D. C Morris | Lexington, S.C. United States | 04/24/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This performance is more magnificent and dramatic than the Philharmonia recording and has more of an inevitable flow from beginning to end. It is the clearest and most straightforward interpretation that I have heard, yet it also has heart and soul. The crisp rhythms are sometimes primal and really hit you in the gut. It is proof that playing the music straight sometimes brings more feeling to a piece than does putting mushy sentimentality into a piece unnecessarily."
Magnificent, and superior to his EMI studio account
R. J. Claster | Van Nuys, CA United States | 07/22/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Although this live 1965 account with the Bavarian RSO (in excellent stereo sound) is basically very similar interpretively to his EMI studio recording with the Philharmonia, its level of dramatic intensity is significantly higher throughout, with more explosive climaxes and also, greater warmth and flexibility of phrasing. Moreover, I find this performance more inspired than either the Mehta-Vienna Phil (Decca) or the Walter-NY Phil (Sony), fine as they both are. I sincerely hope that EMI restores this great performance to its catalogue."
FORGET THE STUDIO VERSION!!
Ryan Kouroukis | Toronto, Ontario Canada | 06/19/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Forget Klemperer's studio recording, it is terribly over rehearsed(except for the ending)...we have here a mysterious, unexpected and powerhouse of a interpretaion! They should have issued THIS recording instead of the other one on EMI's Great Recordings of the Century. This one has increased intensity and the sound is amazing still....I would say, one of the definive 2nd's alongside Kubelik's and Kaplan's."
Great second
Leonardo | Argentina | 05/10/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It isa hard to imagine this recording was made in a single concert !!!! It is very intense and at the same thing has very fluid pacing. Great soloists and chorus. Very acceptable sound. He was an specialist in this work. More interesting than Walter (look in the internet to the reviews of all mahler symphonies by Duncan, I think, and see why this Klemperer is the best). If you want a more melodramatic recording, try Bernstein on DG. This has more spontaneity, the other sounds more "grandiose" sometimes. I think both are valid. I don't know Rattle's (Grammophone Choice)."