Mahler: Symphony No. 9

This 1979 live recording, the only collaboration between Bernstein and the Berlin Philharmonic, is a standout in Bernstein’s celebrated Mahler catalogue. Bernstein generally lays it on thick in his conducting work, making his presence as an interpreter continually felt, and in many cases it’s too much. But in this Mahler symphony, by turns tender, bitter, anguished and ever-morbid, it works. Bernstein’s performance sounds as if it is perpetually about to fly apart under its own intensity, while other performances — like Karajan’s 5 years later with the same orchestra — are merely glossy and well-sculpted. Bernstein’s fourth movement, in particular, reaches levels of tension that one can scarcely believe possible.