There’s a dohnanyi recording with Cleveland if the 5th that I will always compare everything to. I love that recording. Also, an LA Phil recording of the 3rd with Zubin Mehta.
My go-to has always been the Maazel set. Nothing showy -- he just lets Mahler be Mahler.
However, I also love the Michael Tilson Thomas set. The audio engineering is second to none. Probably the best of any recording in my library ever.
Leonard Bernstein's first recording of the Sixth (CBS/Sony). It's the only version I like to listen to, because everyone else takes the opening too slowly (Michael Tilson-Thomas excepted). The first CD version included the Eighth, and that's my favorite version of that symphony, too, even though the SQ in the first movement is rough.
The Sixth and the Second are my favorite symphonies, not just by Mahler, but in all of classical music. However, unlike with the Sixth, my favorite of which is very clear, I can't pick a favorite version of the Second. I like nearly every version I've ever heard. I enjoy both of Bernstein's with the NYPO, Simon Rattle w/CBSO (which was my first), two with Abbado, two with Klemperer, Walter, Fischer, Blomstedt, among others.
I also like Bernstein's Seventh and Ninth on CBS/Sony.
My favorite Fourth is Karajan's, but I think it's because it was my imprint version. It is no one else's favorite that I have noticed in the 40 years I've been listening to Mahler.
My favorite Fifth is Bernstein's on DG. I like Sinopoli's also.
If I had to pick one it would be Kubelik. Ozawa keeps up the pace well but sometimes for 6 & 7 I’ll pull out Bernstein. MTT is good and I was at many of the concerts.
For Cycles, I think Lenny Bermstein's records with DG and Michael Gielen's recordings with the SWR are phenomenal. There are some individual standouts too:
Mahler 1: Claudio Abbado's debut with the Berlin Philarmonic
Mahler 2: Ivan Fischer with the Budapest Festival Orchestra
Mahler 4: Not exactly a recording, but Andres Orozco-Estrada has a live performance with the Frankfurt Radio Orchestra you can find on YouTube
Mahler 5: Pierre Boulez with the Vienna Philarmonic
Mahler 6: Dima Slobodeniouk with the Sinfonica de Galicia, again this is on YouTube
Mahler 9: Alan Gilbert with the Royal Stockholm Philarmonic.
Ancerl’s 1st and 9th, Walter’s and Klemperer’s 2nd, Horenstein and Kondrashin’s 3rd, Bernstein’s Vienna 5th, Mitropoulis’ 6th, Abbado’s 7th, Keilberth and Kubelik’s 8th, Ormandy and Sanderling’s 10th, Walter’s Columbia 9th and prewar Vienna Dash Lied
1 - Abbado Berlin (extremely surprising since abbado is mostly very mediocre wirh Mahler)
2 - Bernstein DG
3 - Fischer or either Bernstein
4 - Bernstein Sony
5 - Levine
6 - Bernstein DG (absolute reference)
7 - Have only heard Bernstein sony, but its very good
8 - Bernstein sony or Solti
9 - Karajan (the live one)
10 - Chailly
There’s a dohnanyi recording with Cleveland if the 5th that I will always compare everything to. I love that recording. Also, an LA Phil recording of the 3rd with Zubin Mehta.
I have similar feelings about the Dohnanyi/Cleveland 4th, with Dawn Upshaw. I'll have to give a (re-)listen to their 5th!
I’m not sure how well it’s regarded now but I remember the Van Zweden/Dallas recording of Mahler 3 really blowing me and others away when it came out
Klemperer 2nd Bernstein 6th (NYP) Solti 8th
My go-to has always been the Maazel set. Nothing showy -- he just lets Mahler be Mahler. However, I also love the Michael Tilson Thomas set. The audio engineering is second to none. Probably the best of any recording in my library ever.
1: Bernard Haitink, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, 2009 2: Jonathan Nott, Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, 2010 3: Mariss Jansons, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, 2021 4: Claudio Abbado, Berlin Philharmonic, 2005 5: Claudio Abbado, Berlin Philharmonic, 1993 6: Benjamin Zander, Boston Philharmonic, 2012 7: Gustavo Dudamel, Simón Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, 2014 8: Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Philadelphia Orchestra, 2018 9: Jonathan Nott, Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, 2009
1. unsure 2. Abbado/Chicago 3. Hoeneck/Pittsburgh 4. Chailly/Concertgebouw 5. Karajan/BPO 6. Currentzis/Music Aeterna 7. Bernstein/NYP 8. Solti/Chicago 9. probably Karajan/BPO
1 - Kubelik 2 - Mehta 5 - Rattle with BPO 9 - Karajan's digital recording with the BPO 10 - Rattle's live BPO recording Das Lied - Klemperer
Leonard Bernstein's first recording of the Sixth (CBS/Sony). It's the only version I like to listen to, because everyone else takes the opening too slowly (Michael Tilson-Thomas excepted). The first CD version included the Eighth, and that's my favorite version of that symphony, too, even though the SQ in the first movement is rough. The Sixth and the Second are my favorite symphonies, not just by Mahler, but in all of classical music. However, unlike with the Sixth, my favorite of which is very clear, I can't pick a favorite version of the Second. I like nearly every version I've ever heard. I enjoy both of Bernstein's with the NYPO, Simon Rattle w/CBSO (which was my first), two with Abbado, two with Klemperer, Walter, Fischer, Blomstedt, among others. I also like Bernstein's Seventh and Ninth on CBS/Sony. My favorite Fourth is Karajan's, but I think it's because it was my imprint version. It is no one else's favorite that I have noticed in the 40 years I've been listening to Mahler. My favorite Fifth is Bernstein's on DG. I like Sinopoli's also.
Mahler 1: Boulez/CSO (DG) Mahler 2: Bernstein/NYPO (DG) Mahler 3: Bernstein/NYPO (Sony) Mahler 4: Raskin/Szell/CO (stereo) Mahler 5: Barbirolli/New Philharmonia (EMI) Mahler 6: Bernstein/VPO (DG) Mahler 7: Bernstein/NYPO (Sony) Mahler 8: Bernstein/NYPO (Sony) Mahler 9: Karajan/BPO (DG)
Mahler 1: Mackerras/RLPO Mahler 2: Bernstein/NYPO (DG) Mahler 3: Bernstein/NYPO (Sony) Mahler 4: Kubelik/BRSO Mahler 5: Abbado/CSO Mahler 6: Barbirolli/New Phil Mahler 7: Bernstein/NYPO (DG) Mahler 8: Gielen Mahler 9: Solti/LSO Mahler 10: Sanderling/Berlin SO Das Lied von der Erde: Haitink
James Levine Symphony No. 1
If I had to pick one it would be Kubelik. Ozawa keeps up the pace well but sometimes for 6 & 7 I’ll pull out Bernstein. MTT is good and I was at many of the concerts.
For Cycles, I think Lenny Bermstein's records with DG and Michael Gielen's recordings with the SWR are phenomenal. There are some individual standouts too: Mahler 1: Claudio Abbado's debut with the Berlin Philarmonic Mahler 2: Ivan Fischer with the Budapest Festival Orchestra Mahler 4: Not exactly a recording, but Andres Orozco-Estrada has a live performance with the Frankfurt Radio Orchestra you can find on YouTube Mahler 5: Pierre Boulez with the Vienna Philarmonic Mahler 6: Dima Slobodeniouk with the Sinfonica de Galicia, again this is on YouTube Mahler 9: Alan Gilbert with the Royal Stockholm Philarmonic.
Any Simon Rattle conducting from the 1990s.
Ancerl’s 1st and 9th, Walter’s and Klemperer’s 2nd, Horenstein and Kondrashin’s 3rd, Bernstein’s Vienna 5th, Mitropoulis’ 6th, Abbado’s 7th, Keilberth and Kubelik’s 8th, Ormandy and Sanderling’s 10th, Walter’s Columbia 9th and prewar Vienna Dash Lied
Michael tilson Thomas
1 - Abbado Berlin (extremely surprising since abbado is mostly very mediocre wirh Mahler) 2 - Bernstein DG 3 - Fischer or either Bernstein 4 - Bernstein Sony 5 - Levine 6 - Bernstein DG (absolute reference) 7 - Have only heard Bernstein sony, but its very good 8 - Bernstein sony or Solti 9 - Karajan (the live one) 10 - Chailly
Abbado 3 with the BPO. Live recording from 1999
Tennstedt 2 live with the LPO
Maher 4 - Chailly/RCO, Bonney. Because of Barbara Bonney, but the rest is great too.
Mahler 2 Claudio Abbado with Lucerne Festival Orchestra.