Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

It was bound to happen sooner or later: pretty much everything known by Mahler put into one box (16 cd's). Of course, one could argue endlessly about what performances of the various symphonies EMI could have/should have chosen. But what this set has going for it are a series of outstanding renditions of the various song cycles and vocal works. In addition to having the Thomas Hampson/Wolfram Rieger (piano) "Five Ruckert Songs", disc 16 gives us a survey of numerous "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen" performances - possibly THE most gorgeous orchestral song ever composed - captured by EMI over the years. That list includes Janet Baker, Christa Ludwig (twice), D. Fischer-Dieskau, Thomas Allen, Brigitte Fassbaender, and Katarina Karneus. But rather than yack on and on, I'll simply leave you a list of what this box contains. CD 1 - "Das Klagende Lied". Simon Rattle/C.B.S.O., 1983/84 Piano Quartet movement. Domus, 1988 CD 2 - "Songs Of A Wayfarer". D. Fischer-Dieskau/Furtwaengler/Philharmonia, 1952 Symphony #1. Giulini/Chicago Symphony, 1971 CD 3 - Symphony #2. Klemperer/Philharmonia (studio version), 1961 CD 4 - Three Early Songs. Ian Bostridge/A. Pappano (piano), 2010 14 "Lieder & Gesaenge". Sung by var. big names from EMI catalog. Symphony #3, Mvt. 1. Rattle/C.B.S.O./Birgirt Remmert (mezzo), 1997 CD 5 - Sym. #3, Mvts. II - VI. Rattle/CBSO. "Blumine". P. Jarvi/Frankfurt R.S.O., 2009 CD 6 - Sym. #4. Horenstein/L.P.O./M. Price (sop), 1970 CD 7 - Sym. #5. K. Tennstedt/L.P.O. - "live", 1988 CD 8 - "Kindertotenlieder". K. Ferrier/B. Walter/V.P.O., 1949 "Five Ruckert Lieder". J. Baker/Barbirolli/New Phil., 1969 Sym. #6, Mvt. I. J. Barbirolli/New Philharmonia, 1967 CD 9 - Sym. #6, Mvts. II - IV. Barbirolli/New Phil., 1967 CD 10 - Sym. #7. Rattle/C.B.S.O., 1991 (Aldeburgh Festival) CD 11 - "Des Knaben Wunderhorn". Schwarzkopf/Fischer-Dieskau/G.Szell/L.S.O., 1968 Sym. #8, Part I. Tennstedt/L.P.O., 1986 CD 12 - Sym. #8, Part II. Tennstedt/L.P.O., 1986 CD 13 - "Das Lied von der Erde". C. Ludwig/Wunderlich/Klemperer/Phil., 1966 CD 14 - Sym. #9. Barbirolli/Berlin Phil., 1964 CD 15 - Sym. #10. S. Rattle/Berlin Phil., 1999 CD 16 - "Bonus CD", as described above. Needless to say, this set captures many of the biggest names in the Mahler "biz" ever: Barbirolli; Horenstein; Furtwaengler (his one and only studio recording of Mahler); Bruno Walter; Kathleen Ferrier; Klaus Tennstedt; Simon Rattle (opinions vary, but they chose some of his better work here); Janet Baker; Christa Ludwig; D. Fischer-Dieskau; Brigitte Fassbaender; C.M. Giulini; Chicago Symphony (caputred in the Medinah Temple); Berlin Phil.; Philharmonia Orch. (the Walter Legge years); E. Schwarzkopf; the incomparable Fritz Wunderlich ("DLvdE") - the list goes on, so most of this set is pretty much self recommending. Even if you already own some Mahler, if you don't have many of these performances, you probably ought to indulge yourself with this set. No one need be reminded that we're in the middle of summer and an economic recession. But when the holidays roll around, few things will say "Merry Christmas" better to music lovers than this box. Ponder that thought. It's better than yet another "La Boheme" or Beethoven cycle, not to mention Lady Gaga.