Mahler: Symphony No. 9
Herbert von Karajan made a studio recording of the Ninth with the Berlin Philharmonic that appeared in 1981, but he was apparently dissatisfied with it and pressed for this remake, recorded at a performance during the Berlin Festival Weeks of 1982. The result is one of the finest of all his achievements--a riveting account of this great work that blazes with a visionary intensity from first bar to last. There is grip and majesty here, sovereign control over the Mahler's vast canvas, but also an extraordinary "of the moment" quality that is unusual in Karajan's discography. The sound on this recent "Karajan Gold" remastering is excellent.--Ted Libbey