Prom 49: Glorious, tear-jerking Mahler 2 from Rattle and the London Symphony Orchestra at the Proms

Mahler's 'Resurrection' Symphony in the Royal Albert Hall
© BBC/Chris Christodoulou

Sir Simon Rattle conducts the London Symphony Orchestra
© BBC/Chris Christodoulou

Louise Alder (soprano)

Dame Sarah Connolly (mezzo-soprano)

CBSO Chorus

London Symphony Chorus

London Symphony Orchestra

Sir Simon Rattle (conductor)

7.00pm, Wednesday 24 August 2022

BBC Prom 49

Royal Albert Hall, London

★★★★★

Harrison Birtwistle (1934-2022): Donum Simoni MMXVIII

Gustav Mahler 91860-1911): Symphony No. 2 in C minor, 'Resurrection'

Louise Alder & Dame Sarah Connolly
© BBC/Chris Chrisodoulou

Birtwistle:

'In just three or four minutes, Birtwistle packs in some trademark features, with hefty rasps from trombones and shrill calls from the woodwind, as well as strident percussion effects'.

Mahler:

'Conducting from memory, Rattle immediately gave every sense of confidence and total command'. 

'Dame Sarah Connolly's opening line could not have been more captivating, full of pain and longing, and the rising phrases on 'Himmel' and 'leuchten' had a beautiful pleading intensity, all the more powerful for the understated control on show.

'Simon Halsey deserves credit for the fine preparation of both the London Symphony and CBSO Choruses here. From their first seated arrival with 'Aufersteh’n', fiendishly difficult to sing so quietly after sitting for over an hour, to their full-force explosion of sound in the closing sections, they demonstrated exemplary diction, control and tuning.'

'Soprano Louise Alder, at this point positioned side-stage up by the chorus upper voices, rose beautifully above them, and then joined Connolly on stage for their heartfelt banishments of pain and death'. 

'This ending never ceases to impress, but tonight’s tear-inducing, glorious statement of the power of life over death will be remembered for a long time to come'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.