Semyon Bychkov’s Czech Philharmonic Mahler cycle has been appearing one symphony at a time since 2022. Curiously, Pentatone has decided to cut to the chase, releasing a box set, including the remaining four, all in one go. Previous results have been absorbing, the Fourth and Fifth especially notable, but the freshly released Six, Seven, Eight and Nine, reviewed here, earns the set a place in a starry pantheon.
With its relentless tread, the Sixth is one of the hardest symphonies to tame. Bychkov leans into the contrasts, the “Alma theme” glowing with inner fire and a slow movement that shimmers like a limpid Austrian lake. The finale is imposing, a considered approach illuminating the darkest of corners.
The Seventh is notoriously problematic, but Bychkov’s meticulous reading is remarkably convincing. Tempi and transitions in the long opening movement feel natural, the nocturnal movements flicker with imaginative minutiae and the finale, which packs an unashamed punch, for once feels entirely earned.
The Eighth symphony, strongly cast and superbly recorded, is one of the finest in the catalogue. There’s a moment at the end of the first movement where each of the eight choral lines soars heavenward in a sort of vocal Mexican wave. It’s a beast to capture with microphones – Tennstedt nearly pulls it off – but Bychkov nails it in an adrenaline-fuelled climax.
The architectural arc of the Ninth is deftly realised, the catastrophic collapses in the opening movement resolved in the spiritual release of the finale. The playing of the Czech Philharmonic, especially the woodwind, is unimpeachable throughout.
