Mahler: Symphony No. 2 'Resurrection'

The interlude-minuet of bygone days is deliberately nuanced, like much else here. Then Jurowski pulls off his finest feat of tonal novelty in a hyper-modern scherzo...[Stotijn], Kucerová and... — BBC Music Magazine, August 2011, 5 out of 5 stars More…

Release Date: 26th Apr 2011
Catalogue No: LPO0054
Label: LPO
Length: 83 minutes

Gramophone Magazine

August 2011

Disc of the Month

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Mahler: Symphony No. 2 'Resurrection'

Work length1:23:20

Adriana Kucerova (soprano), Christianne Stotun (mezzo-soprano)
London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic Choir
Vladimir Jurowski

I. Allegro maestoso

Track length21:16

II. Andante moderato

Track length11:45

III. In ruhig fliessender Bewegung

Track length11:23

IV. Urlicht: Sehr feierlich, aber schlicht

Track length4:55

V. Finale: Im Tempo des Scherzo's - Wild herausfahren

Track length19:37

V. Finale: Langsam - Misterioso

Track length6:16

V. Finale: Etwas bewegter

Track length8:08

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The London Philharmonic Orchestra has a long heritage with Mahler’s symphonies cemented in a mid-European tradition through Tennstedt’s work with the Orchestra in the 1980s and early 1990s. Vladimir Jurowski has waited longer than many other conductors might before tackling Mahler mainly, he says, because to approach this music is “to touch on something that is for me extremely precious and personal”.

Mahler’s Second Symphony is a compelling start to Jurowski’s documentation of this great composer. His approach fully reveals the dynamic extremes in Mahler and this recording emphsises how much soft scoring there is, such is Jurowski’s sensitivity and control. Jurowski differs from Tennstedt in that there is no over emotional self-indulgence, he allows the music to do the talking and his tempos and pacing are faultless.

‘...when the chorus finally stood up and let rip in the closing moments, it set the seal on a masterful performance from a world-class orchestra-conductor team.’ The Guardian, September 2009

Reviews

August 2011

The interlude-minuet of bygone days is deliberately nuanced, like much else here. Then Jurowski pulls off his finest feat of tonal novelty in a hyper-modern scherzo...[Stotijn], Kucerová and the chorus then make a swiftish resurrection the most human and personable on disc, deserving all the wild cheers.

August 2011

A performance of revelations, big and small, and easily the most illuminating to have appeared on disc in a very long time...probably now the prime recommendation, the "library" choice, that has for so long eluded us...The really big factor here is Jurowski's command of Mahler's very particular and very dramatic way with rubato and the shock of newness that comes from those explicit extremes.

July/August 2011

imaginatively conceived and very well played...Jurowski makes the whole structure cohere extremely well, and in his case swift doesn't mean superficial: there's great cumulative power as well as rhythmic precision...'Urlicht' is sung with great poise and dignity by Christianne Stotijn; she has a lovely sense of line and approaches the song with touching simplicity.

23rd June 2011

This epic journey from dark to light is hardly short of recordings, but this live one can hold its head up high. The soloists are superb, and the LPO plays beautifully for Jurowski, who shows a total mastery of pacing. The huge narrative of the finale can easily sag, but here it leads unerringly to the magical choral entry.

11th June 2011

His Allegro maestoso opening is fierce, fast and unyielding...The movement’s dissonant climax is an Expressionist shocker. We’ve tipped over the abyss and the closing pages are pitch black...Jurowski’s finale grips from the outset; offstage brass are perfectly caught, and I like the flowing tempo he adopts when building up to the massive, ecstatic eruption 13 minutes in.

Mahler: Symphony No. 2 'Resurrection'

2 CDs

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