Mahler: Symphony No. 1 in D major; Ives: Central Park in the Dark; The Unanswered Question

"As so often in this series, the conductor's take on the music is wonderfully fresh. Indeed, the dispassionate chill of his modernist peers is eschewed so completely that I was sometimes reminded of the work of Rafael Kubelik. Naturally, Gielen is straighter - and he takes all the repeats - but his textures have a not dissimilar radiance."

"...a classic case of interpretative points made not through obvious distortions of line and tempo, but via careful attention to phrasing, color, ensemble balances, and texture. Michael Gielen unearths a riot of color virtually anywhere that you care to listen. From the very opening, where the octave As in the strings have an altogether extraordinary sense of depth, and where the offstage trumpet calls are perfectly placed, this performance drips atmosphere."