Richard Pennycuick <[log in to unmask]> wrote... in a divergence from the original Levine/BSO string: >If they're as good as the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie, bring them on! I >finally heard that much-praised Mahler 5th the other day, and was blown >away. I dunno if I commented on this earlier... but... I too had acquired the JDP Mahler 5 as a result of the praise from this list. And certainly I liked it very much... and to think that this is a student orchestra makes the performance even more amazing. However, disregarding their student status, and being objective about the recording and performance itself... I'd have to say that Chailly's tops it. I felt that the interpretations and flow were the quite the same... far different to be sure from the other noted top contenders, Barbirolli and Gatti (which I just recently acquired)... and the only difference between the Chailly/RCO and the Barshai/JDP was that the Concertgebouw played with more polish and was recorded in much better (again, more polished) sound. Albie