If one comes to these performances of
Mahler's three songs cycles without prior knowledge or experience of the music, one might well think them definitive. Each singer is wonderfully suited to the texts.
Thomas Quasthoff brings virility and sensitivity to the Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen.
Violeta Urmana brings vivacity and sensuality to the Rückert Lieder.
Anne-Sofie von Otter beings gravity and profundity to the Kindentotenlieder.
Pierre Boulez brings clarity and lucidity to his conducting and the
Vienna Philharmonic brings grace and beauty to its playing. Deutsche Grammophon's sound is fresh, bright, and clean. If one already knows other performances of
Mahler's song cycles, one might prefer
Fischer-Dieskau,
Prey,
Hampson,
Ludwig,
Baker, or
Ferrier with
Furtwängler,
Klemperer,
Barbirolli,
Böhm, or
Haitink. If one does, however, come to the music without prior knowledge or experience, one should probably start with an earlier recording. If one already knows the music, these superlative performances are well worth hearing. But if this is the first time one hears
Mahler's endless soulful and infinitely moving song cycles, try
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau or
Christa Ludwig.