Beverly Sills- soprano; Florence Kopleff- alto; University of Utah City Chorale; Utah Symphony Orchestra conducted by Maurice Abravanel
Silverline Classics 284221-2 (recorded April 1967 for Vanguard Everyman: this DVD-Audio/CD issued 2003)
(24 bit/ 96 kHz flac - 2 channel - and scans)
Recording venue: Mormon Tabanacle, Salt Lake City
Recording engineer: Ed Friedner; Producer: Seymour Solomon
Another in Silverline Classics' CD/DVD-Audio releases of Abravel's series of recordings of the Mahler Symphonies. This time, it is a two disc set. Side one of each of the discs contain the red-book CD version (unnecessarily split across two discs). The first DVD-Audio disc contains 24 bit/96KHz 6-channel and 2-channel versions. The second DVD-Audio disc contains a 24 bit/192KHz 2-channel version.
Even in stereo, the recording impressively reveals the hall's acoustic and this recording seems much fuller with more impact than the later recording of Symphony No.6. Abravanel's fleet and rather light-weight approach to Symphony No.2 also seems rather more successful. Both soloists are excellent - Silvery Bells' rapid vibrato is well contained and Florence Kopleff (of whom I had never previously heard) has a pure voice put to splendid effect in Urlicht.