Philadelphia Orchestra, Yannick Nézet-Séguin – Mahler: Symphony No. 8 (2020) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Philadelphia Orchestra, Yannick Nézet-Séguin – Mahler: Symphony No. 8 (2020)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:23:19 minutes | 1,46 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Digital Booklet, Front Cover | © Deutsche Grammophon (DG)

Yannick Nézet-Séguin’s new Mahler recording marks a return to the core symphonic repertoire with the Philadelphia Orchestra Gustav Mahler’s Eighth Symphony was billed as the “Symphony of a Thousand” exploring themes of redemption through the power of love.

The performances with the Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of its music director Nézet-Séguin in March 2016 marked – almost to the day – the 100th anniversary of the glorious U.S. premiere by the very same orchestra in 1916, then conducted by Stokowski.

Due to its need for eight soloists and the vast headcount Mahler insisted on for the choir and the orchestra, the 8th Symphony is rarely played in concert halls simply for financial reasons: in fact, it is nicknamed the Symphony of a Thousand, further emphasising its monstrous reputation.

Berlioz-esque in its boundless ambition, this symphony can be just as bold in its glowing orchestration, especially when led by a conductor with as much verve as Yannick Nézet-Seguin, who knows how to favour refinement, instrumental finesse, measure, transparency and the obvious power that are all part and parcel of this momentous score.

The Canadian conductor is something of a regular with this particular symphony having performed it several times, including on 4 consecutive nights in Philadelphia in March 2016, but also in Europe in Rotterdam and in Brussels two years later. This recording was taken during the Philadelphia concerts, which were commemorating the 100th anniversary of the first American performance of the work in 1916 with Leopold Stokowski conducting the same orchestra in the same city.

Benefiting from the best soloists on the scene, a top-tier choir and the famous “Philadelphia sound” of the orchestra, Nézet-Seguin has 400 singers and instrumentalists under his direction. Together they offer us a very eloquent vision of a masterpiece which treads the line between symphony, cantata and oratorio. – François Hudry

Tracklist:

01. Philadelphia Orchestra – “Veni creator spiritus” (Live) (01:26)
02. Angela Meade – “Imple superna gratia” (Live) (04:25)
03. Angela Meade – “Infirma nostri corporis” (Live) (01:47)
04. Philadelphia Orchestra – Tempo I (Allegro, etwas hastig) (Live) (01:25)
05. Angela Meade – “Infirma nostri corporis virtute firmans perpeti” (Live) (02:48)
06. Angela Meade – “Accende lumen sensibus” (Live) (05:22)
07. Angela Meade – “Qui Paraclitus diceris” (Live) (04:18)
08. Angela Meade – “Gloria sit Patri Domino” (Live) (01:52)
09. Philadelphia Orchestra – Poco adagio (Live) (06:23)
10. Philadelphia Orchestra – Più mosso (Allegro moderato) (Live) (03:47)
11. Philadelphia Orchestra – “Waldung, sie schwankt heran” (Live) (04:31)
12. Markus Werba – “Ewiger Wonnebrand” (Live) (01:38)
13. John Relyea – “Wie Felsenabgrund mir zu Füßen” (Live) (04:37)
14. Philadelphia Orchestra – “Gerettet ist das edle Glied” (Live) (01:03)
15. Philadelphia Orchestra – “Jene Rosen, aus den Händen” (Live) (02:10)
16. Elizabeth Bishop – “Uns bleibt ein Erdenrest” (Live) (01:47)
17. Philadelphia Orchestra – “Ich spür’ soeben” (Live) (00:35)
18. Anthony Dean Griffey – “Hier ist die Aussicht frei” – “Freudig empfangen wir” (Live) (00:38)
19. Anthony Dean Griffey – “Höchste Herrscherin der Welt” (Live) (02:41)
20. Anthony Dean Griffey – “Jungfrau, rein im schönsten Sinne” (Live) (01:44)
21. Philadelphia Orchestra – Äußerst langsam. Adagissimo (Live) (01:38)
22. Erin Wall – “Dir, der Unberührbaren” – “Du schwebst zu Höhen” (Live) (02:42)
23. Angela Meade – “Bei der Liebe, die den Füßen” (Live) (00:59)
24. Elizabeth Bishop – ”Bei dem Bronn, zu dem schon weiland” (Live) (01:27)
25. Mihoko Fujimura – “Bei dem hochgeweihten Orte” (Live) (01:04)
26. Angela Meade – “Die du großen Sünderinnen” (Live) (01:38)
27. Erin Wall – “Neige, neige, du Ohnegleiche” (Live) (00:47)
28. Philadelphia Orchestra – “Er überwächst uns schon” (Live) (01:19)
29. Erin Wall – “Vom edlen Geisterchor umgeben” (Live) (02:14)
30. Lisette Oropesa – “Komm! hebe dich zu höhern Sphären” (Live) (01:18)
31. Anthony Dean Griffey – “Blicket auf zum Retterblick” (Live) (06:19)
32. Angela Meade – “Alles Vergängliche” (Live) (06:41)

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