I was so delighted when Deutsche Grammophon opened their on-line music store. They provide higher quality downloads than Amazon does - 320 kbps DRM-free MP3. And they sell a large fraction of their catalog in downloadable form, including recordings that have gone out-of-print in CD. Go to their store here.
When they released Boulez's conclusion to his Mahler cycle, I jumped on the recording, and it's astonishingly good. The sound is among the best I've heard from DG, and I like the soloists. But chiefly I like Boulez's pacing and careful evolution of the complex score. Everyone has their own notions on what makes a good Mahler performance, and not everyone will agree with my assessment. Boulez's performances are my favorite, and they've replaced my prior favorites (Haitink's version) in my listening room. (With one exception, I must add: I'm not fond of his Das Lied von der Erde.)
One more note: I downloaded this version before the physical CDs were available. Way to go, DG!
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