The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra had already made a name for itself by the time Yoel Levi took over its leadership in 1988. The renowned choral conductor Robert Shaw had, over 21 years, molded the young ensemble (it was founded in 1956 by conductor Henry Sopkin) into a fine regional orchestra with potential for first-rank status, a quality no doubt recognized by Telarc when the Cleveland-based label began recording the ASO in the early 1980s. A subsequent series of Grammy-winning recordings brought the orchestra to national attention (and notoriety, stemming from the 'block voting' controversy that tainted the awards in the 1980s).

At Shaw's retirement, Levi, then Lorin Maazel's assistant with the Cleveland Orchestra, was chosen to take the helm, and he immediately set about rebuilding the ASO, filling principal positions in a number of sections with outstanding players from around the country. He also created several new associate and assistant principal positions, and it was not long before the word throughout music circles was that Atlanta was "the place to be." During his 12-year tenure, Levi expanded the orchestra's repertoire, bringing many 20th-century works to Atlanta for the first time. He also built what is now undisputedly a world-class orchestra, one whose achievement is recognized at home and abroad. The ASO's 1991 tour of 15 European cities was a watershed event, garnering a bevy of glowing reviews and accolades.

Hearing an orchestra "live" is, of course, an experience profoundly different from listening to a recording. Sergiu Celibidache used to contend that recordings were not music, and George Szell once quipped: "listening to music on records is like being kissed over the telephone." While not getting into a discussion of psycho-acoustic phenomena, it's enough to say that listening to the Atlanta Symphony in concert is a very rich and vivid experience. The orchestra simply makes whatever it plays come to life with vibrancy and clarity, and they do it, as recent concerts prove, with music ranging from Beethoven's and Honegger's Third Symphonies with Franz Welzer-Möst, Shostakovich's Fifth and Weill's Seven Deadly Sins (featuring the astonishingly talented Audra MacDonald as Anna) with John Mauceri, or Levi himself conducting a blazing Tchaikovsky Francesca da Rimini, a sensuous Khachaturian Violin Concerto (with a scintillating performance by Sylvia Marcovici), and a bristling Dvorák Symphony No. 8. This last featured nearly the same glorious string sound and interpretive nuance as George Szell's Cleveland recording on Sony Classical. But this should come as no surprise, as Levi has said that the Szell sound was a model for his own. Levi, like Szell, believes in a very tight ensemble, chamber music-like balances, and purity of intonation. "It's a sound that when you look at the score and listen to the Atlanta Symphony, you can hear the entire orchestra," he remarks.

The program for Levi's final regular season concert as music director was Mahler's Symphony No. 2 "The Resurrection", an event draped in ceremony with the audience expecting a knockout that Levi mostly delivered. While he conducted the first movement in a tightly controlled manner that was somewhat stingy in the climaxes, Levi created a truly magical moment in the finale when Margaret Lloyd, along with the chorus (with hands over mouths) stealthily intoned "Auferstehen", creating an otherworldly effect. The final apotheosis truly ascended to heavenly heights, leaving everyone eagerly anticipating Telarc's recording, coupled with the Adagio from Symphony No. 10 (which was searing in concert), scheduled for release in February 2001.

The Telarc/ASO relationship began with Robert Shaw's Grammy-winning recording of Stravinksy's Firebird Suite coupled with Borodin's Overture and Polevtsian Dances from Prince Igor. Levi's recordings have focused mainly on 20th century repertoire from both sides of the Atlantic. Starting with a very fine Copland Symphony No. 3 (coupled with Music for the Theater), he went on to Hindemith, Sibelius (two magnificent discs of symphonies and tone poems), Mahler, Barber, Prokofiev, Ravel, and Shostakovich, just to name a few. The 1990 release of Shostakovich's 5th and 9th Symphonies featured playing of such caliber that the critics on the 'First Hearing' radio program were dumbfounded when the performers were identified. Clearly a reassessment was in order. Nevertheless, it was the profoundly moving and deeply tragic recording of this composer's Tenth that identified the Levi/ASO partnership as serious contenders for the big leagues.

Levi has recorded few 19th century standards, perhaps because he knows where his strengths lie. While his live Dvorák New World Symphony was thrilling, his recording of Beethoven overtures, although exceedingly well played, suffers in comparison to the likes of Szell and Bernstein because of its light sonority and cool interpretation. On the other hand, Levi's Dvorák Slavonic Dances is a crackerjack performance, one of the best in the catalog, as is Holst's Planets, which comes off as an orchestral tour-de-force as well as a sonic spectacular.

In 1995 Levi recorded the Mahler Fifth Symphony, and while that performance is, from an emotional standpoint, frustratingly circumscribed, it sold well enough to induce Telarc to do more. Luckily, what followed was an absolutely stunning Mahler Sixth--unrelentingly passionate and dizzyingly virtuosic, with hammer blows that literally rattle the walls. Levi also led a marvelously insightful and miraculously performed Symphony No. 9 in concert, but this was to remain unrecorded. Telarc did record the Mahler Fourth, and again the playing and conducting made it an instant classic. Last season's live Mahler Seventh concert was electrifying, but somehow the freshness, boldness, and excitement did not make it to the recording session.

Selecting my own "best 10" turned out to be a much more agonizing task than I thought it would be. There are so many fine discs in this collection that I often felt guilty for excluding a particular recording. So, as a guide, I tried to include releases that beat, or at least equaled competitive versions in the catalog. It should be noted that in each case the sound is exceptionally realistic and vivid. It took quite a few years for the major labels to catch up to Telarc's standard of excellence, and when they finally did, Telarc had moved on to an even higher one (the new Direct Stream Digital discs are simply gorgeous).

VIC'S PICKS: THE TOP TEN YOEL LEVI/ATLANTA SYMPHONY RECORDINGS

1. Barber Knoxville Summer of 1915/Essays for Orchestra No. 1 & 2, Adagio for Strings (1992) with Sylvia McNair (soprano) 80250 Barber fully fleshed-out with grand gestures and romantic sweep
2. Dvorák Slavonic Dances Op. 46 & Op. 72 (1999) 80497 Vibrant and idiomatic
3. Holst The Planets (1998) 80466 An orchestral tour-de-force
4. Mahler Symphony No. 4; Songs of a Wayfarer (1999) with Frederica von Stade (soprano) 80499 Magical and probing playing
5. Mahler Symphony No. 6 (1998) 80444 Intense, taut and dramatic
6. Ravel Daphnis & Chloé (1994) 80352 Luxurious and exotic
7. Schoenberg Verklärte Nacht, Pelleas und Melisande (1994) 80372 A truly passionate Pelleas that doesn't shrink from the climaxes
8. Shostakovich Symphony No. 10 (1990) 80241 Wonderfully dark, brooding and tragic
9. Sibelius Finlandia/En Saga/The Swan of Tuonela/Karelia Suite/Pohjola's Daughter (1993) 80320 An amazingly authentic Sibelius sound
10. Stravinsky The Rite of Spring/Pulcinella Suite (1992) 80266 Restores the raw fierceness missing from so many of today's cultivated readings of the Rite

So this fine discography comes to a close with the end of Levi's music directorship. Possible recording projects with the Atlanta Symphony's new music director, Robert Spano, who has acknowledged the marvelous instrument Levi has left him, are under discussion. Here's hoping for a rich and varied future full of noteworthy recordings from Telarc and the ASO!

Barber: Piano Concerto, Violin Concerto
(1997) CD-80441

Beethoven: Overtures
(1997) CD-80358

Brahms: Serenade No. 1/Variations on a Theme by Haydn
(1993) CD-80349

Copland: Third Symphony/Music for Theatre
(1989) CD-80201

Dvorak: Slavonic Dances
CD-80497

Hindemith: Mathis der Maler/Symphonic Metamorphosis/Nobilissima visione
(1989) CD-80195

Holst: The Planets
(1998) CD-80466

Kodaly: Dances of Galanta / Hary Janos / Peacock Variations
(1996) CD-80413

Mahler: Symphony No. 1 (with "Blumine")
(2000) CD-80545

Mahler: Symphony No. 4, Songs of A Wayfarer
(1999) CD-80499

Mahler: Symphony No. 5
(1995) CD-80394

Mahler: Symphony No. 6
(1998) CD-80444

Mahler: Symphony No. 7
(1999) CD-80514

Mendelssohn: Overture & Incidental Music to Midsummer Night's Dream/Symphony No. 4
(1992) CD-80318

Moussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition
(1991) CD-80296

Prokofiev: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 5
(1991) CD-80289

Ravel: Daphnis & Chloé
(1994) CD-80352

Rossini: Overtures
(1994) CD-80334

Rozsa: Violin and Cello Concertos/ Theme & Variations
(2000) CD-80518

Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht; Pelleas und Melisande
(1994) CD-80372

Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 9
(1990) CD-80215

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 8
(1994) CD-80291

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10
(1990) CD-80241

Sibelius: Finlandia/En Saga/The Swan of Tuonela/Karelia Suite/Pohjola's Daughter
(1993) CD-80320

Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 5
(1990) CD-80246

Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring/Pulcinella Suite
(1992) CD-80266

Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1/Saint Saëns: Piano Concerto No. 2, André Watts, piano
(1995) CD-80386

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