Levine Mahler 9

I've just received James Levine's 1979 Mahler 9th from Berkshire which, at about 92 minutes is certainly one of the slowest 9ths recorded. I bought this despite finding warnings on a Google search about the spotty sound, but I find the sound to be quite good. The version I have is RCA RCD2-3461, and while the CD cover says 'USA' the discs themselves are Made in Japan. I'd be interested if someone else who owns this set has the same US/Japan hybrid.

Marc Perman

Yes, I have the same one you have just mentioned, and it's from Berkshire too.

Nick

You are fortunate to have purchased the Levine 9th. Despite its length it is one of the great recordings of this piece. How I look forward to hearing him conduct it in Boston.

Allan Kohrman Newton, MA

What catalogue number for Berkshire does this 9th appear?

It's not unusual; that's a CD from the early days of the medium, when almost all of the pressing plants were in Japan. RCA pressed all their first CDs in Japan.

I bought my copy from Tower (old Rose Records) in Chicago seven or eight years ago. It was a cut-out then and had already sat in the bins for several years. When the price was reduced to $6.98, I bought it. My copy has 'Printed in the U.S.A. on the cover, but the discs themselves are 'Made in Japan'. I suspect this is a case where the recording sold so poorly and this was its only pressing.

I listened to it twice after I bought it, and I remember the performance seeming long and aimless and the wind balances seemed a bit weird. I was just getting into Levine's conducting at that time. I recently listened to his Mahler 5 and liked it very much