Mahler 1. Two Bernsteins and a Kubelik.

At 50:37, Bernstein 1 on Sony with the NY Phils is large, full bodied, spacious, lyrical, light, balletic, dramatic and very satisfying. There's a synchronicity where conductor and orchestra align in balance and evolve along with the youthful confidence, passion and drama of the music. The songs that bring II to a close and that are half way into III before the return of the movement's theme are played with great feeling. II ends well lit and explosive, III with quiet confidence. IV explodes and proclaims itself purposefully and settles in plumb into the floating closing melody and dramatic, epic and sparkling conclusion. A radiance pervades this recording.

The large, full bodied, well balanced, three dimensionally spacious sound which is reminiscent of Decca's Legends and Exton's serves to underscore the performance.

At 56:30, Bernstein 2 with the Concertgebouw on DG, skips and plays in flowering, youthful dance and song, floating gracefully, romping with increasing passion expressing attraction and loss, recalibration, hope, affirmation, redemption and return to purpose and pursuit. II dances, in triumph and with some gratitude, taking a breath, dashing to a climax, ... enter that lovely song and a restrained, confident climax. IV explodes and seems more mature in expression than that of a confident youth, exciting as it is, before settling gratefully into the melody at midpoint and the dramatic conclusion, once again too maturely stated, exciting as it is. Bernstein brings the forces into more youthful expression at the end though not before ending more amplified than the age of youth would seem to know about.

The performance has a lovely openness, flow and sense of confidence. The Concertgebouw are smoother and go deeper than the Phils. I suspect that the difference in technology contributes.

The large, spacious recording is gentler and slightly cooler than B1.

Kubelik live on Audite, 51:37, 1 begins very leisurely and takes its time with the first ballet which is full of youthful wonder, delight and discovery and leads up to a big, ringing first climax and triumphant ending. 2 begins with some weight to the proceedings which give it a somewhat larger than life feeling that initially sounds like self parody and possibly the acknowledgement that the forces of nature are larger than we are. Climaxes are well thought out, not at all rushed. 3 starts as mournfully as you could expect. The cabaret dance has a lovely weariness about it even as it picks up tempo. The sweet melody about half way through is gentle and sounds like a prayer, very comforting. The movement ends on a heart beat, lovely. 4 opens with an explosion, large though not over the top and apropos in weight of youth transformed by love, loss and renewal of purpose. It moves on to big and strong statements about asserting and reflecting followed by a very leisurely paced love song and a big, well paced first climax. A period of quieter reflection follows which is limpid at times leading to a large, sparking climax fully in line with what youth has been through.

Everything proceeds with the musical statements in balance, no part over blown. Orchestral balance and sound are very good. Lush playing when called for especially in the strings. The recording isn't as well lit as either of the Bernsteins though details abound and no part is in shadow or underserved.