Mahler: Symphony No. 7 [Hybrid SACD]

"...there is no denying the brilliance of sound and execution he [Gergiev] obtains from the LSO. Gergiev's interpretation of this wayward and fascinating symphony is exciting...he casts quite a spell of lush romanticism."

"…the Seventh so often undercuts its own material with images of mortality and the grotesque that it takes a remarkable interpreter to hold the thing together and drive it through to its final ambiguous shudder. Gergiev did so with bravura; one senses that he means every note with desperate conviction."

"…a performance of the Seventh Symphony as cohesive and powerful as I can remember. This was a blinder from start to finish ... a seasoned ensemble rising with élan to the huge challenges this music poses – stimulated by the freedom Gergiev allows and the intensity he generates. The bright, brash C major finale, usually the stumbling block to the Seventh Symphony, was on this occasion its crown, viscerally corralled by Gergiev in a way that provided cathartic release from all the structural tensions preceding it."

"Gergiev highlights the extremes of Mahler's gestures and his big sweeps across movements, but also digs deep into the well of his orchestral detail."

"‘a terrific, gripping performance from Gergiev and the LSO, a"

"dge-of-the-seat experience of a work that can often be elusive."