Riccardo Chailly and Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra- Mahler 2

Product Description The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and their Music Director Riccardo Chailly have already acquired legendary status glorious reviews and many awards for their recordings testifying to their continuing success. At Leipzigs International Mahler Festival, to mark the centenary of Mahlers death, they performed his monumental Second Symphony in the Gewandhaus together with two marvellous soloists and choral forces quite beyond compare. About the final movement the composer said: The increasing tension, working up to the final climax, is so tremendous that I dont know myself, now that it is over, how I ever came to write it. The painting ""Morgenrot"" was chosen by internationally acclaimed artist Neo Rauch to feature on the cover of this release on DVD and Blu-ray. Review Interpretatively speaking, Chailly's Resurrection is unashamedly mainstream, more straightforward than Bernstein's, sunnier and more muscular than Abbado's, with forthright contributions from harp and percussion... the excellent Sarah Connolly provides a lovely, intimate reading of the 'Urlicht' and there is no lack of tension as the epic finale crashes in... Strongly recommended. --Gramophone, David Gutman, December 2011 ...you will not find another recording of Symphony of a Thousand with soloists superior to those heard here. And the performances are outstanding in every way - brilliant orchestral playing under Chailly's benevolent leadership, and expert choruses. If you love Mahler's music you must get these videos. Camera work is just about perfect...Audio is excellent, rich and wide in dynamic range, and well-balanced. Don't miss these! --ClassicalCDReview.com, Robert Benson, November 2011