If Abbado's earlier set of Mahler symphonies (also on DG) already was worthy of special acclaim, these new valedictory recordings (including the third and seventh symphonies) only affirm the status of the departing music director of this great orchestra as the finest Mahlerian of our times. Over the years, Abbado's interpretations have become more spartan, pared down, crystallized to the essentials, less temperamental, and the effect is profoundly shattering. Never before have we heard this work laid out with such fundamental musicality, clear-headedness, and deep structural understanding of the composition's import. For those not blown away by Bernsteinian histrionics or Karajan's steely soundworld, the only competing modern interpretations are offered by Boulez, though these seem weaker in their emotional content in comparison. And with the superlative sound that lays out every detail for the ear and the mind to peruse, these are recordings that set the gold standard for Mahler performance, likely to last for a lifetime of listening. What a farewell indeed: a true last word of an intelligent artist at the peak of his powers, in full and sympathetic control of a perfect Mahler orchestra more nimble and alive than it has been for years.