Mahler: Symphonies Nos. 7 & 9

Among the rich legacy of Otto Klemperer, the Mahler recordings take pride of place, perhaps because the composer took Klemperer as his disciple during his early years. We can of course mention the Resurrection and the legendary Lied von der Erde with Ludwig and Wunderlich, but also two symphonies recorded with the New Philharmonia in 1967-1968. The Seventh is one of the most controversial of the discography because of its extremely slow tempo choices. As for the Ninth, don’t miss its supreme final movement, which has rarely been as harrowing as in Klemperer’s famous rendition.