Album

Mariss Jansons' performances of Gustav Mahler's symphonies with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra may be better known to his fans, but his 2007 recording on BR Klassik with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra of the Symphony No. 7 in E minor fills a gap that was left in the RCO Live series, and provides almost equal quality in performance and sound. Appropriately, this is a super audio CD, like the other label's releases, and Jansons and the orchestra brilliantly produce the astonishing array of colors and effects that Mahler exploited in this symphony, nicknamed "The Song of the Night" for its vivid series of nocturnal images. Jansons also has a good feeling for this work's eccentricities of form and style, and interprets it with lucidity and a clear sense of its "night to darkest night to day" trajectory, despite its sometimes confusing changes of mood over five long movements. One might wish that this excellent recording could have no flaws, but one annoying problem is Janson's out-of-tune humming along with the orchestra, which is picked up quite clearly in the DSD recording. Fortunately, these passages are just occasional distractions and only audible in the loudest climaxes, so they probably will escape detection unless headphones are used. Other than that, this is a fine rendition of what may be Mahler's quirkiest symphony, and it is well worth having.

© Blair Sanderson, All Music Guide

CD 1
Gustav Mahler Composer Symphony No.7 in E- ('Song of the Night') Work 1:17:36 Mariss Jansons Conductor, Symphponieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks Orchestra
1	1.Langsam (Adagio). Allegro con fuoco	21:49			$3.49
2	2.Nachtmusik. Allegro moderato	15:13			$2.49
3	3.Scherzo: Schattenhaft, fließend, aber nicht schnell	9:58			$1.49
4	4.Nachtmusik. Andante amoroso	13:13			$2.49
5	5.Rondo-Finale: Allegro ordinario	17:23			$2.99