Mahler Symphony No 2 (Resurrection)
Mahler Symphony No 2 (Resurrection)
Philharmonia Orchestra/Benjamin Zander
(Linn Records)
Here's a new relationship. Conductor Benjamin Zander - controversial to some, while being a cult figure to others - has already recorded seven of Mahler's nine symphonies on Telarc. He has now teamed up with Linn Records to record the almighty Second Symphony, the Resurrection. For some reason it seems to me an odd partnership: maybe it's the scale (it seems unusual for Linn). Anyway, as devoted as I am to the Philharmonia Orchestra (my favourite London band) and as superb as their playing is here, ultimately, for me this Mahler Two doesn't come off. Zander is fiercely intense in his focus on expressive detail, moment by moment, event by event. But where is the big picture? Where is the overall structure of the colossus? Where is the flow and the continuity within the symphony? It's an entity, but it doesn't feel like it: you can't see the woods for the trees. However, the Philharmonia Chorus, with soloists Miah Persson and Sarah Connolly, are fabulous.
Michael Tumelty
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