Mahler: Symphony No. 8

This set includes an interview with Jascha Horenstein by Alan Blyth. Performances of Gustav Mahler's Eighth Symphony cannot help but be events. The sheer size of the forces required guarantees it. (It's also expensive--the B.B.C. concert preserved here was put together in a matter of months to mop up a budget surplus!) This performance in particular is well-suited as one of the inaugural releases of the BBC Legends label, as it is truly legendary. Royal Albert Hall was packed to the rafters with performers and 6000 spectators as Jascha Horenstein mounted the podium to lead one of the absolute best Mahler performances in recorded history. There are, of course, minor bobbles: an early entrance here, a late entrance there. This is a recording of a single live performance, rather than a modern "live" recording cobbled together from several concerts. The strength of the interpretation and the intensity of the performance is what sticks in the mind, rather than the small blemishes. The restoration on these discs was made from the B.B.C.'s master tapes; the sound is excellent for its age. Have Bernstein or Sinopoli on hand for when you're looking for great sound, but if you have only one Mahler Eighth, make it this one.