Mahler 8th Symphony

You describe the 8th quite well I think. You could have convinced me that  Part I and Part II were composed as separate symphonies:-) FWIW, and I’ll admit that its not much as I haven’t explored it much, if at all, subsequent to my discovering Solti’s performance with the CSO. At least this version seemed to me to hold both Parts I and Part II together. Sonics were fairly good, so I stopped. I think I’d as soon go to hell as to do a comparative analysis of this work.

RV, for the most part we agree I think. I cut my teeth on Mahler with Levine's 7th. I still prefer it but there are several versions out now that are pretty good. I do like MMT's version with the SFO. FWIW I attended a different performance of it live in SF, sat in the lower balcony, and was very disappointed, either me or MMT went to sleep! I love the 9th, many excellent recordings but I remain very partial to Bernstein's performance with the Berliner Phil, a 1979 live recording that just blows me away! If you have never heard it try to.

We probably disagree on the importance (to ourselves, of course,) of Mahler's 8th, and I would have to replace it with the 6th. It's got some real meat on the bones both in the lyrical portions and more dramatic ones, and the ending is to die for (couldn't resist). 

And, speaking of dying, or rising as it might really be, the last movement of the 2d is a lease breaker except, thank God, I don't have a lease to break. Emotionally speaking, for me at least, it falls into the category of the 1st act of Puccini's La Boheme performed by Freni & Gedda and conducted by Thomas Shippers. 

All good stuff!