Reddit reviews Mahler: Symphony No. 2

Martha Argerich Rach 3 and Tchaikovsky - A classic. First rendition of Rach 3 I heard. Not the most technically perfect (e.g. compare with Kissin) but just so powerful and exhilarating.

Solti Mahler 8 in Vienna - Perfect soloists, perfect sound, perfect interpretation. Completely different league with respect to any other recording in terms of the soloists and Part 1.

Solti Brahms cycle - Great cycle. Either I love CSO/Solti recordings or I can't stand them. This is one of the former probably because Brahms is more in line with Solti's type of conducting. The fourth is particularily strong.

Mahler 2 Bernstein - Another classic. Not your everyday Mahler 2 but then again you don't listen to Mahler 2 every day. Pushing the score to its romantic limits as one reviewer put. Spiritual listening experience of death and transfiguration for the listener.

Eugene Ablulescu's Hammerklavier - Very interesting academic performance (not as slow or heartfelt as Solomon in the adagio for example). Rigid adherence to marked tempi. No idea why it isn't more well known.

Also I totally second the Gilels/Jochum Brahms concertos.

This is fun and exciting, but this is the best recording of Mahler 2 ever.

There is this collection, called the "People's Edition"- over 5,000 people voted on their favorite recordings and the ones with the most votes made it into the boxed set. It's very good! I've only figured out my favorite for some of them:

First: Boulez/Chicago

Second: Bernstein/New York

Third: Abbado/Vienna

Sixth: Boulez/Vienna

Ninth: Karajan/Berlin