Symphony No 1

Written when the composer was only in his late twenties, Mahler's first symphony is a study in optimism. 'In full sail' (his original title for the second movement) could be a motto for the whole work. In this vast symphony, we hear his love of nature and beauty, Mahler's childhood memories, fragments of distant military music, birdsong and even Yiddish folk tunes as they blend together into a paean to life and hope. The work's tribute to Beethoven is seen in it's architecture, as it takes cues from his idol's famous ninth symphony. The fact that Mahler's first was debuted in the Hungarian capital Budapest gives Ivan Fischer and his Budapest Festival Orchestra a unique connection to it's history. This new Super Audio CD recording from Channel Classics brings out all the nuances and colors of the work, from it's softest whispers to it's most thundering climaxes.