Das Lied von der Erde

"Adam Fischer ... regards Das Lied von der Erde as a difficult piece to deliver, and he is of course absolutely correct ... It should be said at the very outset that Fischer and his Düsseldorf players make the task of realising such a complicated score sound deceptively easy. Time and again they contrive to elucidate the most complex textures ... The playing is impeccable; and the recorded acoustic is warm without becoming over-resonant. Everyone concerned is to be congratulated on a magnificent tonal achievement ... Anna Larsson too is a very good singer, but in the contralto songs she is up against much more formidable competition in the shape of earlier rivals ... Indeed it should be said that this recording of Das Lied bears comparison with the very best of its highly distinguished competition".

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"Darker, weightier sounding mezzo-sopranos have sung Das Lied von der Erde but few have endowed the meaning of the text with as much veracity as Kožená ... Rattle's approach to Das Lied von der Erde with the impeccably prepared Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks feels freshly minted. I can't fault the beautiful and unaffected playing of total conviction from one of the world's finest orchestras".

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"Editor's choices - August 2018: The Australian heldentenor is on ringing, impassioned form in the opening drinking-song, riding the hefty orchestration with Siegfried-like blade, but it's Kožená's ethereal, luminous Abschied which makes this a must-have for me: her slender, silvery mezzo may lack the timbral depth of a Ferrier or a Ludwig, but yields nothing in the way of intensity".

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"Connolly's first two phrases in 'Der Einsame im Herbst' will engender confidence in any listener. The singing is perfectly poised and the sound of her voice per se is a source of great pleasure. Furthermore, Jurowski ensures that the orchestral accompaniment is ideally pointed ... This recording of Das Lied von der Erde is a fine achievement. I greatly admired Sarah Connolly's 2011 performance but I think she surpasses that earlier version here. Vladimir Jurowski conducts his fine orchestra perceptively, and Robert Dean Smith makes a good contribution, though I don't think he matches Sarah Connolly's expressiveness".

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"Nagano is one of the few conductors to record this work in one of its rarer versions with a baritone as partner to the tenor in place of the more usual contralto - often sung by a mezzo ... This 2009 recording will surely be remembered for long, as one of the quintessential recordings that brought Mahler's bleeding Weltschmerz to full expressive power".

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"Gustav Mahlers Das Lied von der Erde, med tenoren Stig Fogh Andersen og alten Elisabeth Hanke som solister. Han med en sjælfuld timbre i stemmen, hun med en dybtloddende varme. Men øjeblikket, hvor Borksands geni viser sig i kort begreb, er den sørgemarch, der adskiller altens to sange i værkets sidste sats. Trukket på en gang så blomstrende og så knugende op".

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"Bruno Walter ... celebrerede Das Lied von der Erde med legenden Kathleen Ferrier og den stilsikre Julius Patzak ... Nu har vi i hænde den nyeste indspilning, hvor den amerikanske tenor Stuart Skelton og den tjekkiske mezzosopran Magdalena Kozená synger under ledelse af hendes ægtemand, Sir Simon Rattle, i spidsen for Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks. Skelton har heltebrillans i de sangvinske sange, Kozená en regnbue af farver i de dybsindige, og hun slutter af med den en halv time lange Abschied, der består af to afskedsdigte. Mellem dem spænder Mahler så en instrumental bro ud af svimlende vælde, fra det hvislende til det sønderkvasende".

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"There is no question that the impression of a lyric symphony with obbligato voices is what Fischer is striving for and notably achieves here. There is a transparency throughout and all the 'vocal' soloists within the orchestra - not least the wonderfully atmospheric oboe and flute soloists in 'Der Abschied' - shine brightly ... Larsson and Fischer do not disappoint".

"What is perhaps most immediately striking is the detail and brilliance of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra's playing ... [Skelton] makes a fine, handsome sound and offers something special in his moving reactions to the poetry. Kožená in her songs offers singing of supreme beauty. In fact, she sings almost too beautifully at times ... Not a conventional Lied, perhaps, but a fascinating and beguiling one: highly recommended".

"Recording of the month - Editor's choice: This is a performance of such distinction that regardless of one's personal view of the piece ... it must be considered a prime contender for anyone's library ... I cannot stress enough how effectively Jurowski conveys the ethereal 'natural world' beauty of the score ... I cannot imagine a more revealing exposition of Mahler's instrumental colorations. Everything stands in such sharp relief ... Jurowsky ... stands back from the score, marvelling at its intricacies while respecting the stillness and balance".

"Mahler ... hade tidigare använt sånginslag i sina symfonier, men här förenas sången med orkestern på ett mer djupgående sätt ... Klangprakten är verkligen outstanding i Jurowskijs tolkning ... Dirigent, orkester och solister befinner sig på samma planhalva, med sång och orkester som sömlöst går in i varandra. Sarah Connolly har gjort den här musiken till sin och jag har redan tappat räkningen på hur många gånger jag har lyssnat till den gripande Abschied-satsen ... Jurowskijs förtjänar absolut sin plats i skivhyllan jämte andra legendariska utgåvor".