Mahler: Symphony No. 7

1	Symphony No. 7 in E minor
2	Symphony No. 7 in E minor
3	Symphony No. 7 in E minor
4	Symphony No. 7 in E minor
5	Symphony No. 7 in E minor
6	Applause
Mahler: Symphony No. 7
1.	Symphony No. 7 in E minor ("Song of the Night") 1:17:05
	Composed by Gustav Mahler
	Conducted by Claudio Abbado
	Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
2.	Applause 1:01
	Composed by Recorded Sound
	Conducted by Claudio Abbado
	Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

Barnes & Noble

Claudio Abbado recorded Mahler's Seventh Symphony with the Chicago Symphony in 1984 -- a remarkably coherent and brilliantly executed performance of the composer's trickiest score. This 2001 concert recording is similarly lucid, yet with a sense of restlessness that seems more attuned the music's nocturnal character. Abbado's tempos aren't particularly fast -- except in the central scherzo, which really whizzes by -- yet he frequently pushes through the rests, compressing the rhythms to breathless effect. Another advantage to the newer recording is the dark tone of the Berlin Philharmonic, particularly in the two mysterious "Nachtmusik" movements. The sound quality is not as clear and bright as the earlier version, but it is reasonably vivid and conveys sufficient power. The performance fits onto one disc (78 minutes' worth), and Donald Mitchell's compact overview of the symphony's background and structure is a nice bonus. Andrew Farach-Colton

New York Times

[T]he central Scherzo is especially delightful, full of antic humor, with gooey slides from the strings and harrumphing interjections from the low winds. James R. Oestreich

BBC Music Magazine

Even in a Mahler symphony, there are limits of tonal impact, dynamic detail, and articulation beyond which no one can hope to go, and in Abbado's latest live recordings with the Berlin Philharmonic, they seem to have been triumphantly reached. David Nice

International Record Review

The new Abbado -- skilfully recorded in the Philharmonie and with informative notes by Donald Mitchell -- unhesitatingly replaces the old as a recording by which to understand this disconcerting but ever more impressive work. Graham Simpson