Tony Duggan wrote:

>>You should point your web browser at my detailed survey of Mahler
>>recordings which is to be found at:
>http://www.musicweb.uk.net/Mahler/

Then David Rothstein wrote:

>I heartily recommend this excellent survey which has never disappointed
>me and has helped immensely.  However, although I admire Horenstein very
>highly, I wouldn't start with him.  Familiar yourself first with Mahler
>(I strongly recommend the Kubelik set) then "beef" up your set with the
>special recommendations.  Horenstein, Barbirolli, Klemperer etc.  need
>in my opinion seasoned listeners.

At least in the USA, I believe the Kubelik set on Deutsche Grammophon has
been deleted from the catalog.  I was going to buy it recently as a present
for a friend, but I can't find it listed in any of the on-line CD shopping
sites (and Berkshire doesn't have it).  I believe it is available from the
Japanese HMV site, but there is a consideration shipping cost to the USA.

While others may disagree, I would recommend starting with a box set of
the complete symphonies, at least if cost is any significant consideration.
If you can find the Kubelik box, I have not argument with Mr. Rothstein's
recommendation.  Of the sets which I believe are still readily available,
for 55 to 65 US dollars, you can buy the Sony Bernstein or EMI Tennstedt
boxes of all of the Mahler symphonies, and I think both conductors have a
lot to offer.  While some may view the recommendation of the Tennstedt box
as controversial, I think Tennstedt gives good to outstanding performances
of all of the symphonies, and especially the 7th I would consider to be a
genuinely great performance.

My argument for a box set near the beginning of someone's Mahler "discovery
phase": For the price of 2 or 3 individual symphony recordings you can get
a complete set.  There is some risk, even after one has positive initial
experiences with Mahler, that one's experience with the "next symphony"
might not be as positive, so the entire set allows one to reduce the risk
that a negative encounter will abort the process of discovering the rest of
the symphonies (and I view all of them as wonderful).  Furthermore, if you
are in the "discovery" phase and you really like the symphonies you have
already heard, I'd suggest getting all of them, and one of the box sets
mentioned above (including the Kubelik) is a fast and cost-effective way
to do so.  While no single conductor so fully mines Mahler's depths as to
eliminate the need or desire for other performances, I would keep in mind
the context of someone making initial encounters with Mahler's music--and
the joy of appreciating different approaches to the same symphony can and
should follow familiarity with the body of Mahler's symphonic output.

Drew Capuder
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