Mahler: Symphony No. 5

The recording of Mahler's Fifth Symphony by the Tonhalle Orkest Zürich under chief conductor Paavo Järvi is the prelude to a complete cycle of Mahler symphonies. Järvi has of course conducted Mahler's works many times throughout his career, but he has waited for the right moment to record the complete cycle in the studio: the right moment, not only in his life as a musician, but also in his relationship with the Tonhalle Orkest Zürich. The maturity and power that emanate from the orchestra's recordings for Alpha Classics have been praised by the music press since 2019. "With the Fifth, Mahler really opened up a new universe in which he initiated a very personal style of music-making," says Paavo Järvi. "Already the nature of the opening - a military funeral - and its tragedy, combined with the idea of beginning a symphony in this way, indicated that we were in for something very different."