Mahler - The Symphonies / Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti [Box set]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
György Solti has come in for his share of hard knocks as a Mahler interpreter, and no one will pretend that he has the same sort of intuitive empathy for this music that Leonard Bernstein has. But he does have the Chicago Symphony Orchestra--no mean advantage--and many of these performances have come up sounding rather well. London also has been smart to include his first (and better) performance of the Fifth, and he generally does quite well by Symphonies Nos. 2, 6, 7, 8, and 9 as well. There may be better performances of the other symphonies available, and every music lover will have personal preferences, but at a budget price this set offers pretty impressive value for the money. It deserves its success. --David Hurwitz

Tracks:

Symphony No. 1: I Langsam. Schleppend. Wie ein Naturlaut
Symphony No. 1: II Kraftig bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell
Symphony No. 1: III Feierlich und gemessen, ohne zu schleppen
Symphony No. 1: IV Stuermisch bewegt
Symphony No. 2 'Resurrection': I Allegro maestoso

Tracks:

Symphony No. 2 'Resurrection': II Andante moderato
Symphony No. 2 'Resurrection': III In ruhig fliessender Bewegung
Symphony No. 2 'Resurrection': IV Urlicht. Sehr feierlich, aber schlicht
Symphony No. 2 'Resurrection': V In tempo des Scherzo

Tracks:

Symphony No. 3: I Kraftig - Entschieden
Symphony No. 3: II Tempo di Menuetto. Sehr massig
Symphony No. 3: III Comodo. Scherzando. Ohne Hast
Symphony No. 3: IV Sehr langsam. Misterioso
Symphony No. 3: V Lustig im Tempo und keck im Ausdruck

Tracks:

Symphony No. 3: VI Langsam. Ruhevoll. Empfunden
Symphony No. 4: I Bedachtig. Nicht eilen
Symphony No. 4: II In gemachlicher Bewegung. Ohne Hast
Symphony No. 4: III Ruhevoll
Symphony No. 4: IV Sehr behaglich

Tracks:

Symphony No. 5: I Trauermarsch
Symphony No. 5: II Sth bewegt. Mit grer Vehemenz
Symphony No. 5: III Scherzo: Krig, nicht zu schnell
Symphony No. 5: IV Adagietto: Sehr langsam
Symphony No. 5: V Rondo-Finale: Allegro

Tracks:

Symphony No. 6: I Allegro energico, ma non troppo
Symphony No. 6: II Scherzo: Wuchtig
Symphony No. 6: III Andante
Symphony No. 6: IV Finale: Allegro moderato

Tracks:

Symphony No. 7: I Langsam - Allegro
Symphony No. 7: II Nachtmusik I: Allegro moderato
Symphony No. 7: III Scherzo
Symphony No. 7: IV Nachtmusik II: Andante amoroso

Tracks:

Symphony No. 7: V Rondo-Finale
Symphony No. 9: I Andante comodo
Symphony No. 9: II Im Tempo eines gemachlichen Landlers. Etwas tappisch und sehr derb

Tracks:

Symphony No. 9: III Rondo-Burleske. Allegro assai. Sehr trotzig
Symphony No. 9: IV Adagio. Sehr langsam und noch zuruckhaltend
Symphony No. 8: Part 1: Hymnus: Veni, Creator Spiritus - Veni, Creator Spritus
Symphony No. 8: Part 1: Hymnus: Veni, Creator Spiritus - Imple superna gratia
Symphony No. 8: Part 1: Hymnus: Veni, Creator Spiritus - Infirma nostri corporis
Symphony No. 8: Part 1: Hymnus: Veni, Creator Spiritus - Accende lumen sensibus
Symphony No. 8: Part 1: Hymnus: Veni, Creator Spiritus - (Veni, Creator Spiritus)
Symphony No. 8: Part 1: Hymnus: Veni, Creator Spiritus - Gloria Patri Domino

Tracks:

Symphony No. 8, Part II: Final Scene from Goethe's Faust Part II: Poco adagio: Waldung, sie schwankt heran
Symphony No. 8, Part II: Final Scene from Goethe's Faust Part II: Ewiger Wonnebrand
Symphony No. 8, Part II: Final Scene from Goethe's Faust Part II: Wie Felsenabgrund mir zu Fussen
Symphony No. 8, Part II: Final Scene from Goethe's Faust Part II: Gerettet ist das edle Glied
Symphony No. 8, Part II: Final Scene from Goethe's Faust Part II: 5.1: Uns bliebt ein Erdenrest, 5.2: Hier ist die Aussicht frei
Symphony No. 8, Part II: Final Scene from Goethe's Faust Part II: 6.1: Hochste Herrscherin der Welt, 6.2: Dir, der Unberuhrbaren
Symphony No. 8, Part II: Final Scene from Goethe's Faust Part II: Bei der Liebe, die den Fussen
Symphony No. 8, Part II: Final Scene from Goethe's Faust Part II: Neige, neige, Du Ohnegleiche
Symphony No. 8, Part II: Final Scene from Goethe's Faust Part II: Blicket auf zum Retterblick
Symphony No. 8, Part II: Final Scene from Goethe's Faust Part II: Alles Vergangliche

Amazon.com

György Solti has come in for his share of hard knocks as a Mahler interpreter, and no one will pretend that he has the same sort of intuitive empathy for this music that Leonard Bernstein has. But he does have the Chicago Symphony Orchestra--no mean advantage--and many of these performances have come up sounding rather well. London also has been smart to include his first (and better) performance of the Fifth, and he generally does quite well by Symphonies Nos. 2, 6, 7, 8, and 9 as well. There may be better performances of the other symphonies available, and every music lover will have personal preferences, but at a budget price this set offers pretty impressive value for the money. It deserves its success. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

I still come back to these performances after 10 years........2007-07-06

I was a young high schooler when I bought this set. When i heard all of these performances I was inspired and amazed at the power of mahler. Now 10 years later i will say my tastes have changed, and I have heard many other versions of mahler. And while there are many amazing performances of all of mahler symphonies I still think this set is truely inspirational. With all that said i want to take the time to point out my new mahler passion. Abbado and the Lucerne festival orchestra and their ongoing mahler DVD project.

If you have the rescources and the money, I would suggest that you invest in this series. The performace of Symphony 5 is great and on par with many of the great performances. I still think Solti's 5th is the definitive recording, but the lucerne performance is still worth the money. And the "Ressurection" symphony is truely an inspiring performace. But it is the 7th symphony that is truely awe inspiring. I have never heard a performance so full of life and musicality. I cry everytime i hear it. I just ordered the new release of mahler's 6th symphony and i have high expectations as well.

Back to Solti's mahler. In my humble opinion the Recordings of 2, 3, 5, and 6 are definitive recordings. I have not come across another recording that I like better. I would have said the same thing of the 7th until I heard Abbado's on DVD. Now it is my definitive 7th. The 8th is generally consididered difinitive as well and i won't argue at all, but i did recently come across a new recording on the naxos label with the Warsaw philharmanic and Antoni Wit conducting. It is well worth checking out. The ninth i fully admit is the symphony I am least familiar with. I do however enjoy the recording here in the Solti set, but fully contest that there might be better out there. So this leaves us with the 1st and 4th. The recordings in this set are fine recordings, but again there are probably better ones out there. One of my favorite 1st is one on the Harmoni Mundi label, with the Florida Philharmonic and James Judd conducting, but I recently found out it is out of print. So if you come across a copy I highly recomend picking it up. So as for the 4th, I don't have any recording to recommend.

So my overall recommendation is if you wan't a great reference recording of the mahler symphonies this is the way to go. I don't think there is another set out there that can compete with the solti version. I also say that if you can, expereince the ongoing mahler interprtations on DVD with Abbado and the lucerne festival Orchestra.

Great artistic interpretations & technical reproduction.......2007-01-09

Beautifully reproduced. I say that because I also had CDs of these performances before they were reproduced for this collection. Absolutely warm and human interpretations by Solti. Thanks for putting this all together.

It's all about Mahler.......2005-12-04

So many Mahler performances, both in concert and on record, are mannered to the extent that one senses a conductor trying to convey the impression that it is his personal suffering, not the composer's vision, which is producing such beautiful music.
Not Solti's. He and his incredibly virtuosic orchestra let Mahler do the talking. The 5th, 6th and 7th especially lend themselves to Solti's approach, while the 8th benefits from his
long, successful career in the pit. Though Karajan, Walter, Guilini and others have recorded great 9ths, I defy anyone to find a better played one than this. Solti gives us the orchestral tours de force that are the Mahler Symphonies and which, I believe, explain why "my(his)time will(has) come."

Let's ride roughshod over Mahler.......2005-09-18

In its day, these readings sold very wel for Decca, given the splendid sonics and the spectacular virtuosity of the CSO, but Solti can't help himself--he is a driven, unsubtle conductor who approaches every symphony in a coarse, sometimes frenzied manner. Mahler conducting has come a long way since then...and had come a long way before then, to think aobut it.

Great Recordings.......2004-12-14

Unlike many of the people who have weighed in on this set, I absolutely love these recordings. Unlike most who review on this site, I have actually performed many of these works (my being a classical violist). I know these symphonies like the back of my hand. Solti's interpretation is masterful in every aspect, he in fact, is the only conductor who has ever made the Rondo-Finale of the symphony no. 5 make sense as a cohesive movement. The CSO plays absolutely brilliantly, as always, so there is nothing to criticize there. I just think that most who listen to these recordings have been caught up in the over-dramaticized versions recorded by Bernstein, not to say that his recordings don't also have merit. To any one looking for a complete Mahler set, I recommend this one above any other.

Average customer rating:

Mahler: Symphonies Nos. 6 & 7 (2 CDs)

Manufacturer: Sajlen
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000TJZXKO

Product Description

Label(s): Sajlen Year of release: 2001 Composer: Gustav Mahler GUSTAV MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphonies No. 6 & No. 7 CD 1 Symphony No. 6 1. I. Allegro energico, ma non troppo 2. II Scherzo: Wuchtig 3. III Andante 4. IV Finale: Allegro moderato CD 2 Symphony No. 7(beginning) 1. I Langsam Allegro 2. II Nachtmusik I: Allegro moderato 3. III Scherzo 4. IV Nachtmusik II: Andante amoroso 5. V Rondo Finale Chicago Symphony Orchestra Sir Georg Solti Recorded in 1970-71 2001 Sajlen

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

Music Review

Rewind + Record

Franz Schubert Rosamunde/Der Tod Und Das Mädchen String Quartets

Homenaje a Francisco Asenjo Barbieri [Import]

Bob Wills [Enhanced] [Karaoke]

Music Review: 18 Dance Mix Classics

Joy Garden

Hawaiian Guitar, Vol. 2 [Import]

Hysteria

Im Tempel Des Adlers [Import]

Eagles [Import] [Original recording remastered]

Fuglamal

Fica de Bem Comigo [Import]

Finer Things [Explicit Lyrics]

The Very Best Of Praise

Dedication