Turning the Tables Upside Down: Mahler by Paavo Järvi and Brahms by Kirill Petrenko
Crescendo
Pierre Jean Tribot,
November 13, 2025
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911): Symphony No. 1 in D major “Titan”. Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, Conductor: Paavo Järvi. 2025. Booklet in English, German, and French. 56’26”. Alpha 1166.Johannes Brahms (1833-1897): Tragic Overture, Op. 81; Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68. Berliner Philharmoniker, Conductor: Kirill Petrenko. 2024 and 2025. Booklet in English and German. 56’33”. Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings. BPHR 250561Two symphonic discs, released simultaneously, offer two interpretations that refresh our approach to the scores.We begin with the continuation of Mahler's complete symphonies with the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich under the direction of Paavo Järvi. We adored Symphony No. 5 and we love Symphony No. 1 just as much because the Estonian conductor and his musicians are breathtaking!Paavo Järvi presents a dynamic and particularly vibrant Mahler. The first movement is the awakening of a new man who asserts himself in this symphony that breaks with convention. The conductor particularly emphasizes its fractures and breaks, sweeping his musicians into a musical whirlwind, almost Berliozian in its sheer energy: Mahler has rarely sounded so revolutionary! Paavo Järvi doesn't seem to be concerned with subtle gradations or nuances, and instead delivers an abrasive, sometimes acidic and raw Mahler, one that forges ahead, far removed from the romantic worlds with which the composer is often associated. Mahler's mind must be exploding with ghostly, almost nightmarish images suggested by his imagination, images that the conductor brings to the surface. The instrumental polish is superb, and the sections, fully embracing the conductor's vision, stand united to impose this interpretation that strips the material bare like never before.We move from Zurich to Berlin with Kirill Petrenko conducting the Berlin Philharmonic for a completely stunning Brahms album. We have always praised in these pages the fabulous ability of the Berlin Philharmonic's music director to electrify his interpretations, channeling a colossal energy through the orchestra. From the very first bars of the Tragic Overture, the ear is captivated by the power and tension emanating from this performance. Symphony No. 1 continues this momentum with, as always with this conductor, a knack for subtly playing with the tempo in micro-accelerations that enhance the dramatic impact of his interpretations. The Berlin orchestra, galvanized and firing on all cylinders, is simply magnificent. One might wager that with other, less virtuosic and technically sound orchestras, such masterful conducting would lead to disaster. But here, the machine is perfectly in sync, merging seamlessly with the interpretation. Brahms is clearly at home in Berlin, and the orchestra's sound is fabulous: whether strings, woodwinds, or brass (what horns!), everything is admirable. This Brahms Symphony No. 1 is undoubtedly one of the conductor and orchestra's greatest interpretive achievements, a performance that takes its place in the already impressive pantheon of collaborations between the Berlin Philharmonic and Brahms.Superbly recorded, these two albums are clearly new treasures to be treasured.Overall rating: 10
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