Mahler: Symphony No 5

Harmonia Mundi

Daniel Harding’s new Mahler 5 recording with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra gets right to the heart of this symphony’s complex darkness-to-light journey. In that sense it isn’t just a single mountain to climb but a whole range full of peaks and troughs. Harding tackles this battle of extremes with selfassurance. From the outset he unleashes a granite-like solidity which holds firm, even with the wild tempo changes and frenetic spirit that threaten its stability. Gutsy playing from the Swedish orchestra, venomous at times, heartfelt at others, adds visceral definition to the mix. The playfulness of the scherzo is teasingly tempered with a judicious helping of decadence; the famous Adagietto is beautifully expressed, a floating sense of resigned optimism at its heart. Then the finale, a gripping tour de force, the integrity of which Harding confronts full on, never with gratuitous abandon, always with the final moment of exhilaration in view.