Mahler: Symphony no. 2

Haitink, Bernard;
Chicago Symphony Orchestra;
Persson, Miah;
Stotijn, Christianne

CSO 901914

Although Gustav Mahler had suffered with his First Symphony from audiences, critics and even his own wife Schiffbruch, he continued the work already begun on his Second Symphony unabashedly. The long period from 1888-94, during which the piece was written, is mainly explained by Mahler's professional strain as opera director in Budapest and his later move to Hamburg, where he moved as first conductor in 1891.

The first movement, completed in 1888, was given the title Totenfeier by Mahler, and at the end of the movement he noted: "Here follows a pause of at least 5 minutes" Mahler presented his funeral service to several colleagues and reaped dismay, as Mahler himself recalled, as did Hans von Bülow: "When I played my funeral service to him, he became nervously horrified and explained that Tristan was a Haydn symphony against my piece, and behaved like a madman Johannes Brams, on the other hand, could not completely deny his young colleague his recognition and appointed him 'King of the Revolutionaries'

CD x 2

Muzyka klasyczna

CSO

14-01-2010

810449019149