Quick question: Mahler symphony sets on CD

I've spotted the Maazel / Vienna Phil and the earlier Bernstein Mahler sets (on Sony Classical) at £24 each in HMV. I've already got the Solti set, which is reliable enough but a bit matter-of-fact sometimes, and a few augmentations (Rattle's Berlin 10, Szell's 4, Karajan's analogue 9) but at £24 I'd quite fancy another complete set.

Sooooo....the Bernstein is reasonably well hyped albeit supposedly in dim and distant sound (big drawback in Mahler IMO), while the Maazel has received some fairly poor reviews but has the Vienna Phil in modern recordings, and some people on Amazon seem to really like it.

Any thoughts? The Tennstedt set comes up for cheap sometimes too (although it's not there just at the moment - I'm sure it'll be back on offer soon though...)

 

I was quite impressed by the Abbado set (various orchestras) when I heard it at Titian's, Pete - I ended up buying it. I paid full price, but full price differs from place to place. Check out Amazon Germany for example - free postage above some amount. Then there's JTC (or is it JDC?), also in Germany, which will send CDs anywhere in the world.

 

Thanks, tones, but sadly I can't really justify purchasing the cost of purchasing the Abbado - basically there are several presentable-looking sets available at silly prices (which I can afford, just about ) and I'm wondering if anyone thinks they're worth having or worth avoiding.

 

Just to jog your memories, here are some pictures of the sets in question

Maazel / VPO

Bernstein / NYPO and others

 

The Kubelik set on DG used to be available very cheaply, around £20-£30 mark. It has some excellent performances, particularly 1, 3, 4, 6 & 7 which are amongst the best of all.

 

Pete,

The Tennstedt is currently at www.mdt.co.uk for £25. I only have the 8th from him, and that is quite stunning. They also have (mostly pairs of) individual symphonies at 8.50 per double CD. Don't seem to have 6&7 this way though.

Britannia currently have the Kubelik/Bavarian set at £24.99. There is also a listing at 35.00 - are there two sets?

I would say though that you need to have Bernstein's DG/Concertgebouw No 1 - the opening to the last movement is one of the wonders of my collection - and for me his performance completely outshines the Kubelik (I've had that on LP since I was a teenager) - good though that is. It's on DG panorama with his live 5th/VPO, which is also spectacular (well this is Bernstein live - so that's a sort of tautology), currently £8.00 at Britannia (11 at MDT).

I heard Maazel with the LSO last year in 3rd and 9th. Both were beautifully played and supremely polished, but didn't really move me. As you might expect this suited the 3rd more than the 9th. Of course the coda of the 9th last movement was quite touching, but that takes monumental talent to screw up - but even Gatti and the RPO last month got far deeper (even if the playing was really scrappy - first time I've been really disappointed by this partnership).

 

Hi,
I would also remember the set of Brilliant Classics with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra and Eliahu Inbal. The original recordings were from Denon in DDD so, for those who like digital technique, are very good quality.
This set sells at 2001 for €27,99 (Order Nr. 55700). Usually the shipping costs are very low (at least for Switzerland).
In the german forums these recordings are very highly reputated but maybe because there are german interpreters in it. I have the original LPs with Denon and heard a couple very quickly and superficially. I didn't notice anything negative but there again I should hear them again. Anyway the price is great.