“This is, without question, the most sheerly beautiful recording of the Mahler Eighth I’ve ever heard. and I’ve heard a bunch of them. … you feel totally immersed in the chorus and orchestra from the very first note. In addition, all of the singers are quite good…
Whether due to Fischer’s conducting, the engineering of the recording or both, one also hears a great deal of orchestral detail, so essential in Mahler but not always achieved, particularly in this monster of a symphony. The participation of the famed Mormon Tabernacle Choir almost guaranteed that the choral music would be performed to perfection from a technical standpoint, but Fischer literally outdid himself in pushing them to give more of themselves emotionally: listen, for instance, to the “Accende lumen sensibus” section in the first part. There is tremendous energy and dynamism here, so much so that I would not recommend putting this CD on for your Sunday “clah-ssical” brunch. You might blow your brunch guests out the windows.
It could easily be your only Mahler Eighth if you so choose… This is the “surround sound” Eighth par excellence.”