Symphony No. 8 in E-flat major 'Symphony of a Thousand'

Gustav Mahler

Jascha Horenstein / London Symphony Orchestra

1959 Live recording. Sound is 'not great... a little bit noisy'.

The reviewer's 'desert island choice' for its interpretation, despite noisy sound. It 'brings across the power of the work... more profoundly than any.' The second 'Veni Creator' is 'cataclysmic' and the 'Chorus Mysticus' is 'overwhelming' and 'goosebump inducing'.

Heather Harper, Lucia Popp, Arleen Augér, Yvonne Minton, Helen Watts, René Kollo, John Shirley-Quirk, Martti Talvela / Sir Georg Solti / Chicago Symphony Orchestra

1971

The 'easiest way to first get to know' this massive work. The engineering is spectacular and crucial. The performance is 'very intense, very exciting,' with a 'fantastic array of soloists'.

Leonard Bernstein / Vienna Philharmonic

1975 Live recording.

A live recording that 'brings out the spiritual qualities' of the work. It's also dramatic and intense, with the 'passion and that humanity' characteristic of Bernstein.

Dimitri Mitropoulos / Vienna Philharmonic

1960 Live recording, 'a little bit more rough sounding'.

Essential historical choice. Though rough-sounding, the performance is 'just absolutely on fire, even more electric than Solti's. It's just darn exciting'.