores whether the Tenth symphony is included in the set in a 'performance version', whether only the Adagio from this symphony sounds, or whether the Tenth is left out of the set altogether.

When Bernard Haitink and Leonard Bernstein recorded their Mahler cycles for Philips and CBS respectively in the 1960s, they immediately set a standard that was hard to beat. Both sets are still among the best complete cycles on CD. In the 60 years that have since passed, Mahler's symphonies were recorded more and more frequently, also resulting in several complete cycles. Bernstein made new recordings for Deutsche Grammophon in the 1980s, which again received high praise. In those years, Haitink led the Concertgebouw Orchestra in the Christmas Matinees, in which the Sixth and Eighth symphonies were not played. Still, this set also deserves a strong recommendation.

Surprising names, perhaps, that are absolutely worth mentioning are those of Gary Bertini and Michael Gielen. Their cycles with German broadcast orchestras (the Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester and the SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg) are very consistent and of a high standard.

Finally, the set led by Riccardo Chailly should be mentioned as perhaps the set with the best performances overall.