Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor Resurrection Simona Saturova

• Gustav Mahler (1860–1911): Symphony No. 2 in C Minor -Resurrection-
• 1I. Allegro maestoso22:35
• 2II. Andante moderato11:14
• 3III. In ruhig fliessender Bewegung10:34
• 4IV. Urlicht: Sehr feierlich, aber schlicht05:50
• 5V. Finale: Im Tempo des Scherzos -21:00
• 6V. Langsam - Misterioso16:13
• Total Runtime01:27:26

Info for Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor Resurrection

Music for the soul - One of the great Mahler conductors of our time, Christoph Eschenbach has a particularly close connection to the spiritual spheres of pain and relief in the music of Gustav Mahler. His recording of the Sixth Symphony, with The Philadelphia Orchestra, was hailed by Gramophone as “maybe the Sixth of first choice, sonically and interpretatively,” and ClassicsToday.com stated, 'No Mahlerian will want to miss it!” (ODE 1084-5D).

This new release features the Second Symphony ('Resurrection'), which was one of Mahler's most popular and successful works during his lifetime. The celestial 'Urlicht' song of the fourth movement is performed by the celebrated mezzo-soprano Yvonne Naef. The famous chorus of the Finale ('Auferstehung') features Simona Šaturová and Yvonne Naef with The Philadelphia Singers Chorale.

„Yvonne Naef (...) turns in one of the finest accounts of the fourth movement ('Urlicht') on disc. (...) The first movement has a rugged intensity that recalls Klemperer, and the insanely powerful, crushing brass chords that usher in the recapitulation have to be heard to be believed. Here is another case where taking a risk pays off: Eschenbach really slams on the brakes here, and if you're going to do that the brass had better blow their collective lips off - and so they do. (...) The playing of the Philadelphia Orchestra is pretty outstanding.“ (David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com)

„In 'Urlicht' there's a palpable presence in the brass chorales, and Eschenbach's (...) sensitive mezzo, Yvonne Naef, breaks up the long phrases he demands with intelligence, and conveys warm human sympathy throughout.“ (David Nice, BBC Music Magazine)

„This is a first-rate performance and recording of Mahler's 'Resurrection' Symphony, easily out-classing most of the recent additions to the catalog. (...) I place it (...) among my highest recommendations in any medium.“ (Christopher Abbot, Fanfare Magazine)

Yvonne Naef, mezzo-soprano
Simona Saturova, soprano
The Philadelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Singers Chorale
Christoph Eschenbach, conductor

Simona Šaturová
was born in Bratislava (Slovakia). She was only five when she was given her first violin lesson. She studied singing at the Bratislava Conservatory and attended various master classes, most notably with the Romanian soprano singer Ileana Cortrubas.

Since her last minute engagement as Ilia (Idomeneo) at the Théatre de la Monnaie in Brussels in 2010 she regularly returns to this theatre, most recently end of 2012 as Violetta Valéry. It is the place where she also starts the recent season as Servilia (La Clemenza di Tito) under Ludovic Morlot, followed in spring by Gilda (Rigoletto) in a new production by Robert Carsen under Carlo Rizzi. Since her highly acclaimed success as Konstanze (The Abduction from the Seraglio) she is also closely connected to the Aalto-Theatre in Essen and in this season performs as Violetta (La Traviata), Adina (L’elisir d’amore) and Donna Anna (Don Giovanni). A guest performance with Mysliveček`s L’Olimpiade for the first time leads her to the Theater an der Wien. Besides of numerous performances at the Prague National Theatre the soprano so far could also be heared on the stages of Teatro Colón Buenos Aires, Théâtre du Châtelet Paris, Opéra de Monte Carlo, Oper Frankfurt and in Athen`s Megaron Concert Hall. Her repertoire also includes the roles of Lucia (Lucia di Lammermoor), Gilda (Rigoletto), Giulietta (I Capuleti e i Montecchi), Oscar (Un Ballo in Maschera), Rosina (Il Barbiere di Siviglia) or Adele (Die Fledermaus).

Simona Šaturová has also earned an international reputation as a concert and oratorio singer. She has appeared as a guest performer in New York, Dallas, Oslo, Detroit, Toronto, Granada, Istanbul, Japan, Israel and Venezuela, at the Oregon Bach Festival in Eugene, the Festival Internazionale di Musica e Arte Sacra Roma, the Vienna Spring Festival or the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival. Conductors with whom the soprano singer has worked include Christoph Eschenbach, Philippe Herreweghe, Krzysztof Penderecki, Sir Neville Marriner, Sylvain Cambreling, Helmuth Rilling, Jiří Bělohlávek, Serge Baudo, Manfred Honeck, John Fiore, Kent Nagano, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Adam Fischer, Ivan Fischer und Christopher Hogwood.

Simona Šaturová has an exceptional relationship to Mozart’s music: “His music has always been with me. His Mass in C minor has been an especially important work for me. I have already sung it more than 50 times all over the world.” In January 2009 she performed her favourite piece of music in the Sistine Chapel as a guest of Pope Benedict. In the recent season she sings it with Hans Christoph Rademann in Stuttgart and also with the Collegium 1704 under Vaclav Luks in Prague and Dresden. Further engagements lead her to the WDR Symphony Orchestra in Essen and Cologne with Fauré`s Requiem under Leo Hussain, to the MDR Symphony Orchestra with Mahler`s 2. Symphony under Thomas Dausgaard and also to Rome with Antonín Dvořáks Stabat mater under Tomas Netopil.

She has also featured on CD recordings for the Supraphon, hänssler classic and Classico labels and for Carus Verlag and Sony/BMG. In June 2009 the Orfeo label released her first solo recording with the NDR Radiophilharmonie under the title Haydn Arias. This CD was labelled “Editor’s Choice” by Gramophone Magazine. In August 2007 the artist was awarded the "Förderpreis der Walter und Charlotte Hamel-Stiftung" (Walter and Charlotte Hamel Foundation prize) at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival.

This album contains no booklet.