Mahler: Symphony No. 3 (2CD)

The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and its chief conductor and music director Semyon Bychkov continue their acclaimed Mahler cycle with the composer's Third Symphony, working with mezzo-soprano Catriona Morison, the Prague Philharmonic Choir and Pueri Gaudentes. In this monumental work, Mahler combines a text from Nietzsche's Also sprach Zarathustra with the folk song inspirations of Des Knaben Wunderhorn, culminating in the final Adagio in eternal bliss. For Bychkov, this longest Mahler symphony is his "least hysterical" music, and when he heard it for the first time as a 10-year-old choirboy, it sparked his lifelong fascination and love for this composer. This recording closes the circle. The Czech Philharmonic - recently named Orchestra of the Year by Gramophone - is one of the world's finest orchestras, renowned for its rich tradition with the Czech masters and European repertoire. Together with their Principal Conductor and Music Director Semyon Bychkov, they have so far recorded Mahler's First, Second, Fourth and Fifth Symphonies (2022-2023) for PENTATONE, which are part of the complete Mahler cycle to be released on the label, as well as Smetana's Má vlast and Dvořák's Seventh, Eighth and Ninth Symphonies (2024). The orchestra can also be heard on the albums Folk Songs (2023) and Czech Songs (2024), recorded by Magdalena Kožená and Sir Simon Rattle, as well as on Dvořák Legends & Rhapsodies with Tomáš Netopil.