Best Mahler Boxset Currently Available

[Wunderhorn]

I would either vote Bertini or Gielen. What do you all say?

[John Kim]

Overall, the old Bernstein set still reigns. The second best set would be either Bernstein's DG or Bertini or Kubelik.

John,

[Vatz Relham]

I like Bernstein Sony, but Bertini Rules !!!

Vatz

[sperlsco]

I've got my vote in for the Bernstein DG set.  Chailly would be a very close second, with Gielen, Inbal, Bernstein/Sony, and Bertini all just behind in third.  Honorable mention goes to Ozawa, Segerstam -- both missing from your poll.  Other box sets missing from the poll (perhaps deservedly so) are Waart, Various/Brilliant, NYPO Box, Tabakov. 

[barry guerrero]

In order, I'd go: Bertini; Berstein I; Chailly; Inbal; Berstein II; Segerstam; Gielen; Haitink I; Kubelik,  .    .    . 

.    .    .   Solti/CSO would be dead last. But if Decca were to put together a Solti box that used his earlier LSO Mahler recordings, along with his earlier Concertgebouw M4, I'd rate that much higher.

Barry

[Casaubon]

I voted for Chailly, but I quite like Bertini and Inbal as well.  It just comes down to the number of favorites from each set.  For Chailly, I don't think I could do without his recordings of M8 and M9.  I'm very fond of the Inbal M5, and the Bertini M3 as well.

[sperlsco]

.    .    .   Solti/CSO would be dead last. But if Decca were to put together a Solti box that used his earlier LSO Mahler recordings, along with his earlier Concertgebouw M4, I'd rate that much higher.

Barry

If I could mix and match Abbado, I would give him a third-place or honorable mention if I could substitute his recent M3 and M9 for his earlier ones.  I also slightly prefer his BPO M6 over the CSO one (both are good).  I love both M7's -- so it's toss up there.  I'm also not certain whether the actual box set has his his CSO or BPO M1 and M5.  I prefer the CSO ones in both instances, although none of them are really among my favorites. 

[Jeff Wozniak]

Bernstein's Sony/Columbia set does it for me.  Also really like his DG set and the Bertini.

[wagnerlover]

I only have four box sets, Bertini, Bernstein Sony, Bernstein DVD, Kubelik. 

I voted for the Kubelik box.
Not that I judge it best, I don't listen that way.  But the Kubelik performances are the ones I end up litening to most often.
I've added the Audite LvdE to the set (Janet Baker!!) and switched the Audite live 8th for the one in the box.

db

[John Kim]

What about Edo de Waart/Netherlands Phil. Orch. set? I have this box and love it. It may not be the best but is very consistent both i.t.o. conducting and sound. The M3rd, M6th, M7th, and to a lesser degree, the M9th would all rank highly with any other versions.

John,

[Last_Evolution]

The best is of course Neumann/CPO - it has best M3, very very good M6, M8 is at least as good as Bertini and it has lot of other very good. Btw this set was re-released last year (I don't know if there were made any improvements in sound.)

[Damfino]

Posted by John Kim: What about Edo de Waart/Netherlands Phil. Orch. set? I have this box and love it.

I'd love to hear that set as I've always heard it was a real sleeper.  However, it is quite rare and hard to find these days.

[barry guerrero]

Yeah, the De Waart is pretty darn good. He's like Haitink, only a bit less dour - more optomistic sounding. I saw De Waart conduct quite a bit of Mahler in S.F. In general, I enjoyed De Waart's Mahler more than MTT's.

[Leo K]

I saw de Waart conduct the 7th in Minneapolis many years ago...a wonderful event and experience. 

[barry guerrero]

In S.F., De Waart did the 7th just shortly after Haitink/Concertgebouw played it here on tour. I have to tell you, the De Waart one was every bit as the Concertgebouw one, which didn't disappoint in the slightest. I remember De Waart having outrageously prominent deep bells at the symphony's final peroration.