Choral Performance CDs
Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, 'Resurrection' (Naxos) 2 CDs
PC8.550523-4
Mahler: Symphony No. 2. in C Minor, 'Resurrection'
Recorded at the Concert Hall of the Polish Radio in Katowice, 1993
2 CDs with a total playing time of 85:21
Mahler began his Second Symphony in 1888 and completed it in 1894, revising the work in 1903. It was first performed in Berlin the following year, at first without the vocal movements and then, in December 1895, in its complete form. Mahler later provided a programme for the symphony. In the first movement we stand by the coffin of a beloved person and recall his struggles, feelings and ambitions. This leads us to speculate on the nature of life and death andthe possibility of a future life, questions that must be answered. The second, third and fourth movements provide Intermezzi. In the Andante a moment of happiness in the life of the dead man is recalled and a sad memory of his younger days and lost innocence. The Scherzo brings uncertainty and despair, disgust for everything, but Urlicht, the fourth movement, provides the answer of faith. The last movement again raises doubts and questions, as the end of the world is at hand: the earth quakes and the dead arise, seeking the mercy of God. The last trumpet summons the dead to judgement, the terror finally dispelled by the serenity of the closing chorus, with its message of love and forgiveness in a world where all are one.
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Artist(s): Label: Naxos Catalogue No: 8.550523-24 Physical Release: 02/1997 |
