The Philadelphia Orchestra I CD

WHEN VISION AND VIRTUOSITY MEET


MAHLER Symphony No. 6 MAHLER Piano Quartet movement in A minor (1876)

For this, their third CD release together, Christoph Eschenbach leads The Philadelphia Orchestra in Mahler's monumental Sixth Symphony - an orchestral tour de force. This release also has an added bonus. It is coupled with Mahler's relatively unknown Piano Quartet, a work composed when Mahler was only 16 years old, here performed by members of The Philadelphia with Christoph Eschenbach on piano.

Learn more about The Philadelphia Orchestra's three year recording partnership with Ondine Records.

ClassicsToday.com

Artistic Quality 10/10 Sound Quality

“[T]his Mahler Sixth is really extraordinary. ... [Eschenbach] has a special feeling for [the work’s] harrowing intensity and expressionistic instrumental palette. Toss in the collective virtuosity of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the result is, to put it mildly, pretty special.

"One of the first things you notice about this performance ... is the rich ensemble sound. The strings have a heft that gives Karajan’s Berliners a run for their money, but never at the expense of textural clarity, thanks to penetrating brass and woodwinds. ...

“Aside from eliciting string playing that is so beautiful it will send chills down your spine, Eschenbach once again proves his sensitivity to Mahler’s idiom in the positively luminous ‘Alpine meadow’ episode, and above all when the cowbells come painfully crashing in against the final climactic appearance of the main theme. It’s a moment that no other performance matches, and no Mahlerian will want to miss it. ...

“I know that Mahler Sixes seem to be a dime a dozen these days, but this one, a first for Philadelphia, belongs among the elite few (Bernstein I and II, Chailly, Levi, T. Sanderling, and Gielen). It’s just bloody thrilling.”

September 26, 2006

Dallas Morning News

"From Christoph Eschenbach and the Philadelphia Orchestra comes a Mahler Sixth Symphony that goes right to the front of the class.... The orchestra plays gloriously, its legendary string sheen as radiant as ever. A sympathetic performance of Mahler's one-movement Piano Quartet, with three members of the orchestra, reminds us that Mr. Eschenbach ... remains a fine [pianist].”

October 21, 2006

One of the top 10 classical CDs of 2006

“[Christoph Eschenbach’s] Mahler Sixth is compelling start to finish, and the Philadelphia's famous luster seems undimmed.”

December 27, 2006

Philadelphia Inquirer

One of the 10 best recordings of 2006

“This choice is not about civic pride. It's prompted by the end-of-the-world power of the performance, with the orchestra sounding like it's had a triple espresso and Eschenbach's considerable imagination in full tilt. No matter how many Mahler Sixths anybody has, there should always be room for ones this good.”

December 10, 2006

Time Out New York

One of the top 10 recordings of 2006

December 28, 2006 – January 3, 2007