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Mahler Symphony No. 2

Valery Gergiev (Artist) Format: Audio CD
4.5 out of 5 stars 9 ratings
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Mahler Symphony No. 2, "Resurrection" Amazon Music Unlimited
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Track Listings

1 Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, "Resurrection": I. Allegro maestoso - Mit durchaus ernstem, feierlichem A
2 Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, "Resurrection": II. Andante moderato - Sehr gemächlich, nie eilen
3 Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, "Resurrection": III. In ruhig fießender Bewegung
4 Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, "Resurrection": IV. Urlicht - Sehr feierlich, aber schlicht
5 Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, "Resurrection": V. Im Tempo des Scherzo, wild herausfahrend - langsam, mi

Editorial Reviews

•The first releases from the Munich Philharmonic’s own recording label feature sensational performances of works by two composers with whom the orchestra is closely associated: Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 and Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4 •The recording of Mahler’s Second Symphony was made during the opening concerts of Valery Gergiev’s first season as Music Director of the Munich Philharmonic. Since first coming to prominence after winning the Karajan Conducting Competition at the age of 24, Gergiev has established himself as one of the world’s great conductors and communicators on the value and role of music in today’s society. •The Munich Philharmonic had an especially close relationship with Gustav Mahler and has long been associated with his music. Mahler conducted the Munich Philharmonic at the world premieres of his very own Fourth and Eighth Symphonies as well as Das Lied von der Erde. •Although he rarely offered direct insight into any specific meaning behind his music, Mahler’s symphonies are characterised by the sense of a composer openly expressing his emotions regarding the great struggle of “life”. His epic second symphony, often referred to as The Resurrection Symphony, culminates in a spectacular final movement, complete with chorus, as the music passes though darkness to a place of redemption and elation. •For this astonishing recording, Gergiev and the Munich Philharmonic are joined by soprano Anne Schwanewilms and mezzo-soprano Olga Borodina, as well as the magnificent Munich Philharmonic Choir.

Product details

  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.55 x 4.92 x 0.47 inches; 3.25 ounces
  • Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ MUNCHNER PHILHARMONIKER GBR
  • Original Release Date ‏ : ‎ 2016
  • Date First Available ‏ : ‎ August 6, 2016
  • Label ‏ : ‎ MUNCHNER PHILHARMONIKER GBR
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01IFRTVWM
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 9 ratings

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4.5 out of 5 stars
9 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • J. K. Davis MD
    3.0 out of 5 stars Ok but not essential
    Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I purchased the download, so I can't compare the sound quality of this one with Gergiev's earlier recording on LSO live, which was excellent,
    but I think the interpretation on the earlier recording was superior. Things go slower and softer in the quiet portions of the work, and the loss of momentum causes the listener's attention to drift. Get the Bernstein DG recording of Mahler 2 and compare them. Then I think you'll see what I mean.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Terry
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on January 7, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent
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  • STEWART CROWE
    5.0 out of 5 stars Not just "another Resurrection"-but a major occasion which brings a major success. Sensationally good!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 11, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Still they come-Orchestra Own Labels and recordings of Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony!
    To be absolutely accurate this not entirely an “Own Label” of the Munich Philharmonic, but a co-operative enterprise with the already successful br klassik.

    Since what has become a contracted industry with most of the formerly prolific labels now absorbed into Universal, Sony or Warner/EMI all but gave up the ghost on new orchestral and opera recording, the main output has been from what we might once have thought of as “fringe” labels and the enterprising own label outfits put together by the orchestras themselves.
    The Munich Philharmonic had already been confined to a generation of “recording Purdah” thanks to the intransigence of Music Director Sergiu Celibidache who refused to sanction the release of recordings in his lifetime.
    Following his demise, the listening public was rewarded with a plethora of archive recordings made during his lifetime and which highlighted the special qualities of the orchestra-a rich tone with strings and brass well accomplished in “playing through” each note to sustain a long line. The celebrated Celibidache Bruckner recordings illustrate this as well as any.

    With the appointment of James Levine, Thielemann and then Lorin Maazel as successive Music Directors, recordings on various labels flowed as much as those by any other major orchestra, but with the sad passing of Maazel who left us only 3 recordings (so far!) released, the contract with Sony Classics came to an end.
    Finding its self without a contract leaves the orchestra in good company-even the BPO has had to establish its own label despite the commercial attraction of Simon Rattle.

    Newly appointed Music Director Valery Gergiev is a veteran of the “ Own Label” recording scene as his discography with the LSO Live and Maryinsky Live labels demonstrates, and the MPO has launched itself with recordings of mainstay repertoire Bruckner (4th Symphony) and the recording under review.
    The rise in popularity of this work over the lat 50 years has been extraordinary-from a “cult classic “ even in the 1960s to a chart topping best seller in the 1980s with the Rattle/CBSO recording-and still the recordings come.

    This is Gergiev’s second recording in only a few years, and I must confess that I was distinctly underwhelmed by his LSO performance, both interpretatively and technically so I was not expecting much from this one.

    It is sensationally good.

    The recording is taken from a series of live performances throughout December 2015 in the Gasteig Philharmonie, whose concert acoustics are lambasted by artists and critics alike, but which produces such superb results in recordings!
    Produced by a recording team from br klassik-Bavarian Radio-the standard is as superb as we have come to expect from this source.
    Dynamics, detailed soundscape, balance orchestral bloom-all are of the highest order and there is no finer technically accomplished stereo recording, matching that of br klassik’s own earlier subscription issue of 2014 with the BRSO under Jansons.
    The orchestral sound is “beefier” than the super refinement of the BRSO, with a real heft to the string tone and superb bite in the lower strings.
    Gergiev takes a steady pace throughout the first movement-a rigid martial tempo which builds up tension as it does weight. Percussion is wonderfully clear, including the all important tam-tam- in each movement.

    The second movement is simply gorgeous-languid, bucolic even schmaltzy to begin with, interrupted by truly massive and portentous interjections from the full orchestra. The brass is sensationally good throughout-some of the richest and ripest horns on record, golden toned trumpets, rasping trombones but I have to extol the virtues of the woodwind which provides some of the most accomplished and truly exquisite playing I can recall.

    The Scherzo is again taken at a steady medium pace, with Gergiev building up drama and tension without the need to “push on”-and he does not up the tempo when the trumpet fanfares (what I think of as Hans Rott’s trumpets!) enter, and in truth he does not need to as this movement lacks in nothing for brilliance and drama under his toothpick.
    (Yes, he conducts with a toothpick!)

    I was somewhat trepidatious of hearing Olga Borodina in “Urlicht.” The infamous “Slavic Wobble” can be an issue with her singing on occasions.
    The German may be a tad indistinct, but she triumphs in every other respect and her rich contralto voice-under full control-is a totally convincing in this piece.

    The finale is stunning in every respect. Gergiev allows long pauses between each of the opening salvos, but the tempi are otherwise on the swifter side for this movement.
    The ambience in which the offstage brass is caught is just wonderful-as are the brasses themselves.
    Be careful-when the Heavens open your speakers might close down-permanently.

    The hushed opening of the choral section will bring a lump to the throat as much as the great climax will, and the seemingly vast Philharmonic Chorus is superb and recorded in perfect balance.
    The slightly fragile quality of the soprano of Anne Schwannewilms combines perfectly with the weight and richness of the mezzo/contralto of Borodina in their exalted sections-exactly the right word-and the weight of the organ accompanied climax is sensational.
    I will just observe that there are some odd bell interjections-one sudden unexpected peal sounds like a ship’s bell being rung-but this neither distracts nor detracts.

    Applause has been omitted on this single 81 minute disc, the packaging is very attractive with decent notes in German and English but the sung texts are in German only.

    Let us be clear-I am no out and out admirer of Gergiev as a conductor, and I have found in recent years many of his recordings to be at best dull, frequently really poor and even poorly executed.
    There have been triumphs also-and this is certainly one of them. It joins the ranks of the very best and is totally recommendable in every respect-I will just add that this is not far off the case with the Bruckner 4 also, and is as glorious as it is unexpected!
    An auspicious start to what I hope will be a regular series of similar quality recordings. 5 Stars of course. Stewart Crowe.
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  • はぴまん
    5.0 out of 5 stars 名演！
    Reviewed in Japan on August 19, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    テンポが少し早めな印象ですが、あっさりというわけでもなく、しっかりと曲全体の頂点が見えている、頭のいい演奏だと感じました。オケやソリストもさることながら、合唱が素晴らしい。ゲルギエフ はロンドン交響楽団でもこの曲を録音していますが、さらに曲の解釈が深化しており、素晴らしいの一言です。今まで聴いた復活の中で、私の中でベストな1枚です。
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