Philharmonia/ Shani ****
Royal Festival Hall, 11th February 2018
At the climax of the third movement to his Fourth Symphony, Mahler pushes wide the pearly gates before offering us a child’s vision of heaven with the song Das himmlische Leben. It’s a glorious moment, particularly when the conductor pulls back the reins a fraction before unleashing the blazing E major orchestral outburst. Add a perfectly timed soprano arrival – here Chen Reiss in a powder blue gown – that causes the timpanist to thump out his motif without once peeling his eyes from her, followed by an angelic rendition of the song and you’re already one step towards paradise.
Chen Reiss
© Paul Marc Mitchell
Read the full review on Bachtrack.