This recording of the Symphony No. 1 in D major by Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) is not a new release in the usual sense as the recording took place in 2007, and was used as part of the audio biography of Gustav Mahler titled "World and Dream." But it is a new release in the sense that it is now available on its own on CD for the first time. With more than 150 recordings of Mahler's First readily available today one could question the rationale behind this marketing decision, but once you hear it the reason for its release becomes very clear. It's a strongly archetypal account of this introductory work into Mahler's symphonic universe.

The pacing that conductor Mariss Jansons applies throughout all four movements is exemplary. The woodwinds in the opening pages are stunning and the off-stage horns truly sound distant. The gradual "awakening" of the first movement is well projected and the tossing around of thematic statements from orchestral section to section is very well balanced and defined. Jansons doesn't linger on any particular passages for effect and simply allows the music to follow its natural course, like a stream becomes a mighty river. The bounce of the schmaltzy and yet powerful dance that forms the backbone of the second movement is infectious and perfectly judged. And what would be a Mahler symphony without a funeral march, even if this third movement depicts a procession of bizarre woodland creatures escorting a hunter to his grave. Notice the autumnal sound Jansons evinces from the strings in the middle segment. The final movement bursts wide open with determination and power, and the orchestral players' control over all the slightest changes in dynamics is impressive. When echoes of the first movement return it truly sounds like a distant memory of something lost forever in time, which makes the ensuing swell of emotion even more gripping. And when the exuberance and joy of the final movement ultimately take over, and the whole orchestra is rejoicing, it can't but bring a smile to your face.