About this Artist

• Biography

Editorial Reviews

Bruno Walter (1876-1962) worked with Mahler from 1894 until the composer's death in 1911. He was a tireless and impassioned promoter of Mahler's music, and the recorded interpretations he left us are invaluable links to a tradition that is now all but lost. This recording of the Ninth Symphony is perhaps the most famous of all, for it was made in Vienna during a live performance with the great Vienna Philharmonic (which Mahler himself had directed) just a few weeks before the Nazis marched in. It was the first complete recording of this symphony -- Mahler's last completed work -- and has not lost its potency in the intervening years. Indeed, listening to this performance with an understanding of the events that were unfolding around it adds a new layer of meaning. Walter's tempos may sound brisk to our ears, particularly in the final Adagio, but this may actually be closer to the composer's original intention. We'll never know, and it doesn't matter. Walter's burning conviction sweeps away any doubts. For anyone devoted to Mahler's music, this recording is essential. Andrew Farach-Colton, Barnes & Noble

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