Mena conducts Mahler 3 - 3.10.17

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

7.30 p.m.
Radio 3 in Concert

From the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester

Mahler: Symphony No 3

Karen Cargill (mezzo-soprano)
BBC National Chorus of Wales
Boy and Girl Choristers of Gloucester Cathedral
BBC Philharmonic
Juanjo Mena (conductor)

Described by Mahler as "one great hymn to the glory of every aspect of creation" his majestic Third Symphony entrances and humbles us as we are taken on an epic journey through nature; through the meadows, through the animal and human kingdoms, and then beyond that to the realm of the angels and finally to "the love of God". However, he doesn't neglect the "everyday"; we hear a military march, a children's song and fragments of a folk dance too. Mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill joins the orchestra for the awestruck fourth movement, which Mahler titled "What night tells me (mankind)", setting a poem by Nietzsche who searches desperately to make sense of the grief and joy of the world, and the Boy and Girl Choristers of Gloucester Cathedral and the ladies' voices of the BBC National Chorus of Wales bring us the shining bells and the song of the angels.

[bluestateprommer]

Caught this a few weeks back just before the end of the 30-day period. It was more or less what I expected from Juanjo Mena; straightforward, no-nonsense, but also a touch prosaic more often than not in its overall pacing (think maybe Belohlavek-like, but at lower voltage). JM did let the musicians go to town in a few of the more raucous moments, to be fair. If nothing else, JM is leaving the band in very good technical shape as his last season with them gets rolling. (Somewhat OT, and repeating what I've said elsewhere: I'm hoping that the BBC Phil's management can prevail on John Storgards to take over as chief conductor, i.e. more than "chief guest conductor", soon.)