Bimm Bamm

Continuing the recent run of Mahler symphonies coming off the shelf, this is Symphony No 3 by the Berliner Philharmoniker conducted by Claudio Abbado with contralto soloist Anna Larsson, the London Symphony Chorus directed by Stephen Westrop and the City of Birmingham Symphony Youth Chorus directed by Simon Halsey. It is a two disk cd release and was recorded live in 1999 at the Royal Festival Hall in London. the three minutes plus applause track at the end is totally appropriate. The third is another of the giant Mahler symphonies. A long first movement is almost a symphony in itself with plenty of light and shade and contrast. It is followed by a gentle pastoral movement and then the voice settings, the soloist sings an extract from Nietzsche's Also Sprach Zarathustra and the choruses and solist bimm bamm their way through the Three angels Song from Mahler's perennial influence Das Knaben Wunderhorn ( bimm bamm is one of the refrains and I remember hearing a chorus member say how it palls a little with constant rehearsal ). The massive finale eventually settles on a triumphant D major key but Mahler backs off from making it a 100% joyful affair and the hint of dark and conflict still lurks in the background. The sound of the Berlin Phil is wonderful and they respond to Abbado with complete conviction.