Seeking recommendation for Mahler 2


I just bought the Gilbert Kaplan/Wiener Philharmoniker SACD version of Mahler's Resurrection. To my ears, the performance and recording are quite uneven. Kaplan repeatedly robs the music of its natural tension and dynamics. It's a plodding performance with no sparkle or life. His own 1988 recording with the LSO was better. And the mix puts chorus in your lap in one phrase and buries it in the next. Soloists are way larger than life at times, and hidden among choral lines at others. The whole project seems over-edited and over-mixed, giving it a tweaked-sounding, unnatural arc. I'm no Mahler scholar, but I'd appreciate recommendations for a great performance and recording of the Resurrection. (Of course, if you love this version, I'd happily send you my copy!)
77jovian
At the moment, I'm pretty happy with the Solti/LSO/Heather Harper/Helen Watts performance on London 1966 vinyl. At other times I like the Abravanel/Utah Symphony/Beverly Sills/Florene Kipleff on Vanguard 1967 vinyl or the Bernstein/LSO/Janet Baker/Sheila Armstrong on Columbia (don't know the date). I also listen to the Eschenback/Chicago Symphony/ Simona Saturova/Yvonne Naef performance on CD on the CSO label and the Bernstein/New York Phil/Barbara Hendricks/Christa Ludwig performance on DG 1986 CD.

Of the two digital versions, I think that the Eschenbach has some of the same problems that you describe with the Kaplan. The Bernstein is very nice (I don't think you can ever say that he robs the music of its drama!).

YMMV, of course.

I don't know if any of these are available on SACD, but I know that the Abravanel has recently been reissued on vinyl.
Too many choices for this, but apart from the above, you might consider the recent Fischer Channel Classics SACD and--good but not spectacular sound--Mehta with Cotrubas and Ludwig+Vienna Philharmonic on Decca from the mid 70s,

David
I've always thought a very underated M2 is Slatkin/SLSO on Telarc. Sonically it's a knockout. Any of the Klemperer M2's are also very good if you don't need a digital recording. I'm not a big Kaplan fan either.