Jonathan Nott - Mahler: Symphony No. 3 (2011) [Official Digital Download 24/88.2]

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Jonathan Nott - Mahler: Symphony No. 3 (2011) [Official Digital Download 24/88.2]

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Jonathan Nott's exceptional recordings of Gustav Mahler's symphonies are among the most impressive in the hybrid SACD format, and the 2011 release of the Symphony No. 3 in D minor follows suit. This is the longest of Mahler's symphonies, and for many years, recordings of it had been somewhat rare in the marketplace and hit or miss in execution, sometimes succeeding in conveying Mahler's mystical vision, though often succumbing to the difficulties of making such a sprawling work cohere.

Nott's achievement with the Bamberg Symphony is not only a triumph of interpretation, but it is also a compelling performance that holds the listener's attention from beginning to end. Not only is the orchestral playing first-rate, but the singing of contralto Mihoko Fujimura and the combined ensembles of the Bamberg Cathedral Boys Choir and the women of the Bamberg Symphony Choir add an angelic luster to this rendition. If Mahler's so-called Wunderhorn symphonies have an ethereal quality, it is fully evident in the sung movements, though the composer's extremely complicated emotional world is on display throughout the work. Nott's involvement with the score is deep and convincing, and the efforts of all the musicians yield an extraordinary listening experience. This live recording is recommended as one of the best of 2011.

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Jonathan Nott - Mahler: Symphony No. 3 (2011) [Official Digital Download 24/88.2]

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