Bernstein Conducts Mahler

Sony Classical announces another ten releases in it's popular series of Classical Masters. This new batch of budget-priced sets contains major recording projects by some of the 20th century's most celebrated musicians. Once again, the series offers cornerstones of the orchestral repertoire, including four complete symphony cycles. The young Leonard Bernstein was already at the height of his conducting powers during his 1958-69 reign at the New York Philharmonic, and none of his achievements from that period had greater impact than the complete cycle of Mahler symphonies. Indeed, the 1962 release of the Third, a galvanizing recording that arguably has still not been surpassed, can be said to have launched the "Mahler Renaissance". Other incomparable performances from this landmark set are the Seventh and Eighth. The latest remastered 12-album reissue also includes Bernstein's 1972 live Israel Philharmonic recording of Das Lied von der Erde - "a fine, committed performance... highly enjoyable" (Gramophone) - with soloists Christa Ludwig and René Kollo.