Mahler: Symphony No. 8 / Popp · Auger · Minton · Harper · Kollo · Shirley-Quirk · Talvela · Chicago SO · Solti
Solti was an eminent Mahlerian, reveling in the dramatic sweep and power of the scores but also surprisingly sympathetic to their many delicate, sparely scored passages. The gigantic Eighth Symphony is perhaps Solti's finest Mahler recording. The opening outburst, "Veni, creator spiritus," is shattering in its impact, and the next 80 minutes are an emotionally wrenching trek across Mahler's vast musical landscape. Most conductors do well simply to hold together this gargantuan, often ungainly combination of symphony, oratorio, and sceneryless opera (Part II is a setting from Goethe'sFaust). But Solti's conducting makes it work by maintaining tension throughout. He gets superb orchestral playing from the Chicago Symphony and inspires a great Viennese chorus and the best team of vocal soloists to record this work. Add outstanding engineering that, nearly three decades later, still yields demonstration-quality sound, and you get the best stereo Mahler Eighth in the catalog.--Dan Davis