Heng Soong wrote:

>Dave Lampson posted some information on the Gramophone 2000 awards,
>which included the news that "Sir Simon Rattle picked up three awards
>(Orchestral, Opera and Record of the Year)" and that his recording
>of Mahler's Tenth with the BPO on EMI has been voted both best in the
>orchestral category and also the record of the year.  ...  So, could
>I have the comments of fellow members of this list who have heard the
>recording as to whether it is worth the hoopla?

Yes, it is.  Rattle knows this work better than any other conductor alive.
He has performed it dozens of times.  Not that this, of course, makes for
an automatic recommendation.  I reviewed it in detail on Classical Music
on The Web when it came out and for my opinion I direct you to that:

   http://www.musicweb.uk.net/classrev/2000/may00/mahler10.htm

You will see there a couple of reservations but these must be seen in
context.  For general recommendations regarding the Mahler Tenth Symphony
please see my general survey of that work:

   http://www.musicweb.uk.net/Mahler/Mahler10.htm

Rattle's new recording (this is his second) of the work is the one against
which other have to be measured.  Don't hesitate.

Tony Duggan, England.
Mahler recordings survey:
http://www.musicweb.uk.net/Mahler/