Mahler: Symphony No. 8

performed by Heather Harper (soprano), John Shirley-Quirk (baritone), Lucia Popp (soprano), Martti Talvela (bass), René Kollo (tenor), Vienna Boys' Choir (boy's choir), Vienna State Opera Chorus (choir, chorus), Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Georg Solti (conductor)
composed by Gustav Mahler

Aside from his sensational Wagner Ring cycle, if one recording in Georg Solti's catalog bears repeated reissues, it must be his truly legendary rendition of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 8 in E flat major, "Symphony of a Thousand," a captivating performance that was unmatched in its day and one that still holds its own against later releases. No fewer than three CDs of this 1971 performance have appeared, the 1990 double-disc, the 1999 Decca Legends, and the 2006 The Originals package, the last two as single discs. Having ... Read More

Aside from his sensational Wagner Ring cycle, if one recording in Georg Solti's catalog bears repeated reissues, it must be his truly legendary rendition of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 8 in E flat major, "Symphony of a Thousand," a captivating performance that was unmatched in its day and one that still holds its own against later releases. No fewer than three CDs of this 1971 performance have appeared, the 1990 double-disc, the 1999 Decca Legends, and the 2006 The Originals package, the last two as single discs. Having the whole work on one disc is a real benefit, not merely for convenience, but also because it prevents a break in the symphony's trajectory, an important consideration in this sprawling work. In terms of the performance, this recording is especially worth considering because of its unequaled octet of singers -- sopranos Heather Harper, Lucia Popp, and Arleen Augér, contraltos Yvonne Minton and Helen Watts, tenor René Kollo, baritone John Shirley-Quirk, and bass Martti Talvela -- whose... Read Less