5 finest Mahlerites

[Wunderhorn]

I am curious, with five votes, what the results would be.

[Leo K]

Walter
Scherchen
Horenstein
Bernstein
Klemperer

[barry guerrero]

Sorry, I don't believe in such polls. The greatest Mahler conductor today is the one who gave the greatest performance last night. The greatest one tomorrow will be the one who gave the best performance tonight. These are things that have to be renewed every day. But for sheer consistantcy, I'll say Bernstein, Tennstedt, and Bertini. That said, I'm not always crazy about Tennstedt's glacially slow performances from his late years. For me, Walter and Klemperer are disqualified on the basis that neither of them conducted a complete cycle - far from it, even. But obviously, both of them were quite good at their craft.

[Wunderhorn]

I can't vote because I haven't heard them all. Barry, Why don't you pick the ones that you enjoy listening to the most, surely you can do that. Besides, it simply cannot be as random as you make it out to be?

[barry guerrero]

I've given my answer, and that'll have to suffice. Sorry.

[pincopallino]

Pity for the typo, "Nuemann" instead of "Neumann"...

[barry guerrero]

Maybe he means Newman from Seinfeld.   

Wunderhorn,

I'm only kidding - no sarcasm meant at all.

[DennisW]

I'd like to nominate Bernstein as most overrated Mahler conductor. He was more a narcissistic, sel-promoting showman than he was a profound artist, and was especially obnoxious in the way he pushed the idea that he was almost single-handedly responsible for the "Mahler revival" in the 60s (see Lebrecht's book "The Maestro Myth" for sundry details).

[barry guerrero]

I'd like to nominate Norman Lebrecht as the most overrated commentator on conductors. He is more a narcissistic, self-promoting showman than he is a profound critic, and is especially obnoxious in the way he pushes the idea that he is almost single-handedly responsible for corrections made to the perceived truths surrounding the "Mahler revival" in the 60s (see Guerrero's book, "The Lebrecht Myth" for sundry details).

[Jot N. Tittle]

Who said (or wrote) of Lenny that he was always performing a Concerto for Conductor and Orchestra?

   . & '

[sperlsco]

Well, I don't know if I really voted based upon the question posed -- "greatest impact on me".  I voted for Klemperer and Walter more for their historical impact in general than for their impact on me.  In fact, using that criteria I could easily have substituted Mengelberg for either of them.  However, in terms of my overall enjoyment of Mahler they really do not measure up to any number of more modern composers. 

I also voted for Lennie, Abbado, and Chailly, choices that are more in line with the original question.  Lennie is easily the most important Mahlerian to me, with Chailly being the best living interpreter to me. 

[bluesbreaker]

Bernstein
Tennstedt,
Bertini

Nuff said!

[chris]

I'm the guy that voted for MTT - please forgive me.

Personally, I like the extreme style....not for everyday listening but I think it gives the music some new life.

To dig myself even deeper into a hole, I look forward to the day that Christian Thielemann does some Mahler....

[barry guerrero]

That's it - you get a hammer blow as well!   

[chris]

When Thielemann's 110 minute M2 comes out, you'll be sold Barry...I promise.