For Your Consideration

Best Orchestral Performance

Mahler Symphony No. 5

David Bernard, Park Avenue Chamber Symphony

David Bernard leads the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony in Mahler’s Fifth Symphony--a mind shattering journey through despair, brilliance and passion that unfolds around you viscerally in real time. As you experience it, you hear Mahler shattering his own boundaries, fusing spontaneous expression, transparency, and unity of voice into a new style that is a clear triumph for Mahler, performers and audiences.

Listen/Stream

Critical Acclaim

“Crisply focused with hyper-vivid recorded sound”
(Gramophone)

“Vigorous and gracious by turns...This performance would have brought me to my feet in the hall [and] for audiophiles because of the superior sound.”
(Stereophile)

“impressive focus and cohesion….intelligent balancing of contrapuntal strands… vividly detailed engineering.”
(Classics Today)

“Here we have energy in the bustling counterpoint, warmth in the lyrical passages and that compelling narrative arc through each movement which holds our attention.”
(MusicWeb International)

"A firmly grounded interpretation that eschews histrionics in favor of an unwavering fidelity to Mahler’s intentions….The Adagietto emerges perfectly, conveying Mahler’s obvious affection yet not dipping into sentimentality… the work’s effulgent joy shines radiantly through in the Finale, concluding a thoroughly enjoyable reading."
(Classical Candor)