Mahler: Symphony No. 7
Orchestre National de Lille, Alexandre Bloch
Bloch gives us a splendidly spiky central Scherzo and nicely paced final Rondo, but his two Nachtmusik movements are not as mysterious as some I’ve heard.
Mahler: Symphony No. 7
Orchestre National de Lille, Alexandre Bloch
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Bloch gives us a splendidly spiky central Scherzo and nicely paced final Rondo, but his two Nachtmusik movements are not as mysterious as some I’ve heard.
About
Alexandre Bloch, who has been Music Director of the Orchestre National de Lille since 2016, has chosen to devote a whole season of concerts to Mahler's symphonies. The Seventh (1904-05) is the most rarely recorded of the cycle unjustly, because this work later nicknamed Song of the Night testifies as clearly as its companions to the metaphysical grandiloquence that haunted Mahler during its gestation. From the gloomy Adagio of the first movement to the thundering Rondo that concludes the work, Alexandre Bloch and his orchestra lead us from the anguish of twilight to the ecstasies of dawn.
Contents and tracklist
I. Langsam
Track length21:01
This track is only available as an album download.
V. Rondo - Finale
Track length16:50
This track is only available as an album download.
Awards and reviews
Christmas 2020
Bloch gives us a splendidly spiky central Scherzo and nicely paced final Rondo, but his two Nachtmusik movements are not as mysterious as some I’ve heard.
March/April 2021
Bloch’s emphasis on lightness, forward motion, and an upbeat mood makes for a joyous reading.
November 2020
Lille’s first recorded Seventh is as fresh and basslight as could have been expected. But it is also racy, inelegant (where appropriate) and determined to do justice to the work’s expressive variety...The visceral engagement of the ensemble grows as the performance proceeds, more than justifying a place on the shortlist for Gramophone’s 2020 Orchestra of the Year...Not flawless perhaps but hugely promising, sometimes thrilling and a long way from the forensic anonymity that too often passes muster in this repertoire.
