The London Philharmonic Orchestra has a long heritage with Mahler’s symphonies, cemented in a mid-European tradition through Tennstedt’s work with the Orchestra in the 1980s and early 1990s. Vladimir Jurowski has waited longer than many other conductors might before tackling Mahler, mainly, he says, because to approach this music is “to touch on something that is for me extremely precious and personal”.

Mahler’s Second Symphony is a compelling start to Jurowski’s documentation of this great composer. His approach fully reveals the dynamic extremes in Mahler and this recording emphasises how much soft scoring there is, such is Jurowski’s sensitivity and control. Jurowski differs from Tennstedt in that there is no over-emotional self-indulgence, he allows the music to do the talking and his tempos and pacing are faultless.

Recorded live at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, London, on 25 & 26 September 2009.

‘...when the chorus finally stood up and let rip in the closing moments, it set the seal on a masterful performance from a world-class orchestra-conductor team.’ - The Guardian, September 2009