The Gustavs

I was very pleased with this collection. It is simply just beautiful classical music that hasn't been dumbed down for babies, like so many other albums seem to be. It also does NOT have any 'new age' like adaptions, which was a big plus for me personally. My daughter has not had any problems drifting to sleep while it's playing. I would definitely recommend this as a great first CD for your baby!

This is a nice CD full of classics. Not all of the tracks will lull baby to sleep (try Mozart for Mothers-to-be), but, for the price, it's well worth adding to your collection.

very soothing for the unborn baby (decreases in-utero kicking) and the newborn baby (increases between-feedings time at night). highly recommended for any newly minted parents out there.

These lullabies are infact very soothing. I have filled an MP3 player for my princess w/ lullabies, classical music and the Nutcracker and it helps w/ keeping her asleep all night by shadowing all other noises in the house until morning. I would recomend anyone to get this cd not only for a small child but for anyone who has trouble sleeping. These beautiful classical mastepieces help anyone fall peacefully asleep*

A double CD with 20 really soothing classics played by real orchestras. Music not only for the unborn baby or child but but to relax mom and dad as well. Beautiful pieces!

Title...The Most Relaxing Music in the Universe (not Feminine Mystique(?). Music is beautiful, very relaxing yet energizing.

A lovely mostly Baroque montage with recognizable favorites including classical pieces from Mozart and Beethoven.

This CD is wonderful! After a long stressful day at work, my husband and I like to put this CD on and cook supper together and relax. Great relaxing music and we just love it.

I was not really a classical music fan but I am now. I purchased this cd for my 14 year old grand-daughter, not knowing we would both enjoy the music so much. She has always enjoyed classical music along with all of the other teen music, rap, rock, country, etc.
Also, it really helped being able to listen to parts of the music before purchasing.

Perfect music to end the work day. After listening to this I can face the evening. If the morning is hard, a little at lunch time gets me through the afternoon.

The studio disc "Angel Voices" represents a well-crafted cross-section of Libera's work across the majority of its 24 year history; a "greatest hits" disc. If you're brand new to Libera, start right here: this disc has the majority of their most well-known work from performances and albums past. For old hands, there are some new cuts sure to become part of Libera's lasting repertoire. This album's track list is NOT the same as that for the live recording made at Leiden: Angel Voices: Libera In Concert

Purists: Go away. The group actively promotes themselves as a unique style of their own (the boys' own words, not some publicist's blurb), so they won't fit into prefab Genre Boxes. Libera is made up of schoolchildren united by their love of this art--please try and recognize that before attacking them for transforming the music of "your" masters into "electronic garbage."

For newcomers, the "Sanctus" given before Pope Benedict XVI's 2008 Mass at Yankee Stadium is on this disc, recorded by the same voices. The shimmering textures of "Voca me" highlight the 'Libera sound,' a blending of powerful low altos against the brilliant, warm tones of the higher trebles. "Salva me," showcasing one of Libera's best soloists (Tom Cully), is also a long-established standard from Libera's catalogue. "Ave Maria," first heard on "LiberaVisions" (2005), breathes here again, the solo voices seeming to float overhead.

Folks looking for something new will find it in several places. "Far Away" gets its first appearance on disc here, its longing solo part contrasting beautifully against the choir's fuller sound. "Going Home," based on the "Largo" from Dvorak's "Symphony No. 9: From the New World," is something American listeners can identify with. It appears in two versions: the original cut and a radio edit. The warm, serene timbre of the soloists melds perfectly with the song's lyrical meditation on death. "Silent Night," led by soloist Tom Cully, might feel slightly out of place (or season), but the performance is magnetic and wonderful...you'll remember it when Christmas rolls around again!

If there is a caveat here, it's simply a matter of personal taste: I'd like to have seen "Adoramus" on here, since that's one of my favorites by Libera.

"Angel Voices," with its balance of old and new material, is a versatile and immaculately beautiful collection of Libera's finest work and talent. If you're new to this group, start right here (and also Luminosa).

Any of Libera's cd's is well worth the money for anyone who likes boys' choirs. They are exceptional, both on cd and in concert. The only drawback for those of us who collect their music is the duplication of songs among cd's. If you purchase more than one, check the tracks for duplication before you click the button!

A testament to the beauty that exists in this world. Disciplined and well-constructed collection of good music. Recommended.

A truly wonderful piece of music, this was the first of their albums that I purchased and it had me coming back for more, I now have all their work and recommend any of their music to those who would enjoy an uplifting and quite emotional musical experience. I especially loved "Sanctus" I'll never tire of that track. I've heard these melodious boys described as "average" but they are anything but. All I can say is that the harmonics of theses voices can not only be heard but also felt, like a chill up the spine and goosebumps across the skin, if that doesn't illustrate the point I don't know what can!

OK, this IS the best boy choir in the world. Their angelic voices and heart-felt music is simply a perfect guide for my choir students' voice and listening skills. Thank you Libera for your beautiful voices and music. By the way, I'm happy to say that I own the complete collection of their CDs.

Holst The Planets was a universal awakening for progressive rock musicians during the early 70's. Mars, the bringer of War turns up on King Crimson's The Devil's Triangle. Excerpts from Jupiter, Bringer of Jollity are found on NO OPPORTUNITY NECESSARY by Yes. The main melody is reproduced on Manfred Mann's Joybringer. The center section of Mars, Bringer of War is played by Lucifer's Friend on Summerdream. I have also heard snipets of Procol Harum and Univers Zero. I believe that David Bedford and Bernard Hermann were influenced as well. Holst the Planets is very educating and musicians have been studying the work for decades. John Williams compositions for the Star Wars Trilogy is the most common example of just how influential Holst really was. A great buy!

Give a listen to The Planets, and you'll recognize the phrases and melodies and arrangement style that became Star Wars in John Williams' able hands.

I bought tis for my son who is a music major. He loved it

Totally remastered for surround sound or high resolution stereo and the results are astonishing. The Planets was always of demonstration quality; now it sounds more spacious than ever, with greater depth in the bass, enhanced internal definition and the dynamics expanded. The result is thrilling---Uranus and the brass bring a remarkable sense of the concert hall. The performance is basically traditional, with plenty of ferocity in Mars, delicacy in Mercury and sparkle in Jupiter, and throughout there is an appealing freshness as if one were experiencing Holst's wonderful orchestral effects for the first time.

I bought this CD after a Tanglewood concert a few years ago where John Williams, focusing on movie music including his own compositions, also conducted "The Planets." I recognized "Jupiter" as the theme music for a WQXR (the New York Times radio station) "New York at 6" program. It was a treat to find out where that piece came from. When I listened to this beautifully performed CD, I was pleasantly surprised to see Mr. Williams' movie music included -- a brilliant move on the part of this item's producers (just listen to "Mars" and then to "Star Wars"). As another reviewer has suggested, it's not clear why his music was included, but there are similarities here which I'd love Mr. Williams to discuss some day. I've since become an avid amateur astronomer, and so the themes, musical and otherwise, projected in the works of Holst and Williams have become a special treat for the mind as well as the ear.

The conductor and the singers can make a beautiful song the opera that everyone jeers and hates. To have a Russian singer doing o mio babbino caro is just plain silly...give the woman a break and play something from Russian opera...give a beautiful melodic aria to a lyrical singer like Caballe...boo hiss. Try Opera's Greatest Moments where they give Hvorostvsky an aria from Pique Dame and leave the bel canto to bel canto singers.

The Most Famous Opera Arias (Purchased on 04/01/2008)
Good service and good product.

21 Dec, 2007
Some of the most beautiful music ever to flow from the pen of any composer.

I'm generally not a fan of music "samplers," but opera can be tough to introduce to children. And hey--even adults played cards, ate, and talked through the recitative sections of the early operas while they waited for the next aria! So I feel that getting kids hooked on opera through great arias probably can't hurt (the next 10 years or so will determine whether I'm right or not). My 4-year-old loves this CD; it's a delight to watch her imitate Anna Moffo (the sincerest form of flattery, for sure). Highly recommended resource for introducing young kids to opera. More top picks: Siberell's Bravo! Brava! A Night at the Opera, and the Black Dog Opera Library CDs.

If you note the album was released in 1994, and includes selections from many years prior, you will understand that the quality of the sound engineering is not going to dazzle your ear.

It's a very nice collection to hum along to, but don't expect shivers down your spine as the sound quality is not sufficient to reproduce the dynamic range of these voices.

I first heard of this choir group in a you tube video. It was beautiful. Something I had to have. Good thing Amazon had it. The CD is great for meditation and its very peaceful. Enjoy! K.Borges

Libera is not "classical" music, per se...judging them by that standard is absurd and unfair (I say this as a trained musician and Bach aficionado). Their style is their own, let them have it! The choir isn't supposed to be John Eliot Gardiner or Mahler (thank God).

The whole disc is worth the recording of "Adoramus." Instead of the flute solo that opened the live performance of the piece at Leiden, Holland, in December 2007, here the choir uses one of the higher trebles vocalizing those same notes. The difference is astounding.

Overall, "Free" breaks away from the almost total use of plainchant themes (as in "Luminosa") in favor of a series of original works by director Robert Prizeman and others. The dancelike ambience of "Free" demonstrates the choir's technical ability and versatility.

Some highlights:

* The haunting, meditative text of the poem "Do not stand at my grave and weep" is united with music underscoring the elegiac air of resigned acceptance evoked by the poem; one of their best English-language settings.

* "I vow to thee my country" (better known in the U.S. as the "Jupiter Chorale") is an intensely devotional moment that eschews obnoxious bursts of sound in favor of the choir's warmer, more subdued ambience.

* "Stay With Me" is a gently rhythmic piece that shows off the choir's lower altos in contrast to the piercing high trebles. The effect has to be heard.

* "Adoramus Te" opens with an ethereal vocalization by one of the younger trebles that seems to float overhead until the rest of the ensemble enters. A fast-paced piece, "Adoramus" combines a Gregorian theme with modern rhythms to show off the choir's virtuosity and technical precision. One of Libera's best tracks so far.

For people new to Libera, it would be better to start with "Luminosa" (Luminosa), since much of the choir's most well-known work is there or on the later "Angel Voices." But "Free" is a fine album, as is par for Libera.

Ultrapurists should avoid (and be avoided) like the plague.

Unbelievable music from a London Boy's Choir. If you've never heard them you owe it to yourself to listen.

Do you enjoy listening to quiet inspiring music? The kind that lets you find that feeling of joy and hope? Then this is an album you certainly will enjoy! The technical workings of this album will have to be explained by someone else - I don't enjoy taking music apart to see the dynamics.....I just know how music affects me and this album has a most positive effect!
Begin this album, be quiet, listen with your heart, and soon you feel peace and serenity - you will be attuned to the good and gentle things of life.
VERY POWERFUL IN A POSITIVE WAY!

WOW, this was a real surprise to hear the whole Libera free cd.
This music is heavenly. Voices are of angels singing.
This is a keeper. just so amazing.

I love this cd. The majesty and power of the music is overwhelming.

If you like a strong, powerful melody, you'll like this cd

I bought this CD to use in my classroom as listening examples. I'm not just a super big fan of some of the performances, but they are all good and for the price you can't beat it. That's why I gave it 5 stars. It's worth more than it costs by far.

This is a who's-who of great pieces of music you have heard all of your life, and never knew the names and stories! I listened to it over and over in the car and had my own concert! A friend borrowed it to add music to his Home Movies and it was perfect!

I bought this CD mostly for "Entry of the Gladiators," which everyone will recognize as classic circus music. The performance on this CD (by Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops) is the best available version of Entry of the Gladiators. The rest of the CD offers mostly excerpts of classical music.

I had purchased an abundance of the "Favorites" collection and some were better than others.

This CD is at the top of them all. They may be short, but not that short. Wondrous music.

I can almost guarantee that you will like this music.
Well worth the price!

Beautifully done, arranged, and selected. All are very good performances, and there are many lesser known but wonderful pieces such as the movement from Shostakovich's second piano concerto.

Not as relaxing as the first volume. But still a great collection of relaxing music. The orchestra that plays the music in the CD is excellent.

Good selection of music, poorly performed and badly arranged. Good album for a tag sale. Same comment applies for Volume I.

I have listened to this CD for the last several years before going to sleep at night. I love classical music, and this is great music to help make my soul feel at peace and unwind after a taxing day.

I bought Vol. 1 of this series and was quite satisfied, but I have to say I'm more than satisfied with this one. If you can just mellow out and enjoy some great pieces, you'll love this CD. #15 on Disc 2 is almost worth the price alone!

The Planets suite is quite a thing of beauty. This recording made by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of James Levine, is quite good. The powerful, brassy sound other reviewers have spoke of is obvious here and it works perfectly. My only gripe is not really a bad thing. The dynamic range on this disc is tremendous. I often am forced to listen to music at levels which won't get me evicted from my apartment. In doing so, I have found that the piano or pianissimo (or pianississimo) passages are inaudible. It still sounds superb; I just have to crank it up and risk losing my hearing when the brass comes in.

While this interpretation still does not capture every element of the work in what I would consider its hypothetical, ideal performance (my interpretation, as I'm sure it is with most, is an average of all the ways I have heard the suite performed), I must say that this one really grew on me in the initial week I listened to it. At first I didn't think much of it (and I berated myself for caving to the glowing reviews I had read about Levine's interpretation), especially considering I was already very happy with my copy of the Charles Dutoit/Montreal Symphony Orchestra interpretation. I was expecting to be blown away upon my initial trial of the Levine recording and was disappointed in the extreme, especially since I put forward a pretty penny for my copy.

But, like I said, it really grew on me. For the record, I currently own three interpretations of this suite:

Charles Dutoit/Montreal Symphony Orchestra
James Levine/Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Andre Previn/Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Incidentally, all are DDD. I didn't choose them for that reason; things just happened that way. Nevertheless, of the three, Levine's is the clear winner sonically. The production is vibrant and inspiring, and each section sounds natural and pleasant. And, when the brass isn't drowning out everything else, the sections all blend well.

My first impression of the Levine interpretation was a criticism I still hold (and which I hinted to above): The brass is much too loud. Yes, of course, it's the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and indeed the tone and power of its brass section blows away anything else I have heard, but 'The Planets' the way I have always heard it has functioned best when the brass and strings have at least some vestage of balance. In Levine's recording no such balance exists: The entire suite is a showcase for the brass section. Now this works well for the louder sections (especially for "Mars"), but portions such as the middle section of "Jupiter" suffer greatly from this overzealous brass, which exhibits all the subtlety of a pile driver upon the delicate, lilting theme. I wouldn't be so critical here except that the middle section of "Jupiter" ties for what I consider the most beautiful, most haunting section in all classical music (the other contender is the principal melody of the second movement of Dvorak's Ninth Symphony). Somehow Dutoit just got it right in this section, even if he did leave out the tympani from the score (why he did this is beyond me).

But I could quibble on about this sort of thing forever. I am writing this review in regards to those who have heard the suite before and know it well, such that they are searching for an interpretation that suits them. Therefore I will not trifle with describing the movements themselves.


"Mars, The Bringer Of War" - This is by far the best movement in Levine's interpretation. This one just has a raw energy, a massive power that makes both Dutoit's and Previn's versions seem like so much wadded toilet paper. When I think "Mars", I think Levine and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. That marvelous brass section really nails this piece. I do not have the score (I passed on several occasions I had to purchase it), so I can't point to specific passages via measure number (which would be very helpful), but in general the crecendi in this movement are milked to gravitational effect. Whatever source you use to play this track will nearly wrench itself free of its moorings when you crank the volume on this movement. Of all the versions I've heard (the three I've mentioned, plus Tomita's timeless electronic rendering of the score), Levine's is by far the best. It's worth the price of admission alone to have this version of "Mars" in your collection.

"Venus, The Bringer Of Peace" - I was not so impressed with this movement. Levine seems to have difficulty with subtle, cantative sections. This entire movement seems a little rushed to me, especially the violin solo passages. It's also a little sloppy in places. Of the three orchestral versions I have heard, I would have to say Dutoit is the best as far as "Venus" goes.

"Mercury, The Winged Messenger" - I have much less experience with this particular movement in general (it was never one of my favorites until just recently). Nevertheless, I believe Levine's is a competent interpretation. Of the three conductors, I would say that this movement is Previn's moment of shining glory.

"Jupiter, The Bringer Of Jollity" - My knowledge of this movement makes up for my lack of knowledge regarding the previous one. "Jupiter" is by far my favorite movement in the piece, not simply for the bombastic, dance-like antics; but also for the graceful, uplifting middle theme. I have listened to that particular section of the music perhaps more than any other moment in my classical music collection.

That having been said, I would really like to give Levine the baton for this one. He does most of the piece better than either Dutoit or Previn could ever hope to achieve. However, the middle section really ruins the whole thing. It's not that the overall effect is bad, per se. It's just that I think Levine could have been a great deal more sensitive with this particular part of the score. The ending of this sequence is monumental and perfectly done, but the lead-up is far too brass-heavy and forced-sounding. This portion of the movement is supposed to be lyrical, firm but musical. And it needs to start much more softly. Surprisingly, the main offender at the beginning of this section is not the brass, but the woodwinds, particularly the clarinets. Chicago's clarinets have a rough, jarring timbre, and they destroy the first note of the middle sequence by virtue of their duck-like blast. Once the strings gain their composure, though, the brass starts getting uppity. Once we come to the stray honk from a single trumpet somewhere (a glaring mistake that makes me do a double-take every time I hear it), all hope for capturing the spirit of this movement as I hear it in my head is lost. Even so, when viewed from a different angle, it all adds up to a more forceful presentation of the theme, which is I believe preferable to a timid, lifeless run-through.

Different strokes for different folks, I suppose. You'll notice I didn't take any stars away. I figured that entitles me to be more detailed in my analysis, lest zealous fans of CSO/James Levine point some poisonous arrows in my general direction.

Personal indulgence aside, we'll get on with it.

"Saturn, The Bringer Of Old Age" - Nobody will ever beat Dutoit's interpretation of this piece. Not only is the organ bass at the very end of the latter's version simply devine, "Saturn" is a rare instance in which the Montreal brass are actually LOUDER than Chicago. Of all the times to be timid, the middle section of "Saturn" is not the one. Levine seems unwilling to embrace the score and let the full impact be broadcasted. Though of course his performance is fine, again his prowess insofar as the softer elements leaves something to be desired. Of the three versions I mentioned, I would place Levine's at a very close third behind Previn.

As far as the next two movements, I honestly don't have enough knowledge to where my opinion will mean very much. That could have something to do with the fact that it has been over seven years since I listened to either of them, in any of the three versions I have.


All in all, though I have probably at many times seemed at odds with my original statement, I highly recommend the Levine/Chicago Symphony Orchestra recording of Holst's 'The Planets.' Not only is it a good all-around effort, it contains the most powerful and meaningful interpretation of "Mars" I have ever heard. Everything else pales in comparison. If you like lyricism and dynamic restraint, then you should also look at Dutoit. If you like staid interpretation that nevertheless takes some liberties, you can split the difference between Levine and Dutoit with Previn. And, though I have never heard it, the Karajan/Berliner Philharmoniker recording is reputed to be reference-worthy. Some hate the latter, yet some love it. Few seem to be indifferent. But then, that's how it always seems to be with a subjective matter such as interpretation of a major work. To each his own, I suppose.

No orchestra's performance of Holst's Planets possesses the rich colors, the deep sonorities, the brilliant soloists, the heroic power and the sheer emotion of the Chicago Symphony's! The orchestra has proven their musical prowess time and time again and this is hardly and exeption. The strings flow beautifuly and act as a unified and mighty wave and also as a fertile bed of sound. The woodwinds are impeccable and voluptuous. the percussion is sensitive and precise. The mighty Chicago brass outstrips all the world's orchestras once more with this tour de force of majesty and might. The principal trumpet sails effortlessly above the entire ensemble, especially in Mercury and Jupiter, calling out to all mankind to harkon unto God. the horns display both incredible lyricism and a firey power. The trombone section is simply one of the best anywhere and ever. Charles Vernon awakens the dead with his volcanic sound most appearently in Uranus. This is one of the world's greatest orchestras and should be admired. This recording deserves much higher recognition.

Gustav Holst's "The Planets" (Op. 32) is a seven-movement symphonic poem which describes the "personalities" of most of our celestial neighbors in the solar system. Had Pluto been discovered when Holst was composing this wonderful piece in the early 20th Century, there might have been an eighth movement (perhaps called "The Guardian of the Dead"), but the ninth planet was not discovered until 1930, 12 years after its first rehearsal. No matter. One missing planet doesn't take away from the breathtaking wonder of this very powerful composition.

Holst is not literally describing each planet's physical features, for at the turn of the 20th Century there were no Voyager or Viking probes to send back images from which the composer could derive some inspiration, although I would like to think that some NASA engineer was listening to this music while driving to and from the Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena as one of our mechanical explorers was making its lonely sojourn across the vast and cold expanses of space. No, Holst was going for the planets as astral metaphors, giving each movement a descriptive title ("Mars, the Bringer of War," for instance) and a particular musical "mood" that is totally unconnected to the others.

James Levine (best known as the Metropolitan Opera's music director) leads the magnificent Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus into a mystical musical tour of the heavens, starting with the belligerent allegro "Mars, the Bringer of War." This movement starts with very tense and brooding music that becomes very martial, almost as if Holst had composed it for the score of a great silent epic depicting the then-ongoing Great War. It is a very "modern" piece, with very militaristic tempos that convey discord and strife. It even sounds like a precursor to John Williams' "The Imperial Attack" cue from his score to Star Wars: A New Hope. (If you play the last minute or so of the allegro, then listen to any recording of "The Imperial Attack," you will notice the similarity.)

In sharp contrast to the first movement, Venus, the Bringer of Peace" is a gentle and reflective piece, with lush strings and restrained tones suggesting astral tranquility.

My favorite movement is "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity," with its lively introduction and bright motifs that lead into a "hope and glory" theme which conveys grandeur and pomp, as if composed for a coronation or royal wedding. Holst uses various tempos and variations on themes, building on each musical construct until reaching a triumphal orchestral climax. (Listeners of the old WTMI 93.1 FM classical station in South Florida will recognize the opening bars of "Jupiter" as the musical intro to the news updates in the morning and afternoon.)

Levine and the Chicago Symphony and Chorus perform this multifaceted work brilliantly in this 1990 Deutsche Gramophon recording, and Holst's magnificent mix of orchestral moods takes the listener on an aural equivalent of a Grand Tour of the heavens.

For some incomprehensible reason, this is not singled out as a great performance in most classical music guides, but I think it is. Overall, the tempi feel right and the power of the playing and the quality of the recording are superlative. Of more recent vintage recordings, it is much more exciting than Dutoit and less clinical and calculated than Gardiner. To those looking for a good budget priced recording, I would recommend Lloyd-Jones' performance on Naxos.

While there are other wonderful performances of tese works, Klemperer & Wunderlich and Ludwig are the equal of any. Baker/Haitink being the only other great contender . They're each great in their own way.

Isn't it interesting how differently people "hear" music? I thought the James King--Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau--Bernstein the least good of all versions I've heard and I have something like 6. Great conducting is uppermost, but without singers who can mesh technique with the emotional demands of the music and the poetry, no recording will stand out. Fischer-Dieskau, while a distinguished singer, was not the right guy for the job. My favorite is the Fritz Wunderlich--Christa Ludwig--Klemperer, followed by the Ferrier--Patzak--Walter recording. The Klemperer has everything, the beauty of the voices, especially Wunderlich and majestic sound even though it seems to have been patched together over a considerable period of time. The Walter stunned me, the first time I'd ever heard the work--the pathos and range of emotion of the vocals by Ferrier and Patzak, although each of these singers had, for me, voices that were not conventionally beautifully. Patzak sounds like a man who has lived fully (whether he did or not, I have no clue). As has been said previously Ferrier's performance is heart-rending, full of pathos.

If I pick just one version of "Das Lied von der Erde", I'd probably choose this one. The singing is first-rate and the recorded sound is excellent.

Fortunately, I don't have such limitations and I can enjoy the wonderful Walter/Ferrier/Patzak version. The recorded sound is mono but it a wonderful interpretation.

Those are my two favorite recordings of "Das Lied".

I'm an Idiot. Still I can't think that this is Mahler as Expressionistic as he ever got. I hate musical Expressionism. I Love this though! From the first movement until the end, this is a work that I often return to, you can really hear the pain that Mahler was going through. The recording is great as well. I hope this helps.

Otto Klemperer was a majestic force of nature during the 50s to the 70s who offered one of the most old-fashioned, granitic interpretations of classical music. His Beethoven stands perhaps at the pantheon of the composer's greatest aural representations, and his Wagner was always correct. Even his Bach, conducted in the grand tradition of the Romantics, sounds ravishingly albeit with all the HIP recordings flooding the market. That said, I believe that Klemperer's strengths as a conductor worked best with his interpretation of the works of Gustav Mahler. It was not because he was Jewish, although Christa Ludwig once said in an interview that this was the main reason why he had such a great affinity with the great composer's works. It was more because Klemperer came from an old tradition of conducting that while rendered obsolete by many of today's musicians, brings out the spirit of the score without eschewing transparency and detail.

It goes to say that this is perhaps the most spiritual and poetic account of Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde ever committed to records. I own over 10 recordings of Das Lied, and this is the one I return to the most. Klemperer had an affinity with Mahler's understanding of the tragic and the rapturous, and perhaps he also knew what it meant to assimilate the Oriental traditions that Mahler imbued in this extremely personal work. I regard it to be his very best orchestral and musical work, much better than all of his symphonies combined. Although others would disagree with me, the Das Lied von der Erde has so much wisdom in it, and sums up in a few lines such as "ewig ewig" the meaning of life as it meant to Mahler. Klemperer understood that philosophy, and paints this recording with that Mahlerian spirit that makes this interpretation so special. Listen to the outbursts of the Philharmonia in the Trinklied, or listen to the gentle, wavelike entrance of the strings in Der Einsame im Herbst. Or yet again, why don't you listen to the opening bars of the Abschied and listen to how successfully Klemperer imbues the music with a touch of tragedy and abandon. It is simply ravishing what he was able to do with this orchestra, and bravo indeed for what is one of the greatest recordings ever committed to disc.

The soloists here deserve special mention too. Has there ever been a better mezzo than Christa Ludwig? Better yet, among all the mezzos who have sung the work, does anyone capture the soul of the work while at the same time giving the lines a sense of security, vocal warmth, and tonal beauty that we never heard in Ferrier and Baker? I think Christa Ludwig surpasses all the altos and baritones who attempt to sing this work, and while I still love what Ferrier, Baker, Dieskau, DeYoung, and other such great singers do to this score, Ludwig is perhaps my favorite. Her singing in Der Einsame in Herbst has a plaintive quality to it that brings tears to my eyes everytime I listen to this ravishingly beautiful movement. Her singing in the Abschied is the interpretation upon which all others are judged. Brava brava brava!

As for the tenor, I don't think there has been a voice that has so easily sung the demanding, yet short parts so beautifully. Wunderlich was a miracle who had not only the beauty of tone, but a large one as well. He easily beats King and Heppner in the tenor songs. How fortunate we are that his voice was captured on recording before his tragic death.

My recommendation? Buy it! This truly is one of the greatest recordings of the century.

Of course, you can't have just one Das Lied von der Erde. Another Lied that I would recommend is Kubelik's Audite recording with Dame Janet Baker and Waldemar Kmentt. This truly is Mahler at its finest!