"I find a great strength in Carter's music. Personally I draw a great deal from it. I can sense a distant affinity, an effort of reflection that touches me. Of the American musicians, his is the writing I read with the most sustained care; the individual and his trajectory are quite exceptional" (Pierre Boulez, 1988)
This is a superb set of Elliott Carter, with three 1980s compositions, and one from the U.S. bicentennial year of 1976. The recordings of the Ensemble Intercontemporain, with Pierre Boulez conducting, were made at IRCAM in Paris in December 1987. The same works were performed at an 80th birthday concert for Carter in Paris a year later.
The highlight is the "Oboe Concerto" (1986-7), performed by Heinz Holliger. In Carter's words from the liner notes, "it is in one continuous movement with the soloist accompanied in its widely varying, mercurial moods by a percussionist and four violas. The main orchestra opposes their flighty charges with a more regular set of ideas, usually on the serious side, sometimes bursting out dramatically."

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 6 in A minor; Kindertotenlieder; Rückert Lieder; Christa Ludwig, mezzosoprano; Berliner Philharmoniker; Herbert von Karajan
Classical | 2 CDs | EAC Rip | 605 Mb | FLAC+LOG+CUE | Full scans |7 RS links
Publisher: Deutsche Grammophon

Karajan's reading of the Sixth, the darkest symphony of Mahler, is a revelation… the combination of polish, rhythmic point and flexibility make for a reading that has both concentration over the broadest span and consistent fantasy and imagination over detail. ..The recording is one of the very finest ever given to Karajan in Berlin, with ample range and richness…. a Mahler recording which sets new standards.
Gramophone (1978)
… magnificently prepared and executed; the orchestral playing is wonderfully beautiful, and the conductor's balancing of his vast forces is magisterially subtle… the controlled power of this account of the Sixth is enormous. Without that, the gorgeousness of the detail might have seemed cosmetic; but the strength of the framework is enough to carry it brilliantly. ..The Andante moderato, in particular, has a grandly sustained radiance that has probably never been matched.
Records and Recording (1978)