Gustav Mahler was a late-Romantic Austrian composer and a best known during his own lifetime as one of the leading orchestral and operatic conductors. As a composer, Mahler acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism of the early 20th century. His music conceived on the grandest scale, although his approach to genre often blurred the lines between orchestral Lied, symphony, and symphonic poem. Here’s a list of the top 10 recordings  by Gramophone to help start your CD collection:

1) Symphony No 5 – Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra / Rattle

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2) Das Lied von der Erde – Ludwig; Wunderlich; Philharmonia Orchestra / Klemperer

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3) Symphony No 9 – Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra / Karajan

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4) Des Knaben Wunderhorn – Schwarzkopf; Fischer-Dieskau; LSO / Szell

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5) Symphony No 1 – Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra / Kubelík

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6) Symphony No 4 – Staatskapelle Dresden / Sinopoli

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7) Symphony No 2 – London Philharmonic Orchestra / Jurowski

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8) Symphony No 8 – London Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra / Tennstedt

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9) Song-cycles – Baker; Hallé; New Philharmonia / Barbirolli

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10) Symphony No 7 – Chicago Symphony Orchestra / Abbado

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