us David Zinman: Conductor continues Mahler cycle

Conductor David Zinman has crossed the rubycon in his quest of recording all symphonies by Gustav Mahler: Together with the Zürich Tonhalle Orchester, Zinman has just released Mahler’s “Symphony No. 5”, following high critical acclaim for the previous installments in the series. Next to offering his personal vision on one of the preeminent symphonic composers of the 20th century in collaboration with an orchestra often regarded as among the finest in Europe, David Zinman’s Mahler cycle has an additional selling point with regards to the many, many Mahler recordings already on the market: It is published on Super Audio CD and was produced especially for the medium. The transparent and powerful sound quality has in turn been unanimously praised and garnered widespread attention. By no means a trivial trait with regards to Mahler’s fifth symphony, a work which has become one of his signature pieces thanks to the inclusion of its blissfully beautiful “Adagio” in Visconti’s “Death in Venice” (apparently Mahler’s musical way of proposing to his wife alma) and its colourful eclecticism, leading from a succinct opening trumpet motive to a multifaceted spectrum of expressions.

Started last year and scheduled for a completion in 2010, the Mahler cycle will not only continue David Zinman’s tradition of succesful integral recordings, but also document the relationship between the conductor and the Zürich Tonhalle Orchester. Since 1995, David Zinman has both profited from the ensemble’s talents, as well as infusing it with his unfettered enthusiasm and unconventional ideas. It has resulted in a winning team: The combination has already sold a million copies of a similarly construed Beethoven cycle as well as presenting the music of Richard Strauss and Robert Schumann.

Even though live performances are still the main point on their agenda, David Zinman and the Zürich Tonhalle Orchester deliberately decided against taping the Mahler cycle in concert, building on a mood of high concentration and ideal conditions for the SACD mix.

Homepage: David Zinman
Homepage: Zürich Tonhalle Orchester
Homepage: Sony BMG Masterworks

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