Mahler - Symphonies Nos. 7 & 8

The story

Leonard Bernstein made these recordings during his wonderfully productive collaboration with the Wiener Philharmoniker in the mid-1970s when he was at the peak of his career. Humphrey Burton's direction is, as always, very fine, giving the viewer/listener both the larger picture and highlighting individual soloists, players or groups of musicians and, of course, the maestro. The video and audio tracks show their age, but are quite acceptable even for today's standards. Bernstein's Seventh is everything one could desire: dark and spooky, highly sensual, but also structurally strong and assertive where needed. Bernstein's reading does not gloss over breakdowns in tonality and the foreshadowing of later musical developments.

Cast & crew

Leonard BernsteinSelf

Edda MoserSelf

Judith BlegenSelf

Gerti Zeumer

Gerti ZeumerSelf

Ingrid MayrSelf

Agnes BaltsaSelf

Kenneth RiegelSelf

Hermann PreySelf

José van DamSelf

Vienna Philharmonic

Vienna PhilharmonicSelf