Pablo Massa wrote:

>Tony Duggan wrote (about Mahler's 8th):
>
>>Solti's merciless assault has never impressed me all that much.
>
>Do you mean for "merciless assault" the quick tempo and nerve that Solti
>employs at the first movement?

Yes, certainly that and also what I can best describe as an over-urgency,
a febrile, hard-edged quality to most of the rest.  It's a fault I find
with most of Solti's Mahler, especially with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
who have no Mahler sound at all, especially not under him.

>>My own favourites in the 4th remain Kletzki, Horenstein, Kubelik,
>>Barbirolli, Britten.
>
>I didn't know about a recording of Mahler's 4th by Britten.  It's a good
>new for me (never is too late...), because I like both composers.  It would
>be very interesting to hear Britten conducting that particular work.

It's on BBC Legends.  It's a fascinating view of one composer by another.

>I'll have in mind the 8th by Horenstein.  (I've never heard that version,
>but I've had a lot of comments of it).

Likewise on BBC Legends.

Tony Duggan, England.
Mahler recordings survey:
http://www.musicweb.force9.co.uk/music/Mahler/