Mahler: Symphony No. 9, Boulez (CD)

“Boulez allowed the movement to breathe and flow with a cool, unpressured sound that conveyed a satisfying sense of closure. Mahler went gentle into eternity, accompanied by the soft murmurs of the violas. A rapt silence ensued, followed by an extended ovation.” — Chicago Tribune (on Boulez’s performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 9 in December 1995, prior to this recording)

A symphony that seems to bring out the best in every conductor, Mahler’s Ninth Symphony was his farewell symphony (assuming one does not regard Das Lied von der Erde as a symphony, nor his unfinished Tenth Symphony). Each recording of this masterpiece with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra has been highly acclaimed (1976, Giulini conducting, 1977 Grammy® Award, Best Classical Performance–Orchestra; 1982, Solti conducting, 1983 Grammy® Awards, Classical Album of the Year, Best Classical Performance–Orchestra, Best Engineered Recording–Classical). Pierre Boulez’s account of the symphony is no different, earning its place among one of the most-loved recordings of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

1998 Grammy® Award, Best Orchestral Performance

Mahler Symphony No. 9 in D Major
December 1995, Medinah Temple, Chicago

Discs: 1
Record Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Release Date: January 16, 1998