I have been listening to Zander's recording of Mahler's 9th on Telarc.
I listened to just the first movement for five nights in a row.  (It's
practically a symphony in itself) Anyway, I also listened to Bernstein's
BPO performance.  Then I got to thinking about why I liked Zander so much
more.  Zander is slow but never slack.  Bernstein is also slower than
Barbirolli and others, but there is something about his performance I
find too idiosyncratic.  This may sound odd coming from the president
of the Leopold Stokowski Society of America, but that is what I have been
thinking.  Then I realized that I cannot think of a single recording of any
of the Mahler symphonies done by Bernstein that I would rate #1 or even #3.
 In the first I prefer Walter and Horenstein.  In the second I prefer
Stokowski and Rattle.  In the third I prefer Horenstein.  In the fifth ther
is Barbirolli, Chailly and others.  In the 6th I will listen to almost
anyone else.  Of late I like Barbirolli.  I have never heard Bernstein's
8th but hear no reason to listen to any other than Stokowski and Davis.
In the 9th there is Zander, Walter, Barbirolli, Kubelik...

Just thought I'd open up a can of worms.
Peace,
bob stumpf
http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/maestrno/