9.30 Building a Library
Gillian Moore compares recordings of Mahler’s Ninth Symphony and chooses her favourite.
Mahler’s final completed symphony is a monumental achievement ranging in emotion from wild passion to deep despair and finally resignation. He wrote it in 1908 and 1909 but did not live to see it performed. Leonard Bernstein said of the last movement: “It is terrifying, and paralyzing, as the strands of sound disintegrate. In ceasing, we lose it all. But in letting go, we have gained everything.”
Available versions:-
Berliner Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Claudio Abbado (DVD)
Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, Claudio Abbado
Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Claudio Abbado (DVD/Blu-ray)
Wiener Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado
Utah Symphony Orchestra, Maurice Abravanel
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Karel Ancerl
Berliner Philharmoniker, Sir John Barbirolli
Orchestra Sinfonica di Torino della RAI, Sir John Barbirolli
Staatskapelle Berlin, Daniel Barenboim (DVD/Blu-ray)
Filarmonica della Scala, Daniel Barenboim
Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, Rudolf Barshai
Berliner Philharmoniker, Leonard Bernstein
Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, Leonard Bernstein
New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein
Wiener Symphoniker, Gary Bertini
Bamberger Symphoniker, Herbert Blomstedt
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Pierre Boulez
Badische Staatskapelle Karlsruhe, Justin Brown (SACD)
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly
Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig, Riccardo Chailly (DVD/Blu-ray)
Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Myung-Whun Chung *
Cleveland Orchestra, Christoph von Dohnányi *
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Antal Dorati
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Gustavo Dudamel
Hallé Orchestra, Sir Mark Elder
Tchaikovsky Symphony of Moscow Radio, Vladimir Fedoseyev
Dortmunder Philharmoniker, Gabriel Feltz
Dusseldorfer Symphoniker, Ádám Fischer
Budapest Festival Orchestra, Iván Fischer *
Ensemble Mini, Joolz Gale (SACD)
London Symphony Orchestra, Valery Gergiev (SACD)
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg, Michael Gielen
New York Philharmonic, Alan Gilbert
Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Alan Gilbert (SACD)
State Symphony Orchestra of Russia, Mark Gorenstein
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Carlo Maria Giulini *
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bernard Haitink *
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bernard Haitink (DVD/Blu-ray))
European Community Youth Orchestra, Bernard Haitink *
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Bernard Haitink
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Michael Halasz
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Harding
National Symphony Orchestra, Taiwan, Gunther Herbig *
Wiener Symphoniker, Jascha Horenstein *
Eliahu Inbal, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra *
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Mariss Jansons
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Mariss Jansons
Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra (HR-Sinfonie Orchester), Paavo Järvi (DVD/Blu-ray)
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan
New Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer
Wiener Philharmoniker, Otto Klemperer
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Paul Kletzki
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Kirill Kondrashin *
Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Rafael Kubelik
Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana, Gustav Kuhn
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Yoel Levi
London Symphony Orchestra, Leopold Ludwig *
New York Philharmonic, Lorin Maazel *
Philharmonia Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Wiener Philharmoniker, Lorin Maazel *
New York Philharmonic, Kurt Masur *
New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Dmitri Mitropoulos
Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Dimitri Mitropoulos *
Essener Philharmoniker, Tomás Netopil
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Vaclav Neumann
Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, SirRoger Norrington
Bamberger Symphoniker, Jonathan Nott (SACD)
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Libor Pessek *
Berliner Philharmoniker, Sir Simon Rattle
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden, Hans Rosbaud
Philharmonia Orchestra, Esa-Pekka Salonen
Berliner Sinfonie-Orchester, Kurt Sanderling
NDR Sinfonieorchester, Kurt Sanderling
WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Jukka-Pekka Saraste *
Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Hermann Scherchen *
Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Michael Schønwandt
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz *
Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Leif Segerstam *
Staatskapelle Dresden, Giuseppe Sinopoli
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti
London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti
Gürzenich Orchestra of Cologne, Markus Stenz (SACD)
Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell *
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, Emil Tabakov *
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Klaus Tennstedt
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Michael Tilson Thomas (SACD)
Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Bruno Walter
Wiener Philharmoniker, Bruno Walter
Philharmonia Orchestra, Benjamin Zander
Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hans Zender *
Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, David Zinman*
* = download only
Gillian Moore compares recordings of Mahler’s Ninth Symphony and chooses her favourite.
Mahler’s final completed symphony is a monumental achievement ranging in emotion from wild passion to deep despair and finally resignation. He wrote it in 1908 and 1909 but did not live to see it performed. Leonard Bernstein said of the last movement: “It is terrifying, and paralyzing, as the strands of sound disintegrate. In ceasing, we lose it all. But in letting go, we have gained everything.”
Available versions:-
Berliner Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Claudio Abbado (DVD)
Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, Claudio Abbado
Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Claudio Abbado (DVD/Blu-ray)
Wiener Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado
Utah Symphony Orchestra, Maurice Abravanel
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Karel Ancerl
Berliner Philharmoniker, Sir John Barbirolli
Orchestra Sinfonica di Torino della RAI, Sir John Barbirolli
Staatskapelle Berlin, Daniel Barenboim (DVD/Blu-ray)
Filarmonica della Scala, Daniel Barenboim
Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, Rudolf Barshai
Berliner Philharmoniker, Leonard Bernstein
Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, Leonard Bernstein
New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein
Wiener Symphoniker, Gary Bertini
Bamberger Symphoniker, Herbert Blomstedt
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Pierre Boulez
Badische Staatskapelle Karlsruhe, Justin Brown (SACD)
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly
Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig, Riccardo Chailly (DVD/Blu-ray)
Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Myung-Whun Chung *
Cleveland Orchestra, Christoph von Dohnányi *
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Antal Dorati
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Gustavo Dudamel
Hallé Orchestra, Sir Mark Elder
Tchaikovsky Symphony of Moscow Radio, Vladimir Fedoseyev
Dortmunder Philharmoniker, Gabriel Feltz
Dusseldorfer Symphoniker, Ádám Fischer
Budapest Festival Orchestra, Iván Fischer *
Ensemble Mini, Joolz Gale (SACD)
London Symphony Orchestra, Valery Gergiev (SACD)
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg, Michael Gielen
New York Philharmonic, Alan Gilbert
Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Alan Gilbert (SACD)
State Symphony Orchestra of Russia, Mark Gorenstein
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Carlo Maria Giulini *
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bernard Haitink *
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bernard Haitink (DVD/Blu-ray))
European Community Youth Orchestra, Bernard Haitink *
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Bernard Haitink
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Michael Halasz
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Harding
National Symphony Orchestra, Taiwan, Gunther Herbig *
Wiener Symphoniker, Jascha Horenstein *
Eliahu Inbal, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra *
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Mariss Jansons
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Mariss Jansons
Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra (HR-Sinfonie Orchester), Paavo Järvi (DVD/Blu-ray)
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan
New Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer
Wiener Philharmoniker, Otto Klemperer
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Paul Kletzki
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Kirill Kondrashin *
Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Rafael Kubelik
Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana, Gustav Kuhn
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Yoel Levi
London Symphony Orchestra, Leopold Ludwig *
New York Philharmonic, Lorin Maazel *
Philharmonia Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Wiener Philharmoniker, Lorin Maazel *
New York Philharmonic, Kurt Masur *
New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Dmitri Mitropoulos
Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Dimitri Mitropoulos *
Essener Philharmoniker, Tomás Netopil
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Vaclav Neumann
Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, SirRoger Norrington
Bamberger Symphoniker, Jonathan Nott (SACD)
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Libor Pessek *
Berliner Philharmoniker, Sir Simon Rattle
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden, Hans Rosbaud
Philharmonia Orchestra, Esa-Pekka Salonen
Berliner Sinfonie-Orchester, Kurt Sanderling
NDR Sinfonieorchester, Kurt Sanderling
WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Jukka-Pekka Saraste *
Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Hermann Scherchen *
Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Michael Schønwandt
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz *
Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Leif Segerstam *
Staatskapelle Dresden, Giuseppe Sinopoli
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti
London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti
Gürzenich Orchestra of Cologne, Markus Stenz (SACD)
Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell *
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, Emil Tabakov *
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Klaus Tennstedt
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Michael Tilson Thomas (SACD)
Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Bruno Walter
Wiener Philharmoniker, Bruno Walter
Philharmonia Orchestra, Benjamin Zander
Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hans Zender *
Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, David Zinman*
* = download only
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