It was to have been originally conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen, but since he bowed out after a snafu at San Francisco, the performance was taken over by Estonian conductor Neeme Järvi.
Järvi has a fair history with the CSO, some of it on record from decades ago. Now at age 87, I expect it to probably have been his last with the ensemble.
Despite my love of recorded Classical Music, as evinced on this blog, I am a big proponent of live music making. In the case of Mahler 2, it is an overwhelming experience I wish I could share with everyone. At this occasion, it was my daughter's first live symphony concert, and what a first experience.
Just from an aural standpoint, she was able to hear a symphonic chorus, pipe organ, vocal soloists, a greatly enlarged brass section, plus offstage brass and percussion, not to mention a host of string effects and harps!
While I think Mahler's Symphony no. 1 is an impressive first symphonic feat, Symphony no. 2 improves upon the earlier's success in many regards. Whereas in the first, I sense the symphonic-struggle proper only really begins in the final movement, with hints within the first mvt., the 2nd Symphony begins the conflict right at its opening, creating a vast thematic carry-through.
The following two movements bridge the gap, between the opening and the penultimate Urlicht, with a peasant dance and a fish-laden scherzo. At the concert I attended, the clarinettist wiggled around akin to a fish jumping out of water, and he received quite the recognition at the close of the concert.
The finale is quite the arrival point. With the first symphony, there is a conflict and a triumphant release. The second has something similar, but hope is intermingled amidst the strife, as if a battle of wills is at hand. Of course, this is all aided by a chorus and soloists, of which, the contralto has a short contemplative rumination in the previous movement all to her own.
Much like the earlier symphony, Mahler's second presents his melodic, thematic, and motivic material in bright, bold colors, allowing the listener an easy glimpse into the presentation and progression of the work's musical ideas, ultimately providing the listener an exhausting journey, but landing at a strongly satisfying arrival point. These ideas are the perfect elements for a coming together of a symphonic creation, at least for this listener.
1966: London SO, Solti
1975: Vienna PO, Mehta
1981: Chicago SO, Solti
1999: Dallas SO, Litton
2003: Vienna PO, KaplanFor now, we will have a very basic list of Mahler reviews above The current list covers the most recent spate of listened recordings, not necessarily the best or most worthwhile. The older recordings are from our collection but newly reviewed, and the newer recordings represent recordings which were recommended to me. Until we at The Oozy Channel Keep have gotten ourselves up and running, this should suffice and we can reorganize the page a little more coherently in the future.