Szell M6?

[mahler09]

I just heard the Szell/Cleveland M6 on the radio.  I'm not an expert on this symphony as some people on here are- what do you think of this recording?

[waderice]

Years ago, Szell's M6 was considered one of the best recordings of the work, and many of the long-term veterans knowledgeable of the work still consider it one of the best.  The one recording of approximately the same vintage that I think it sounds similar to is Kubelik's DG account.  It may be a thin-sounding recording, but that can be overlooked for the performance.  Incidentally, this was a recording made in-concert.  Also, there is a Szell in-concert M9 that was released as part of a multi-CD Cleveland Orchestra contributors set years ago, and is considered excellent as well.  And of course, there is the excellent M4 released commercially that most everyone knows about.  It's a shame that Szell recorded no more Mahler symphonies than these three.  At the least, I think a Szell M1 and M5 would have been good additions to his recorded discography.

Wade

[barry guerrero]

To me, it's a once-upon-a-time situation. I consider it very dated now. There's no expo. repeat; the tempi are generally fast, and there's a serious lack of power and sheer terror to it. It reminds me a bit of the M7 that Kurt Masur recorded in Leipzig decades ago. Fortunately, it's not an expensive issue. But just speaking for myself, I really couldn't endorse itas a person's one and only recording.  Naturally, the Cleveland Orch. being the Cleveland Orch., it's very well played. But if it weren't for the stupid sounding metallic "Ping" hammerstrokes in the Dohnanyi/Cleveland M6, I would strongly endorse that one.