Mahler’s Second draws nine new recordings amid a crowded market
Mahler’s Second Symphony, the “Resurrection”, is enjoying an unusually busy year, with nine new recordings due in the UK market over 12 months and four major UK performances already held. The article asks whether this reflects a lasting appetite for the work’s apocalyptic vision and triumphant finale, or whether the recording market is becoming crowded.
The symphony was the first of Mahler’s to be recorded in full: Oskar Fried made the pioneering recording in 1923 and 1924 with a small Berlin State Opera Orchestra. For decades, new versions appeared only occasionally, including notable accounts by Ormandy, Klemperer and Bernstein; by comparison, Mahler’s Fifth and Eighth symphonies have had four releases each in 2026. The excerpt lists prominent conductors among this year’s releases, but ends before the reviewer’s recommendation is given.
- Nine new Mahler Second recordings are entering the UK market over 12 months.
- The “Resurrection” was the first Mahler symphony recorded in full.
- The article excerpt ends before the reviewer names a preferred recording.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by The Guardian as “With nine new recordings of Mahler’s epic Resurrection Symphony this year alone, which rises above the rest?”.