Mahler: Symphony No. 2 / Mehta, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

 (38 customer reviews)

If you get one recording of Mahler's spectacular Resurrection, get this one. I have 3 recordings of this piece, and this one is my favorite out of those 3. Single disc Mahler 2nds are very rare. But this one is better than alot of its double disc competitors. This is probably Mehta's finest Mahler album ever. I cannot say enough good things about this recording, but I will say as many as I can. The first movement is very dramatic. Mehta opens with a very tense, brisk tempo. Even though he opens fairly brisk, Mehta never rushes, but never drags, clocking in at 21'03, a full 2 minutes slower then Klemperer who actually opens with a slower tempi. The timpani is very well-defined, however not overpowering, throughout the movement, as well as throughout the entire disc. The Andante is played very well. The phrasing is wonderful. Mehta's tempi are pretty much the same as most others, perhaps a little faster in some spots. The Scherzo starts out the best I have ever heard. Two...Read more

It might get better than this, but I'm not really sure how. This Second is without question one of the most engaging, dynamic performances I've ever heard. If you're worried about Mehta's speedy tempo in the first movement, don't be; the music never sounds rushed, only tense and fiery and just smoldering with anger (except for the peace and celestial beauty of the second subject, which makes such an amazing contrast with the rest of the movement that it's hard to comprehend). The second movement is another brilliant contrast, a "Schubertian song": the VPO makes it tender and lyrical without ever becoming overwhelming. Then the scherzo (which starts with two brilliantly clear timpani strokes) is sinuous and mysterious and wonderfully macabre. Mehta and the VPO preserve the individual character of each of these movements while simultaneously managing to give them a unified feel, a sense that they belong to a coherent whole. As amazing as all of that is, however, it just...Read more

I have 2 more versions of this monstrous symphony(Klemperer-New Philarmonia, Walter-NYPO), but none of them can match the intensity, passion, emotion, and fire of this version by Mehta and VPO. I almost cried when I first heard it!
The quality of the CD is just a killer. YOU CAN HEAR EVERY INSTRUMENT WITH A LITTLE REVERB! That's especially true in the final movement. It's like being in the recording session yourself! The sound is huge. It's like that there was a wall of Marshall amps behind the orchestra & chorus! This CD should be played as loud as possible. It's the best to annoy your neighbors,or make them pray!
The first movement is the most violent, bitter, and angriest I have ever heard. The climaxes are just sheer-powerful.
The second movement is pretty much the same. The third movement opens with the best timpani I have ever heard. Those timpani strikes sound like you just woke up from a beautiful dream and went back to the cruel reality.
The...Read more