Like the growth of the cult of Christ, the growth of the cult of Mahler started with the man himself performing his works whenever and wherever he had the chance. Like Christ, Mahler was followed by true believers who had known him and who proselytized for him among the unbelievers with the fervor of musical Pentecostals. The true believers were followed by those who had never known the man himself but whose belief was therefore all the more passionate and subjective. And thus it was that the faith spread from Mahler to Walter, Klemperer, and Mengelberg; and then on to Mitropoulos, Bernstein, Kubelik, Solti, and Haitink; then on to Abbado, Bertini, Boulez, de Waart, Inbal, Maazel, and Rattle, spreading from the true believers to the passionate believers of the true believers to those who still keep the belief but whose faith is more reason than emotion, more intellect than spirit, more nuance than rapture. In this Hanssler Mahler cycle, Michael Gielen leads the SWF Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden and Freiburg in rational, reserved, and respectable performances, performances that mute Mahler's agony and mask his ecstasy, performances that believe in the sublimity of Mahler, but with more head and mind than with heart and soul. The SWR Sinfonie plays more than capably if somewhat less than virtuosically and Hanssler's sound is open and full. But while Gielen is certainly a fine fourth-generation Mahler conductor, his restraint, his inability, or his unwillingness to surrender himself to the awesome, the immense, the infinite, and the eternal of Mahler's music prohibits him from leading truly compelling and passionately convincing performances. For truly compelling and passionately convincing fourth-generation Mahler, try Claudio Abbado. He'll beatify you, exorcise you, and sanctify you, but he'll never, ever lie to you. James Leonard -- Allmusic
Tracklisting - CD1 01 - Langsam. schleppend-im Anfang sehr gemachlich 02 - Kraftig bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell 03 - Feierlich und gemessen, ohne zu schleppen 04 - Stürmisch bewegt
Tracklisting - CD2 01 - Allegro maestoso. Mit durchaus ernstem und feierlichem Ausdruck 02 - Andante moderato. Sehr gemächlich. Nie eilen 03 - In ruhig fließender Bewegung 04 - 'Urlicht'. Sehr feierlich aber schlicht
Tracklisting - CD4 01 - Tempo di Menuetto. Sehr mabig 02 - Comodo. Scherzando. Ohne Hast 03 - Sehr langsam. Misterioso. Durchaus ppp 04 - Lustig im Tempo und keck im Ausdruck 05 - Langsam. Ruhevoll. Empfunden
Tracklisting - CD9 01 - 1.Langsam - Allegro risoluto, ma non troppo 02 - 2.Nachtmusik I. Allegro moderato 03 - 3.Scherzo. Schattenhaft 04 - 4.Nachtmusik II. Andante amoroso 05 - 5.Rondo - Finale. Tempo I (tempo ordinario) Tempo II (Allegro moderato ma energico)
Tracklisting - CD11 01 - Waldung, sie schwankt heran02 - Ewiger Wonnebrand 02 - Ewiger Wonnebrand 03 - Wie Felsenagrund mir zu Füßen 04 - Gerettet ist das edle Glied 05 - Uns bleibt ein Erdenrest 06 - Hier ist die Aussicht frei 07 - Dir, der unberührbaren 08 - Bei der Liebe, die den Füßen 09 - Neige, neige, du Ohnegleiche 10 - Komm! Hebe dich zu höhern Sphären 11 - Blicket auf zum Retterblick 12 - Alles Vergängliche ist nur ein Gleichnis
Tracklisting - CD12 01 - Andante comodo 02 - Im Tempo eines gemachlichen Landlers.Etwas tappisch und sehr derb 03 - Rondo-Burleske,Allegro assai.Sehr trotzig
