Mahler: Symphony No. 1

Mahler’s First is a symphony of beginnings. Pastoral, boisterous, and shot through with the disquiet of what’s to come. In this 2006 performance with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Mariss Jansons draws out every ounce of colour and character, balancing youthful exuberance with a conductor’s seasoned restraint.

Originally released on SACD in 2007 and now pressed on 180-gram vinyl, this recording has long been regarded as one of RCO Live’s finest. Jansons’ reading is taut but expressive, never indulgent yet full of Mahlerian mischief. The orchestra, in turn, responds with luminous playing: the woodwinds chirp and sigh through the opening pages, the strings shimmer with nostalgia, and the brass blaze magnificently when called upon.

What makes this interpretation stand out is its clarity. Jansons doesn’t lean too heavily into the emotional extremes. Instead, he shapes each movement with architectural poise. The funeral march of the third is deftly paced, avoiding gloom in favour of irony; the finale bursts with urgency but never loses focus.

Presented on vinyl for the first time following the success of the label’s Mahler Third LP, this reissue captures both the grandeur of the performance and the warmth of the Concertgebouw’s acoustic. It’s not just a collector’s pressing, it’s a genuinely great Mahler First, given room to breathe in all its radiant complexity.