BBC Radio 3, "Record Review" Mahler 9 (9 Apr '22)

[David Boxwell]

Gillian Moore, Director of Music & Performing Arts at London's Southbank Centre (and Advisory Member of the Mahler Foundation), auditions eight of her favorite recordings for "Building a Library" for a final recommendation.

They are: Walter '38; Horenstein '53; Barbirolli '64; Haitink '69; Bernstein/BPO '79; Boulez '95; Abbado/BPO '99; and . . . Rattle/BPO '07.

bbc.co.uk

[John Kim]

Mine are

1. Bernstein/RCO/DG
2. Bernstein/NYPO/Sony
3. Levine/PO/RCA
4. Solti/LSO/Decca
5. Ozawa/BSO/Philips
6. Ozawa/SKO/Sony
7. Karajan/BPO/DG (1982)
8. Haitink/RCO/Philips

PS If you can find, try pirate versions of Bernstein/BSO Tanglewood (79), Tennstedt/NYPO (1981?), the two greatest M9ths I know of.

[erikwilson7]

My list is shifting all the time, but here I am today for my top eight M9s while we’re on the topic:

1. Haitink / BRSO
2. Gilbert / Stockholm
3. Chailly / RCO
4. Haitink / RCO studio
5. Karajan / BPO live
6. Ančerl / CPO
7. Blomstedt / Bamberg
8. Bernstein / NYPO

(9. Abbado / BPO)
(10. Nott / Bamberg)

[barryguerrero]

Let's face it, most everyone does the 9th well. As Dave Hurwitz says, orchestras always to rise to the occasion when it comes to M9. That said, Bernstein/Boston tops the list for me. I like both Karajan recordings very much (plus a 'live' Salzburg pirate), as well as both Ozawa ones. For a single disc, I really do like the recent Adam Fischer one.