Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 6 · Piano Quartet
The Philadelphia Orchestra · Christoph Eschenbach, conductor · Christoph Eschenbach, piano · Members of The Philadelphia Orchestra
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Gustav Mahler
Simona Saturova, soprano
Yvonne Naef, mezzo-soprano
The Philadelphia Singers Chorale
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Christoph Eschenbach, conductor
Christoph Eschenbach leads The Philadelphia Orchestra through one of Mahler\
Listen to samples on selected tracks.
Music for the soul - One of the great Mahler conductors of our time, Christoph Eschenbach has a particularly close connection to the spiritual spheres of pain and relief in the music of Gustav Mahler. His recording of the Sixth Symphony, with The Philadelphia Orchestra, was hailed by Gramophone as “maybe the Sixth of first choice, sonically and interpretatively,” and ClassicsToday.com stated, "No Mahlerian will want to miss it!” (ODE 1084-5D).
This new release features the Second Symphony ("Resurrection"), which was one of Mahler's most popular and successful works during his lifetime. The celestial "Urlicht" song of the fourth movement is performed by the celebrated mezzo-soprano Yvonne Naef. The famous chorus of the Finale ("Auferstehung") features Simona Šaturová and Yvonne Naef with The Philadelphia Singers Chorale.
2 CDs; booklet with liner notes in English, French and German and the sung texts in the original German and in English; luxurious slipcase
I sin andra symfoni tar Mahler sönder universum och sätter ihop det igen. (...) Jag vet ingen dirigent från de senaste decennierna av denna apokalyptiska symfoni som lika självklart som Eschenbach hanterar det dramatiska förloppet: uppladdningarna, de expansiva utbrotten, de lugna partierna däremellan.
Carl-Johan Malmberg, Svenska Dagbladet, September 9, 2009
In 'Urlicht' there's a palpable presence in the brass chorales, and Eschenbach's (...) sensitive mezzo, Yvonne Naef, breaks up the long phrases he demands with intelligence, and conveys warm human sympathy throughout.
David Nice, BBC Music Magazine, June 2009
This is a first-rate performance and recording of Mahler's "Resurrection" Symphony, easily out-classing most of the recent additions to the catalog. (...) I place it (...) among my highest recommendations in any medium.
Christopher Abbot, Fanfare Magazine, May/June 2009
Yes, there are 93 Mahler Seconds, but this one belongs in your collection. It's message (...) is glorious.
Robert Levine, Stereophile.com, April 2009
The first movement captures lightning in a bottle unlike anything since the live, 1951 Otto Klemperer outing with the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam. Everything else about the performance - chorus, soloists, and well-rounded sound quality - puts the Philadelphia set among the finest recordings of this oft-heard symphony.
David Patrick Stearns, The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 1, 2009
Kein Zweifel: dies ist eine der persönlichsten, am tiefsten empfundenen Interpretationen von Gustav Mahlers Zweiter Symphonie! (...) Eschenbach, der ruhige, der besonnene, der tief schürfende Dirigent, baut Mahlers gewaltige Architektur sehr geduldig zusammen und erzielt so eine grossartige Wirkung (...).
Rémy Franck, Pizzicato, February 2009, Supersonic Award
Yvonne Naef (...) turns in one of the finest accounts of the fourth movement ("Urlicht") on disc. (...) The first movement has a rugged intensity that recalls Klemperer, and the insanely powerful, crushing brass chords that usher in the recapitulation have to be heard to be believed. Here is another case where taking a risk pays off: Eschenbach really slams on the brakes here, and if you're going to do that the brass had better blow their collective lips off - and so they do. (...) The playing of the Philadelphia Orchestra is pretty outstanding.
David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com, January 2009
Slovakian-born Simona Šaturová studied at the Bratislava Conservatory and attended master classes with Ileana Cotrubas. The soprano performs throughout the world, with concert appearances occupying an important role in her work. She sang Gustav Mahler's "Resurrection" Symphony under Christoph Eschenbach at the reopening of the Salle Pleyel in September 2006. Following this great success, she was immediately engaged by the Philadelphia Orchestra for concerts in Philadelphia, on which this recording is based, and at New York's Carnegie Hall.
A native of Switzerland, Yvonne Naef is one the most sought-after dramatic mezzo-sopranos both in concert and on operatic stages. With her huge repertoire she has appeared at many of the world's leading opera houses, festivals and concert halls including the Metropolitan Opera, Vienna State Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Opéra National de Paris, Zurich Opera House, Hamburg State Opera, Théâtre de la Monnaie, Bayreuth and Salzburg Festivals, Vienna Musikverein and Konzerthaus, Berlin Philharmonie, Royal Albert Hall and Carnegie Hall.
The Philadelphia Singers Chorale was founded in 1991 as the symphonic chorus of the Philadelphia Singers (founded in 1972). It is composed of professional singers and talented volunteers. In its role as resident chorus of The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Chorale appears with the Orchestra in all its choral subscription concerts, as well as annual performances of Handel's Messiah. Past performances with The Philadelphia Orchestra have included Verdi's Requiem, Ravel's Daphnis and Chloé for the opening of the Kimmel Center, Schoenberg's Gurrelieder, Liszt’s Dante Symphony, Mahler’s Second and Third symphonies, Brahms's Requiem, Haydn's Seasons, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 and "Choral" Fantasy, Adams's Harmonium, Honegger's Joan of Arc at the Stake, Rossini's Stabat Mater, and Prokofiev's Ivan the Terrible. Members of the ensemble come from outstanding educational backgrounds, including the Curtis Institute, the Academy of Vocal Arts, the Juilliard School, the Peabody Conservatory, Westminster Choir College, the Eastman School of Music, and the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, as well as vocal institutes in Austria, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland.
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