Despite its formidable scale and extreme length, Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 3 in D minor has become one of his most popular works, and recordings of it have steadily increased with each passing year. This live performance by Mariss Jansons and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is one of a growing number of super audio releases of Mahler's symphonies, and the DSD recording and multichannel format are ideal for the Third, which has an extremely wide dynamic range and a impressive array of sonorities and tone colors. Jansons and the RCO have released other Mahler recordings on the RCO Live label, and though critical reception has been a little mixed over the previous discs, the lucid interpretation and the high quality of this rendition should guarantee high marks from many knowledgeable listeners. The orchestral sound is quite deep and open, perhaps at its most effective in the distant posthorn solo of the third movement, and most affecting in the accompaniment of mezzo-soprano Bernarda Fink's solo in the fourth, "O Mensch! Gibt Acht!" The additional forces of the women of the Netherlands Radio Choir, the Boys of the Breda Sacrament Choir, and the Rijnmond Boy's Choir show the breadth of the recording space. From time to time, the focus and direction of the sound is difficult to assess on a stereo player, so for an optimal listening experience, play this recording on SACD equipment.
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