Composer: Gustav Mahler
Performer: Bernarda Fink, Anja Harteros, Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Orchestra: Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Conductor: Mariss Jansons
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: BR Klassik
Catalogue: 900167
Release: 2018
Size: 748 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Symphony No. 2 ‘Resurrection’ (Live)
01. I. Allegro maestoso
02. II. Andante moderato
03. III. In ruhig fließender Bewegung
04. IV. Urlicht
05. V. Finale. Im Tempo des Scherzo
Gustav Mahler wanted his Second Symphony to exceed any known format – and he also wanted it to tackle the key questions of existence: ‘Why have you lived? Why have you suffered? Is everything just one enormous, terrible joke? We have to solve these questions in some way if we want to carry on living,’ said the composer. Similar questions preoccupied him throughout his life, and with a special intensity during his time as an opera conductor in Hamburg. The Second Symphony, also referred to as the ‘Resurrection Symphony’, is a complete expression of Mahler’s existential struggle; both its form and its overpowering sound make this utterly clear. The premiere of the complete symphony took place on December 13, 1895 in Berlin under Mahler’s direction; previously (on March 4 of that year) he had already performed the first three movements. The premiere of the Second Symphony thus took place after that of the Third. The reactions were initially subdued, but today the work ranks as one of the most popular of Mahler’s symphonies. Recorded at concerts in Munich in May 2011.
Overlapping Mariss Jansons’ Mahler cycle with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra on RCO Live, his second cycle with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra for BR Klassik has already been quite impressive, yielding fine performances of the Symphony No. 9 in D major and the Symphony No. 5 in C sharp minor that promise many good things to come. The promise is certainly kept with this 2018 single-CD release of the Symphony No. 2 in C minor, “Resurrection,” a composite recording taken from live performances at the Munich Philharmonie, May 13-15, 2011. Jansons rises to the occasion with a dynamic and compelling interpretation that is full of mortal trepidation and heavenly transcendence, yet he is scrupulously attentive to small details in the score and makes every note clearly audible. Nowhere is this more evident and exciting than in the third movement, In ruhig fließender Bewegung, where the collage-like textures and mix of ecstasy and terror create a microcosm of the symphony’s larger, expressive “world.” While many other conductors strive for Mahler’s calculated effects but sometimes lose them in the effort to create a powerful, cumulative impact, Jansons is meticulous enough to draw attention to nuances, and lets the inner parts shine through, inviting the listener to pay close attention to all of the layers in Mahler’s orchestration. BR Klassik’s digital reproduction is clean, deep, and virtually free of the extraneous noises that sometimes bedeviled the RCO’s multichannel recordings, so the trade-off is worth it.