Mahler: Symphony No. 3

Among the phantasmagoria of Gustav Mahler's symphonies the Third stands out for its size, length and detailed programme, as its six movements plot the course of life, the evolution of nature, the soul and the godhead, with no less than Zarathustra himself making an appearance in the mysterious third movement. Among versions of this massive work, Kent Nagano's stands out for its lean profile, alert, athletic and beautifully balanced as heard in a superb recording, which happens to be his first for Teldec as the Music Director of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. The highlight of the performance is the final hymn-like slow movement, which is delivered at a flowing pace, quicker and more impulsive than what one often hears and in many ways more passionate and exciting.