Mahler 5 on CD & Upcoming OSM Tour

Feb 6, 2023

For the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (OSM) and its new Music Director, Rafael Payare, next month brings their collaborative album debut on the Pentatone label (March 3) followed by their first U.S. appearances together at Washington’s Kennedy Center (March 6) and New York’s Carnegie Hall (March 8).

The vehicle for all three landmark events is Mahler’s monumental Fifth Symphony. Payare’s approach to the work has been called “riveting celebration” (Los Angeles Times), and the recording and U.S. dates continue the immersion in Mahler’s music that he and the orchestra launched last fall.

Already known for his “spectacular Mahler” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette), the Venezuelan conductor has long had a special place in his heart for the composer’s music. In an insightful liner note that accompanies the new album, he explains:

“The Fifth is the last of Mahler’s symphonies to have an almost naïve quality; his subsequent symphonic works would take a much darker, more existential turn. But in the Fifth, we have a composer who, while a fully mature artist, is still looking forward to what the future might bring. This is music brimming with exuberant energy, hope, and a deep love of life.”

The forthcoming release marks the Montreal Symphony’s first recording with its new Music Director and its first on the Pentatone label.

Official physical and digital release date: March 3, 2023

Early purchases may be made at Pentatone’s website from Feb 6.