Abbado's Mahler: Chicago or Berlin?

[Barbirollians]

I love Abbado’s Chicago 7 but there are lots of marvellous things in the Berlin 7 too .

[jayne lee wilson]

The sheer sound of the Chicago 6th and 7th greatly preferred (I think the interpretations are fresher too)..... but (despite many attendances at the DCH) I've never been a fan of Berlin Philharmonie recordings with anyone, really....

Give me the Jesus-Christus Kirche every time...

But the 7th now? Gielen live in Berlin, CBSO/Rattle or.... yes, that surrealist-phantasmagoria Klemperer set down with the New Philharmonia....it could never be done like that anywhere, again, but - it will tell you things about the work nothing else could.

[Barbirollians]

The sheer sound of the Chicago 6th and 7th greatly preferred (I think the interpretations are fresher too)..... but (despite many attendances at the DCH) I've never been a fan of Berlin Philharmonie recordings with anyone, really....

Give me the Jesus-Christus Kirche every time...

But the 7th now? Gielen live in Berlin, CBSO/Rattle or.... yes, that surrealist-phantasmagoria Klemperer set down with the Philharmonia....it could never be done like that anywhere, again, but - it will tell you things about the work nothing else could.

I agree about the sound especially in the BPO 7 - sounds like a lot of microphones were used and the change of perspective can be disorientating.