This week's free download is the second movement (Kräftig bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell) from Mahler's Symphony No. 1, in a brand new recording from the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and their conductor Semyon Bychkov.
It's the latest addition to the ongoing Mahler symphony cycle from these forces: we have already had highly praised recordings of Symphonies Nos 2 (review), 4 (review) and 5 (review).
And, as our reviewer David Nice makes clear, this latest recording is a very worthy addition to the cycle.
'The lugubrious double-bass-led round on the tune we know as ‘Frère Jacques’ is so ghostly, carrying over in to the trio-reverie and keeping the klezmer outbursts well within the dream context. That makes the ‘cry of a deeply wounded heart’ which kicks off the finale more impactful than ever; how Bychkov layers the sound, with horns full-throttle or stopped remarkable throughout. On the evidence of this, I can’t wait to hear their Sixth.
'And the triumph is genuinely exhilarating from shining top of the range to thunderous bass. Every Mahler One should make one reflect on some aspect of the work’s originality; this one does so more than most.'
We've chosen the symphony's wonderful second movement with its famous Ländler, a central European folk dance form in 3/4 time, which gathers momentum towards a frenetic finish.
Mahler: Symphony No. 1 is out now on Pentatone. You can sample, stream, download and purchase the album at www.pentatonemusic.com/product/mahler-symphony-no-1
How to download
To access this week's free download, click the image below. It will bring up a media player, where you can stream the track directly. If you'd rather download the track, the instructions will differ depending on which browser you are using.
Google Chrome: Click on the three little dots to the right of the player and click 'Download'.
Safari/Firefox/Other Browsers: Right click (or control click on Mac computers) on the player and select 'Save Audio As...'. Occasionally, on Safari it may ask you to select 'Download video'. If this is the case, select 'Download video' and it will download as an audio file (mp3) as normal.
If this doesn't work, simply right click on the image below and select 'Download linked file'.
If you have any problems downloading this week's free download, please contact music@classical-music.com.
