Repertoire: The BEST and WORST Mahler Symphony Cycles

As an adjunct to my videos on the individual Mahler symphonies, here is a talk on the best and worst complete cycles (featuring more than twenty of them). As I have said many times, there is no "perfect" Mahler symphony cycle. The music is too complex, too expressively comprehensive for any one conductor to encompass fully, but some have come pretty close. Here they are.

[MrJYTK]

This channel is such a hidden gem in the classical world… Only discovered this after a Taiwan page shared one of the vids. I’m sure the Asian community would love your work! Would be wonderful if smb can do Chinese subtitles too haha🤣

[Rene-tjix]

Years ago I attended Mahler 5th with Chailly at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. It blew me off my chair. I bought the CD box as soon as it came out and played it from 1 till 10 many, many times. Now I'm looking forward to the Mahler Festival in May 2025 in Amsterdam. I've managed to buy a passe-partout, all 10 symphonies in 10 days. For me it is a once in a lifetime opportunity to hear this fantastic music live.

[timk]

Thank you, Dr. Hurwitz. I like your sense of humor. 😂

[lkraynak]

I will never tire of hearing you say “the Russian, state, broadcast, federation, radio, Soviet, academic, tv, everything but the kitchen sink, orchestra.” I laugh every time and have rewatched it many times. Aside from that, another great talk. Keep them coming

[pauloqueiroz]

I was never a great fan of Mahler's, but after listening to Bernstein's reading I finally understood Mahler's music! Mahler makes sense under Bernstein!! By and large a marvelous conductor!

[Lamprocles]

Mr. Hurwitz, As a native Utahan I just wanted to thank you for including Maestro Abravanel's cycle as it was my first exposure to Mahler. I was a performance major at The University Of Utah while he was still with us and he attended every concert and greeted us all as we walked off stage. One time I flubbed a passage in Beethoven's 1st symphony and I didnt get my jovial handshake/smile just a scowl and frown. Needless to say I didn't let that happen again. I was lucky enough to ascension his score collection to The University Of Utah's music library and getting to see on the score of Prokofiev's Fifth "With love to Maurice, Serge" was a thrill. Just wanted to say thanks again for shedding some light on a hometown hero. Cheers!

[andrewsimco]

David - I listened to the Bertini Mahler 8 - you are spot on. It is one for the ages. When I was timpanist of the Oslo Philharmonic from 1983 through 1998, I had the opportunity to work Gary Bertini on the 5th, 6th and 9th Symphonies. All clean, well-conceived performances - especially of No. 9! A fine conductor!

[danitzm]

The Maurice Abravanel was only the 2nd complete Mahler cycle to come out after Bernstein. However, it was the first budget cycle and for many of us our age it was our first Mahler recording back in the 70s that we could afford with our allowance or summer job money. I have meet many folks in there 60s or older who were introduced to Mahler from this cycle.

[damianjb]

I watched this again last night and after I streamed Michael Gielen's recording of the Mahler 8. It's a work I'd been struggling with a little as I found the first part quite 'noisy'. The second part had clicked with me but not the first. Until Gielen. Now I'm a 100% convert. What a magnificent recording. Thank you so much for your recommendation. First you put me on to Ozawa's Japan Mahler 2 and now Gielen's Mahler 8. I can't wait to go back through your videos of the individual symphonies and get some more life changing recommendations.

[martinsaroch]

I love how automatic captions sometimes translate "Mahler cycle" as "motorcycle"

[mariocorreatascon]

Como siempre, una extensa y maravillosa reseña! Gracias, señor Hurwitz!!!

[bluetortilla]

Wow! Just got Chailly's cylcle and that is some beautiful and elegant Mahler. I love this cycle so much that I'm putting it second to Berstein's, only out of homage to the great master and a hunch that he really'got' Mahler. If we had recordings of Mahler conducting Mahler my guess is that it would probably sound a lot like Bernstein. Having said that, Chailly really works wonders with these symphonies- the clarity and expressiveness of individual instruments is surprisingly new, and he brings so much to the foreground that was previously hidden. There is an elegance to Chailly that some may not for Mahler, but for me it's simply beautiful. He tempers down some of the big splashes (like the final note of the 1st), but you know, Mahler doesn't have to be heavy metal all of the time. The orly thing I find a bit oddball is the beginning of the 6th. Ifs someone else has heard the cycle I hope you loved it too and I'd really enjoy any comments.

[mogmason]

I happen to like Rattle’s version of the 10th, 6th and 5th. His lovely wife (Magdalena Kozena) sings a good “Das Himmlische Leben” in the 4th symphony (under the late Claudio Abbado’s baton) too!

[youpie]

At last. I have the next many, MANY hours of listening (without disappointment) laid out for me. Thank you Dave!!

[pawdaw]

The last movement of Bertini's Mahler 3 was a Come To Jesus moment for me. As spacious as you could want, full of innigkeit, superlative playing - especially from the brass, and always a sure sense of where the music is going. One of the great performances in my view.

[tommorrissey]

When I moved to Boston in the early eighties, the critics were intent on running Ozawa out of town, and in truth, his concerts near the end could be very routine. Funny how his BSO discography has stood the test of time quite well. I often find myself surprised at how good some of his recordings are.

[Don-mdwn]

Dave, you mention the price of the Chailly Mahler cycle relative to some of the others. I'd think anybody looking at that cycle might want to consider the "Chailly Symphony Edition" box, 55 CDs that includes the Mahler plus complete cycles of Beethoven, Bruckner, Brahms and Schumann and quite a bit of other stuff, at about $2/disc currently. That might be worth discussing in the big boxes that are still around series of talks you've been doing.

[ljiljanastanic]

Hello Mister Hurwitz, I have listening to you with the greatest interest for some time now, and here is my first comment...How much I love Mahler's music no impossible to describe, just a music and it's beauty can't be describe in words...For me music is above poetry!This time I will say something about the symphonies I listen to the most, compared to the performances from the recomended cycle, which are 3th and 6th .I have to say right now that I don't accept the term -best in music.Everyone has their favorites!In particular, I can't agree with your opinion that the cycle from R.Chilly is superb...In addition to the 3 and 6 that I mentioned, I will also comment on the first one, which left a fantastic impression on me, especially the first part, with the flute solo etc., performed by K.Tennstedt with the CSO, a live performance.It's something extraordinary, truly unsurpassed, as well as the Andante in the Tragic symphony, also Tennstedt interpretation, with LSO.1991.!!It is a flight to heaven, a silent departure, merging with divine beauty..3rd symphony, or Progress to divine, L.Bernstein, live performance with the Vienna philharmonic-Magnificent, for me no 1, absolutely, absolutely!!!The beginning with the brass delights me..Fantasy...then the powerful beauty of the marches...Spectacular!!!So Adagio, of course, fascinating sublimity!!!I also wont to say that the extraordinary performance by Andres Orozco Estrada with the Frankfurt Phil h armonic(Natalie Stutzmann enchanted me with her singing)!...The cycle of the R.Chilly is excellent, thanks!!I listen to you every day..Greetings from Serbia💙💙💙💙💙

[robertjamesstove]

I used to wonder if my failure to respond to Rattle (in *any* symphonies, not just in Mahler's) was evidence of my being invincibly stupid, since British critics always spoke of him as being scarcely less than the Fourth Person of the Holy Trinity. It's therefore a relief to learn from this video that Dr. Hurwitz, who knows far more about Mahler performances than I ever will, can't summon up much enthusiasm for Rattle's recorded work either.

[mojahangard]

Mr. Hurwitz, thank you very much for the thorough and very well informed video. I very much appreciate it.