Kent Nagano, Hallé Orchestra - Mahler: Das klagende Lied. Original version (1998)

This unbelievably exciting record is actually a Mahler world premiere! Das klagende Lied was Mahler's first great work--he was only 18 when he wrote it--but he later removed its first part and extensively revised the remaining two. The original versions of the second two parts, then, have never been performed until their release in 1997 as part of the new critical edition. The music is, as might be expected, less polished than the revision, but it's also wilder and even more powerful in many respects. Hopefully it will gain new attention for this neglected but totally characteristic work. This performance is nothing short of spectacular, and makes the best possible case for Mahler's original thoughts. --David Hurwitz