Mahler: Symphony No. 2

by Christiane Karg, Elisabeth Kulman, Semyon Bychkov, Czech Philharmonic

Overview

The duo of conductor Semyon Bychkov and the Czech Philharmonic performed Mahler's Symphony No. 2 in C minor ("Resurrection") beginning in the late 2010s, and it is no surprise that by the time of this 2023 release, the third in their series of Mahler symphonies, they had it down to a science. This is not an overly emotive Mahler Second; for a sense of panic and sardonic angst in the symphony's darker earlier phases, consider recordings by Simon Rattle or even Leonard Bernstein. However, that is not the only way to look at Mahler, and Bychkov's soberer approach has a good deal of value. He takes the music at a deliberate pace; at an hour and 26 minutes, this giant work is about six minutes slower than average, and he allows room for a striking wealth of instrumental detail from what is undoubtedly one of the greatest orchestras on the European continent. As the storm and stress build toward the final vocal transfiguration, there is real power here. The soloists are both fine, but soprano Christiane Karg in the final "Aufersteh'n" is a standout. PentaTone's engineers do a superb job in Prague's Rudolfinum, giving the hall's magnificent organ its due and creating space for a good deal of the orchestral detail. A superb Mahler Second that made classical best-seller charts in the spring of 2023. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	04/07/2023
Label:	Pentatone Classics
UPC:	0827949099267
Rank:	115056

Tracks

1. Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, "Auferstehung (Resurrection)"~Allegro maestoso. Mit durchaus ernstem und feierlichem Ausdruck
2. Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, "Auferstehung (Resurrection)"~Andante moderato. Sehr gemächlich
3. Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, "Auferstehung (Resurrection)"~In ruhig fließender Bewegung
4. Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, "Auferstehung (Resurrection)"~"Urlicht". Sehr feierlich aber schlicht
5. Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, "Auferstehung (Resurrection)"~Im Tempo des Scherzos. Wild herausfahrend - Maestoso. Sehr zuruckhaltend
6. Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, "Auferstehung (Resurrection)"~"Aufersteh'n, ja aufersteh'n wirst du". Langsam, misterioso - "O glaube, mein Herz, o glaube". Etwas bewegter

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Elisabeth Kulman   Primary Artist,Alto (Vocals)
Christiane Karg   Primary Artist,Soprano (Vocal)
Semyon Bychkov   Primary Artist,Conductor
Czech Philharmonic   Primary Artist,Orchestra
Prague Philharmonic Choir   Choir/Chorus

Technical Credits

Robert Hanc   Executive Producer
Sean Hickey   Managing Director
Holger Urbach   Recording Producer
Stephan Reh   Engineer
Petra Hajska   Photography
Lucia Ghielmi   Cover Design
Gisela Schenker   Photography
Renaud Loranger   A&R,Executive Producer
Kate Rockett   A&R
Silvia Pietrosanti   Marketing
Stephan Polzer   Photography
Daniel Havel   Photography
Kasper van Kooten   Design,Product Manager
Marco Borggreve   Cover Photo,Photography
Ivan Zbiral   Recording Technician
Gavin Plumley   Liner Notes
Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock   Text
Vojtech Safarik   Product Manager
Cenek Kotzmann   Recording Technician
Pavel Bartak   Cover Photo
Calvin B. Cooper   Liner Note Translation
Gustav Mahler   Text,Composer