Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde (Live)

Simon Rattle’s earlier recording chose the tenor and baritone option, but here, guest conducting with the magnificent Munich orchestra, he goes for the more popular mezzo and tenor lineup. And it results in a very fine performance. Skelton is powerful, plangent, honeyed and sensitive by turns, and Kožená finds an inward, emotionally vibrant quality in her songs, sometimes almost draining the voice of colour. Rattle, a Mahler conductor of true pedigree, handles the orchestral lines with total control and a vivid awareness of its inner life, and the BRSO, with their own classy Mahler heritage, respond gloriously. A very special experience.