Previews: PARK AVENUE CHAMBER SYMPHONY AND MAHLER'S FIFTH recorded at DiMenna Center

There are those out in the ether who, upon hearing the name Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) on the radio will immediately switch the station. Mahler is boring. Mahler is long-winded. Mahler tunes wander all over the place. While these things can subjectively be true, given half a chance Mahler's music is none of those things.

The Park Avenue Chamber Symphony (PACS) under the direction of Maestro David Bernard has recently released a new recording of Mahler's Fifth Symphony on the Recursive Classics label. It is neither boring nor long winded nor wandering. Each movement has a multi-lyrical texture that somehow brings the listener to an understanding of the piece as a whole. Performed by the PACS, it is utterly thrilling, riveting, and breath-taking.

The symphony begins not with a bang, not with a whimper, but a solo trumpet leading into a funeral march. ("With measured tread, strict. Like a procession"). Not your typical symphonic start. Yet as played by the soloist on this recording, the music is less a statement of sadness than of triumph. It becomes an affirmation of life and its fullness.

A roller coaster of passionate emotion marks the beginning of the second movement ("Stormy, with utmost vehemence"). As in Baroque music (with which Mahler was fascinated) there is almost no sense of rest with few final cadences. Maestro Bernard leads the orchestra on a take-no-prisoners journey that stirs the emotions and our very souls. The musicians are with him every step of the way. There is a gorgeous, warm lower string sound when a theme becomes evident. The sudden, illuminating appearance of a chorale similar to but not the same as anything Bach ever wrote is one point where one needs to be reminded to breathe. It is utterly brilliant writing, and the PACS performance is dazzling.

A Scherzo ("Vigorous, not too fast") comprises the third movement. Although the literal meaning of "scherzo" is "joke", there really is nothing particularly humorous about what happens in this movement. It seems more like a collection of dance forms. But it isn't just that. Somehow the listener is kept on the edge of the seat to hear what happens next, and suddenly we are back on that intense roller coaster ride.

This beautiful recording, with the clearest and cleanest of sound engineering, picks up on every nuance intended by Mahler and explored by Maestro Bernard. The famous fourth movement "Adagietto; sehr langsam" (Very slow) is particularly poignant, moving, and touching. The harpist skillfully blends with the thinly orchestrated string section, creating a delicate balance of emotions and to let the music flow naturally. It is exquisite on this recording. Written as a gift of love to his wife Alma, Mahler's inner life comes to the fore in this movement in a way he had not permitted himself before. On a side note, Leonard Bernstein was buried with a copy of this movement open over his heart. It was one of his favorite of favorite pieces, and he would have loved the PACS' heartfelt interpretation.

The Rondo-Finale of the Fifth Symphony pulls together what has come before in an exuberant and sparkling finish. Mahler wrote this symphony over the course of a year but tinkered with it for another ten years, always finding something he hadn't yet found. On another side note, Mahler served as the Music Director of the New York Philharmonic from 1909-1911, all the while composing, tinkering with his compositions, and leading his extraordinary musical and extra-musical life.

Maestro David Bernard really "gets" what Mahler is all about. He has successfully communicated that understanding to his terrific orchestra who in turn communicate it to their audiences. This is a CD that should find a place in all music libraries, an honored place among the many recordings of the Fifth Symphony. It is truly a first among equals.

Watch for the December 2, 2022 release!

To pre-save this release to your streaming playlists or to pre-order the CD, click on https://bit.ly/PACSMahler5Links. The full release date is December 2, 2022

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