Mahler: Symphony No. 5

by Semyon Bychkov, Czech Philharmonic

Overview

Conductor Semyon Bychkov was never particularly known as a Mahler interpreter, but that seems to have changed after he ascended the podium at the Czech Philharmonic in 2018. Perhaps, as only the orchestra's second non-Czech conductor, he wanted to establish a repertory for himself outside the usual Czech fare. In any event, his rendition of Mahler's Symphony No. 4 in G major was acclaimed, and in 2022, he returned with the somewhat thornier, less songful Symphony No. 5 in C sharp minor. Here, the naive-transcendent mood of the Symphony No. 4 finale is gone, replaced by a more distinctively modern collection of suddenly shifting moods. From Mahler's champion Leonard Bernstein on, conductors have emphasized a nervousness in this work from which the fourth-movement Adagietto, often performed by itself, provides a respite, but there is another approach, one that Bychkov's performance here exemplifies. Bychkov trims away extremes, takes the Adagietto faster than most, avoids jolting the listener with mood shifts, and often introduces a dry quality. All of this is executed flawlessly by the Czech Philharmonic, surely one of the top orchestras in the world at this point, and it is captured in resplendent sonics at the Rudolfinum in Prague by PentaTone's engineering team. There is certainly strong competition, but this is an impressive Mahler Fifth. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	10/14/2022
Label:	Pentatone Classics
UPC:	8717306260213
Rank:	7974

Tracks

1. Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp Minor~I. Trauermarsch. In gemessenem Schritt. Streng, wie ein Kondukt.
2. Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp Minor~II. St¿¿rmisch bewegt, Mit gr¿¿¿¿ter Vehemenz
3. Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp Minor~III. Scherzo. Kr¿¿ftig, nicht zu schnell
4. Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp Minor~IV. Adagietto. Sehr langsam
5. Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp Minor~V. Rondo - Finale. Allegro

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Semyon Bychkov   Primary Artist,Conductor
Czech Philharmonic   Primary Artist,Orchestra
Stanislav Masaryk   Trumpet
Jan Voboril   French Horn

Technical Credits

Robert Hanc   Executive Producer
Pavel Bartak   Cover Photo
Silvia Pietrosanti   Marketing
Marjolein Coenrady   Cover Design
Kate Rockett   A&R
Renaud Loranger   Executive Producer,A&R
Petra Hajska   Photography
Stephan Reh   Engineer
Holger Urbach   Recording Producer,Mastering,Editing
Sean Hickey   Managing Director
Cenek Kotzmann   Recording Technician
Vojtech Safarik   Product Manager
Gavin Plumley   Liner Notes
Ivan Zbiral   Recording Technician
Marco Borggreve   Photography,Cover Photo
Kasper van Kooten   Product Manager,Design
Gustav Mahler   Composer