Classical Music

In this live recording from the Royal Festival Hall the OAE shines its musical torch into the realms of some later repertoire, shedding new light on the music of Mahler. Conducted by Principal Artist Vladimir Jurowski, this CD includes Mahler’s 'Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen' (Songs of a Wayfarer), written in the wake of an unhappy affair with a soprano, and the extraordinarily exciting and powerful 'Totenfeier', Mahler’s first foray into orchestral music, and later reworked into the opening movement of his second symphony.

In a nearly unmatchable seven decades-plus of public exposure as a conductor of more than 150 orchestras that included nearly every major American orchestra, more than 5,000 concert appearances and 300 official recordings, Lorin Maazel can be said to have been one of the most important figures in 20th and early 21st c. music. His recordings of symphonic cycles of composer’s complete orchestral works include those of Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, and Richard Strauss, for which he won an astonishing ten Grands Prix du Disques. Another composer who figures prominently and importantly in his discography and concert performances is Gustav Mahler, to which this last of three issued sets of symphonies, recorded live with the Philharmonia Orchestra at London’s Royal Festival Hall, concluding a much-lauded symphony cycle, sees release on Signum Classics. “... it’s wonderfully stylish: that hesitant Viennese-style playing-around and a lovely warm string sound ...” (BBC Radio 3) “This second volume, along with the first, is a treasured set on my shelves. I cannot wait for the final volume, Symphonies 7-9.” (ClassicalSource)

Sometimes known as 'The Tragic' - a title suggested but then withdrawn by the composer - Mahler's Sixth Symphony embodies much of the inner turmoil and superstition of its composer. Conceived at perhaps one of the happiest periods of Mahler's life, it seems to foreshadow the personal tragedies that would later befall him - with his wife Alma writing that "The music and what it foretold touched us deeply." Esa-Pekka Salonen's work with the Philharmonia for the City of Dreams: Vienna 1900-1935 concert series has produced a number of powerful, live concert recordings for the Philharmonia series, including Schoenberg's Gurrelieder, Berlioz's Symphony Fantastique and Mahler's Symphony No.9 - all of which have been praised by criticsfollowing their release on Signum. ' ... the orchestral playing was of a very high order ... his command of the intensely difficult finale was wholly admirable, moving towards that astounding, deeply moving, coda with fine artistry.' Robert Matthew-Walker, Classical Source.com (Review of the concert of this recording)

This is a Mahler Third where nobody puts a foot wrong anywhere: conductor, orchestra, or the recording team. Yet it's executed with the kind of wild abandon that's so necessary to the success of the earlier movements. Delos provides an aural canvas that's perfectly balanced between the four principal sections of the orchestra.


There was a time when new recordings of Mahler symphonies were major events, eagerly anticipated by the Mahler faithful, propagated by specialist conductors and orchestras steeped in the style. Now new recordings arrive seemingly every month, and everybody's doing it. This is often considered to be a Bad Thing in classical music circles because it supposedly deadens the senses to the unique qualities of each interpretation, and reduces the significance of the release itself. There may be some truth to this. On the other hand, the reasons why Mahler has become so popular, both live and on disc, are perfectly reasonable. He's one of the few composers who can sell out a concert without the need to hire a "big name" concerto soloist or conductor. Because most of his symphonies are very long and fill an entire evening, they are actually in some respects easier to rehearse and play well than a more varied program. Finally, as arguably the greatest symphonic orchestrator that ever lived, musicians simply love to play him, and usually give him their best shot. Here is a case in point.

This new Mahler Third from Litton and his Dallas Orchestra may well be the best integrated view of the work, as a totality, ever to have come along. First off, it offers absolutely the finest vocal treatment the piece has ever received. Nathalie Stutzman is a genuine, dark toned contralto, and sings the fourth movement's Nietszche text with an "earth mother" brand of heaviness that's powerfully, hypnotically appropriate. The Texas Boys Choir just might be the best from anywhere on the planet, and Litton doesn't underplay the short orchestral interlude wedged into the middle of the same "bim-bam" fifth movement, as is sometimes the case. Though these are the shortest movements of the whole work, the care with which they are presented really is typical of the whole performance.

At 32 minutes long, the expeditionary first movement receives a raucous, unbridled performance that's similar to Esa-Pekka Salonen's up-tempo Los Angeles account (Sony), yet Litton never lets the major key "happy" march sound rushed, or bogs down the slower sections in funereal murk. The short development section that Mahler referred to as "the rabble" or "the southern storm" is completely unbuttoned but precisely played, with rushing strings, crackling percussion, and spectacular brass. The entire final, five minute reprise leading to the movement's coda is as perfectly played as it ever has been, by anyone. Solid trombone solo too. After that, the second movement receives, for my money, its best recorded performance ever, with Litton making a much stronger contrast between fast and slow sections than usual, and proving that the Dallas Symphony's strings are as adept as its brass and winds.

The third movement Scherzo starts out simply enough (nice, forwardly placed woodwinds), but things really pick up when the double basses and cellos dig in hard at the first meter change at about one minute into the movement. Litton takes his time with the famous posthorn solo (played on trumpet), but it's well worth lingering over as McDermott Hall has a special antechamber designed for offstage wind and percussion parts. As a result, the solo sounds like it's reverberating from "everywhere", yet it's also perfectly clear--thus realizing Mahler's sound picture to a tee. The coda to the Scherzo is sensational, with tons of harp, and with Litton's willingness to let the brass really take their time paying hugely atmospheric dividends. The last movement Adagio receives a long and lyrical treatment (exactly 26 minutes), superbly sustained by the strings, and with all of its climaxes gauged so as to offer no hint of strain or ugliness from the brass. The final brass chorale and closing pages really are executed with precisely the kind of "saturated, noble" sound that Mahler asks for, trumpets dominant but never shrill. Even the last note is held for just the right amount of time--not too long, not too short either.

This is a Mahler Third where nobody puts a foot wrong anywhere: conductor, orchestra, or the recording team. Yet it's executed with the kind of wild abandon that's so necessary to the success of the earlier movements. Delos provides an aural canvas that's perfectly balanced between the four principal sections of the orchestra. Neither is their "Virtual Reality" sound analytical or contrived in any way. Packaged in a slim line double case and priced two discs for the price of one, this new comer from Dallas easily enters the pantheon of great Mahler Third recordings, alongside Bernstein, the first Haitink, Levine, Salonen, and Kubelik.

We live without a doubt in a Mahlerian "Golden Age," and taken in tandem with their recent excellent "Resurrection" Symphony, Litton and Dallas are certainly on a roll. Mahler may have become the "common coin" of today's orchestral experience, but there's nothing common in what Litton and his band have achieved here. They offer a blend of fine playing and freshly idiomatic interpretation that is never for one second less than world class. Play this newcomer, and it will open your ears.

--Barry Guerrero, ClassicsToday.com

All the great reviewing publications, Penguin Guide, Gramophone, International Record Review, gave this release a rapturous reception when first issued. The atmoshpere of a great occasion is caught admirably with impressive timpani and organ, and a special mention for the final Chorus Mysticus bringing a real sense of gravitas and uplift. The massed voices are wonderfully hushed. Outstanding.

Classical Music

Classical Music

In November 2021, even before taking up his post as chief conductor of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Simon Rattle began a cycle of Mahler symphonies with a performance of the Ninth (BR-KLASSIK 900205). The Sixth followed in September 2023 (BR-KLASSIK 900217), and the conductor is now tackling the composer’s Seventh Symphony. This cycle marks the beginning of a new chapter in Mahler interpretation, as Rattle is just as passionate a Mahler admirer at the helm of the orchestra as his predecessors Jansons, Maazel, and Kubelík.

Simon Rattle gained his international reputation during his 18 years as Principal Conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (1980–1998), which he made world famous. In 2002 he was appointed to succeed Claudio Abbado as Chief Conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic, a position he retained until June 2018. In March 2015 the London Symphony Orchestra elected him as their new Chief Conductor for the 2017-2018 season, a position he retained until summer 2023. Simon Rattle also maintains close ties with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, and Philadelphia Orchestras, as well as the Vienna Philharmonic.

For the first time, this cycle is now being released as a limited vinyl edition on 17 LPs. The edition brings together Berliner Philharmoniker recordings from the last ten years. It includes the nine completed symphonies and the Adagio of the Tenth, whose performance under the direction of Claudio Abbado on the 100th anniversary of Mahler's death is one of the highlights. In addition to chief conductor Kirill Petrenko and his predecessor Sir Simon Rattle, the edition features other outstanding Mahler interpreters closely associated with the orchestra: Gustavo Dudamel, Bernard Haitink, Daniel Harding, Andris Nelsons and Yannick N�zet-S�guin.

With universal themes such as love, loss, happiness, oppression, suffering and defiance, Gustav Mahler's songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn are some of the most profound ever written for the voice. Katharina Kammerloher and Arttu Kataja, acclaimed performers from the Berlin State Opera, plumb the depths and shallows of this music with vocal power and striking presence. Eric Schneider accompanies them, transcending the formidable piano part with great drama and expression.

This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players and not compatible with standard DVD players.

Also available on standard DVD

The hr-Sinfonieorchester has for decades been numbered among the world's leading Mahler orchestras. Between 2008 and 2013 it gave its most recent Mahler cycle as part of the Rheingau Music Festival under principal conductor Paavo Järvi. The recordings were made in the unique space of the Basilica of Eberbach Monastery, in the magnificent ambiance of the Friedrich von Thiersch Hall at the Wiesbaden Kurhaus and in the outstanding acoustics of the Great Hall of the Alte Oper in Frankfurt. In all of these venues Mahler's symphonies left a particularly fascinating impression.

Gustav Mahler
THE COMPLETE SYMPHONIES

Symphony No. 1 in D Major, “Titan”
Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, “Resurrection”
Symphony No. 3 in D Minor
Symphony No. 4 in G Major
Symphony No. 5 in C-Sharp Minor
Symphony No. 6 in A Minor, “Tragic”
Symphony No. 7 in E Minor
Symphony No. 8 in E-Flat Major, “Symphony of a Thousand”
Symphony No. 9 in D Major
Symphony No. 10 in F-Sharp Minor: I. Adagio

Camilla Tilling, soprano
Genia Kühmeier, soprano
Erin Wall, soprano
Ailish Tynan, soprano
Anna Lucia Richter, soprano
Lilli Paasikivi, mezzo-soprano
Waltraud Meier, mezzo-soprano
Alice Coote, mezzo-soprano
Charlotte Hellekant, mezzo-soprano
Nikolai Schukoff, tenor
Michael Nagy, baritone
Ain Anger, bass

Bavarian Radio Chorus
North German Radio Chorus
Limburger Cathedral Boys Choir
Leipzig MDR Radio Choir
Czech Philharmonic Choir, Brno
Europa Chor Akademie
Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra
Paavo Järvi, conductor

Recorded at Rheingau Musik Festival, 2003–2013

Bonus:
- Introductions to the Symphonies by Paavo Järvi
- Paavo’s Mahler: The Project

Picture format: 1080i High Definition
Sound format: PCM Stereo / DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Audio Language (bonus): English
Subtitles: German, English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Japanese (Symphonies Nos. 2, 3, 4, 8) / German, Korean, Japanese (bonus)
Booklet notes: English, German, French
Running time: 12 hrs 35 mins (concert) + 96 mins (bonus)
No. of Discs: 5 (BD 50)

A valuable CD reissue for a rare and compelling 1986 account of Mahler's great testament of faith. A Dutch tradition in Mahler performance extends beyond the boundaries of the Concertgebouw. Orchestras in Rotterdam and The Hague have often performed the songs and symphonies, and been led by directors with a typically Dutch, humanistic sympathy for the complex texture of expressions and idioms in Mahler, his appeal to the great symphonic tradition as well as his liberation from it's strictures. Nowhere is that sense of tradition and innovation more finely balanced in his output than in the Second Symphony, which underwent the longest gestation of all his symphonies. The first movement began life as a standalone tone-poem, portraying a dream-sequence autobiographical rite of death in graphically Lisztian terms. Gradually something much more ambitious took shape, and the dream which the young conductor-composer had experienced, seeing his own death as if from afar, became eventually answered by a triumphant affirmation of faith in creativity, with his setting of the Resurrection-Ode by the poet Klopstock. Hearing this poem at a funeral finally gave Mahler the inspiration he needed to complete the symphony, and it has remained one of his best-loved works ever since, coming to embody within generations of it's listeners a force of death and renewal. Yet the autobiographical, five-movement form of the symphony has it's obvious precedents in the Pastoral Symphony of Beethoven and the Symphonie fantastique of Berlioz, and a successful performance such as this one underlines those connections. The Amsterdam-born Hans Vonk (1942-2004) served as Chief Conductor of the Residentie Orkest in The Hague between 1980 and 1991. Both the playing and the direction in this performance are imbued with confidence and mutual assurance; the tempi are flowing but not hasty, and Mahler's structure is held together with a compelling force. First issued as a 'private' LP set by the orchestra in 1986, this CD reissue makes a significant contribution to the symphony's extensive discography. - Gustav Mahler's (1860-1911) Second Symphony, often referred to as the "Resurrection Symphony," was composed between 1888 and 1894, marking a significant progression in Mahler's artistic development. The symphony is expansive, spanning five movements, and delves into themes of life, death, and the afterlife. - The Second Symphony is renowned for it's emotional depth and grandeur. The opening movement sets a somber tone, with brooding melodies that reflect on human mortality. The subsequent movements explore contrasting emotions, from moments of sublime beauty to passages of intense anguish. The symphony reaches it's climax in the final movement, where Mahler introduces vocal soloists and a chorus. This dramatic conclusion contemplates the concept of resurrection and ultimate redemption, culminating in a triumphant and awe-inspiring finale. - This excellent and moving recording from 1985 features the Residentie Orkest The Hague conducted by Hans Vonk, one of the most prominent Dutch conductors of the 20th century. The vocal soloists are Maria Oran Cury and Jard van Nes; the featured choir is The Dutch Theatre Choir.

Mahler: Symphony No. 3 - Symphony No. 10: Adagio

Classical Music