If I had any idol as a kid- at least when it came to classical music- it was conductor Herbert von Karajan. He was a despot, a tyrant and incredibly difficult to work with- but God bless him, he made a massive impact on music in the 20th century and made a number of outstanding recordings- nearly 600 in 50 years. In the mid 70's Karajan survived a major operation on his back and whilst in recovery back at home he discovered (or more probably REdiscovered) this amazing work by my favourite composer of all time.
"If the universe has to end," said a dearly departed friend of mine, "please let it be to this symphony". Karajan, as vunerable and mortal as he had ever been, provided the soundtrack.
It wasn't until 1982 that Karajan made a successful recording of the work (an earlier recording in 1979 was largely forgettable). Recorded live with his beloved Berlin Philharmonic it's a performance that connects to the ailing composer on so many levels. From the opening "heartbeats" of the harps and horns to the final dying gasps of the strings it is a moving and powerful performance. The orchestra and conductor are in perfect synch with one another throughout.
Karajan is the consumate musician and every marking in Mahler's score is observed and doubtless rehearsed to exhaustion with Berlin Phil. There are many wonderful recordings of this symphony but, in my opinion, none quite match the emotional grip that this one has on me.
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