The Consensus Reference Recordings of Mahler 

Gil I want to thank you for reviewing older, historical recordings.😊

Bruno Walter himself referred to his live 1938 VPO recording of Mahler's 9th as "deeply unsatisfactory." And that it is. The performance took place in January of that year, just before the Anschluss and Walter’s expulsion from Austria. In view of that, and a heaping helping of hindsight, this slapdash, sonically and musically insensitive reading is invested-for some-with “unique” tension and excitement; qualities which otherwise no critical listener would describe. This recording is best left forgotten, and certainly never be touted as a "great," "recommended," "consensus," or even a "must-listen-to" version.

I think I would add the Janet Baker/Barbirolli recording of the Ruckert Lieder They also did a wonderful "Songs of A Wayfarer" which could be considered the reference recording.

I have those Klems and greatly enjoy them.

I own every one of these recordings, and I agree they are references.

For the 1st Eliahu Inbal goes hand in hand with Kubelik, I think

What happened to 7 and 8???? You jump from Barbirolli's 5th and 6th to Walter's 9th.

Very good for me is symphony 5 of Malher for Claudio Abbado whith Berlin and Chicago orchestres .

No 7th? 8th?

Pity you left out No, 7 and 8

My choice has been Chailly for Nos 2 & 9, Rattle the rest. Fascinating composer but the litmus test is - could I live without him? Oh yes indeed! He and Bruckner, Shostakovich, Berg, Schoenberg, Stravinsky, Stockhausen, Messiaen ... I mean, I've enjoyed Mahler - Nos. 2, 3 & 8 especially - there are staggering passages in the 5th & 9th (the latter's Rondo-Burleske nightmarish) but, had they never been encountered, my life would not have been poorer, no, not one iota. Whereas the opposite pertains with Schubert, Mozart, Haydn, Bach, Beethoven, Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, M'ssohn, Brahms. Can't imagine life without them. That's the basic difference.