CDs study fate, all-British work

CHRISTOPH ESCHENBACH, CONDUCTOR, THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA; Mahler: Symphony No. 6; Piano Quartet (Ondine) ****

GUSTAV MAHLER had a lifelong fascination with fate that nearly bordered on the morbid. He was a tortured soul who grappled with trying to come to terms with his mortality as an artist and as a human.

He — unconsciously to be sure — tempted fate occasionally (his wife blamed him for the death of two of their young children because he had written the poignant song cycle "Kindertotenlieder," "Songs on the Death of Children," not long before they died), but mostly he struggled with an understanding of how fate shapes one's life.

In his Sixth Symphony, Mahler attempts to come to terms with fate and, more pointedly, his own fate. The work is a towering personal statement, more so than any of Mahler's other symphonies, save the Ninth and the orchestrated movements of the unfinished Tenth. It contains some of his most powerful thoughts and also some of his most tender and intimate reflections.

Because of its size and scope, the Sixth demands to be played with conviction and a sense of purpose. And fortunately for Ondine, conductor Christoph Eschenbach brings an abundant supply of confidence and sincerity to this live recording with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Eschenbach shows great sensitivity to the score and to Mahler's minute directions. He also adds his own unique interpretive touches. And the result is a forceful, compelling reading that illuminates the music wonderfully.

The outer movements are quite expansive and almost deliberate in Eschenbach's vision of the work. He slows tempos down dramatically where one wouldn't expect it, yet he manages to bring a cohesiveness to these movements that allow the music to flow naturally. The slow movement is especially memorable. Eschenbach captures the evocative mood fabulously with his nuanced direction. And he brings subtleties out that frequently are overlooked by many conductors.

Paired with the Sixth on this two-disc album is the early movement in A minor for piano quartet Mahler wrote when he was just 16. Eschenbach, at the piano this time, is joined by Philadelphia Orchestra colleagues David Kim, violin; Choong-Jin Chang, viola; and Efe Baltacigil, cello, for a wonderfully romantic account of this youthfully impassioned work.

PAAVO JARVI, CONDUCTOR, THE CINCINNATI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA; Britten: "The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra," "Four Sea Interludes," Elgar: "Enigma Variations" (Telarc) *** 1/2