The Tonhalle-Orchester-Zürich, conducted by Paavo Järvi, thrills audiences at the Musikverein with Mahler's Second Symphony
Der Standard,
Ljubiša Tošić,
24 November, 2025
Symphonic Resurrection and Heartfelt Outpourings at the Musikverein
Anyone who claims to comprehensively depict fundamental existential themes in a work also places considerable burdens on the performers. With Gustav Mahler's Second Symphony, the "Resurrection Symphony," this universal cosmos of sonic and dramatic excess, the challenge is to precisely delineate the most emotional highs and lows while still leading the way to "redemption" with impulsive conviction. At the Musikverein, this is achieved with aplomb.
From the very first cello and double bass entrance, the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich displays meticulous and assertive playing; disciplined, precise attack and clear layering of sound dominate. However, with Mahler, discipline and clarity must not obscure the ambivalence inherent in his ideas. Conductor Paavo Järvi understands how to avoid any form of bland uniformity. In the opening "Funeral Rites," he unleashes structural tumult and celebrates that characteristically sweet, feverish singing of the strings. Transparent structure and architecture nevertheless allow for late-Romantic outpourings of emotion, which give way to a carefree lightness in the second, lilting movement.
Metamorphosis in the third movement: The folk-like elements here take on an ambivalent, at times even venomously sharp, hue. The "primal light"? Picturesque and vocally exquisite thanks to Anna Lucia Richter, the opening movement leads to the fifth, which condenses all the elements. The tectonic unity of this final movement thrives on the flexible Vienna Singverein, the soprano of Mari Eriksmoen, and a finely crafted orchestral texture that maintains a serene dialogue with the distant orchestra. A wonderful evening. However, the next Mahler symphony at the Musikverein will have to wait until January 17, 2026 – when the Vienna Symphony Orchestra performs the Seventh. (Ljubiša Tošić, November 24, 2025)
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