Prime Recommendations

First, for the exceedingly impatient, here are choices for each symphony,
beginning with my nomination for best performance overall, then best
performance taking into account the recording quality, then simply on the basis
of recording.

Each of these recommendations is discussed at some length in the main part of
the survey.


First choice based solely on Performance

For some symphonies I believe there is a clear first choice on grounds simply
of performance, regardless of technical imperfections (whether in the recording
of playing/singing).

I have added some alternatives which are also great performances. Sometimes
these are very nearly as fine as the primary choice, sometimes the primary is
head and shoulders above the competition, sometimes the primary choice is
simply no longer in the catalogue.

The primary choices are the ones which I would take to a desert island.

The secondary choices are performances which I could happily live with, if all
my primaries were lost.

Symphony No. 1



BRSO/Kubelik (DG)

Also: Concertgebouw/Bernstein (DG), CBSO/Rattle (EMI), LPO/Boult
(Everest)

Symphony No.1 (1893 revision)



NPO/Morris (HMV in-store label)

Todtenfeier



Danish National Radio SO/Segerstam

Symphony No. 2 Resurrection



Vienna State SO/Scherchen (MCA)

Also: CBSO/Rattle (EMI), Danish National Radio SO/Segerstam (Chandos),
NYPO/Bernstein (CBS, nla)

Symphony No. 3



LSO/Horenstein (Unicorn-Kanchana)

Also: NYPO/Bernstein (Sony), NYPO/Bernstein (DG), Leipzig
RSO/Scherchen (Tahra)

Symphony No. 4



Concertgebouw/Mengelberg (Philips, nla)

Also: Cleveland/Szell (Sony), LPO/Welser-M岾t (EMI), VPO/Maazel (Sony)

Symphony No. 5



RPO/Inoue (RPO)

Also: NPO/Barbirolli (EMI), VPO/Bernstein (DG)

Symphony No. 6



NPO/Barbirolli (EMI)

Also: Danish National RSO/Segerstam, RPO/Inoue (RPO), Stockholm
PO/Horenstein (Unicorn-Kanchana, Music & Arts)

Symphony No. 7



NPO/Horenstein (Descant, Intaglio, Music & Arts)

Also: CBSO/Rattle (EMI), NYPO/Bernstein (DG), Vienna SO/Scherchen
(Orfeo), Toronto SO/Scherchen (Music & Arts)

Symphony No. 8 Symphony of a Thousand



Danish National RSO/Segerstam (Chandos)

Also: LSO/Horenstein (Discocorp, nla), LSO/Bernstein (Sony),
MahlerFest/Olsen (Mahlerfest), BRSO/Kubelik (DG), Chicago SO/Solti
(Decca/London)

Das Lied von der Erde



BBC Northern SO/Horenstein (Descant, Intaglio, Music & Arts)

Also: VPO/Walter (Decca/London), Cologne RSO/Bertini (EMI)

Das Lied von der Erde (Arr. Schoenberg/Riehm)



Ensemble Musique Oblique/Herreweghe (Harmonia Mundi)

Also: Sinfonia Lahti Chamber Ensemble/V绅ska (BIS)

Symphony No. 9



LSO/Horenstein (Music & Arts)

Also: VPO/Walter (EMI)

Symphony No. 10 (Cooke revised version)



Berlin SO/Sanderling (Ars Vivendi)

Also: Bournemouth SO/Rattle (EMI), NPO/Morris (Philips, nla), Berlin
RSO/Chailly (Decca/London)

Symphony No. 10 (Cooke original version)



Philadelphia/Ormandy (Sony)



First Choice for based on performance and
recording

The recommendations here are for those people who want a great performance
but who also insist on good recorded sound.

This list, therefore, excludes all mono and "unofficial" live recordings, and a
few studio recordings which really fall down when it comes to the sound.

Symphony No. 1

BRSO/Kubelik (DG)

Also: Concertgebouw/Bernstein (DG), CBSO/Rattle (EMI), LPO/Boult
(Everest)

Symphony No.1 (1893 revision)

NPO/Morris (HMV in-store label)

Symphony No. 2 Resurrection

CBSO/Rattle (EMI), Danish RSO/Segerstam (Chandos)

Also: NYPO/Bernstein (CBS, nla)

Symphony No. 3

LSO/Horenstein (Unicorn-Kanchana)

Also: NYPO/Bernstein (Sony), NYPO/Bernstein (DG)

Symphony No. 4

Cleveland/Szell (Sony)

Also: LPO/Welser-M酲t (EMI), VPO/Maazel (Sony)

Symphony No. 5

RPO/Inoue (RPO)

Also: NPO/Barbirolli (EMI), VPO/Bernstein (DG)

Symphony No. 6

NPO/Barbirolli (EMI)

Also: Danish National RSO/Segerstam, RPO/Inoue (RPO)

Symphony No. 7

CBSO/Rattle (EMI)

Also:NYPO/Bernstein (DG)

Symphony No. 8 Symphony of a Thousand

Danish National RSO/Segerstam (Chandos)

Also: MahlerFest/Olsen (MahlerFest), BRSO/Kubelik (DG), Chicago SO/Solti
(Decca/London)

Das Lied von der Erde

BBC Northern SO/Horenstein (Descant, Intaglio, Music & Arts)

Also: Cologne RSO/Bertini (EMI)

Das Lied von der Erde (Arr. Schoenberg/Riehm)

Ensemble Musique Oblique/Herreweghe (Harmonia Mundi)

Also: Sinfonia Lahti Chamber Ensemble/V绅ska (BIS)

Symphony No. 9

Columbia SO/Walter (Sony)

Also: VPO/Abbado (DG)

Symphony No. 10 (Cooke revised version)

Berlin SO/Sanderling (Ars Vivendi)

Also: Bournemouth SO/Rattle (EMI), NPO/Morris (Philips, nla), Berlin
RSO/Chailly (Decca/London)

Symphony No. 10 (Cooke original version)

Philadelphia/Ormandy (Sony)



First choice based solely on recording quality

                          Don't be silly.