When the Symphony (1878) by Hans Rott was revealed to us in 1989 by Gerhard Samuel at Hyperion, it was a shock. This composer who died mad in 1884 at the age of 25 had anticipated in his symphony, and in particular his 3e movement, pre-echoes of the 1D Symphony (the 2e movement in the main theme), the 2e Symphony (5 min 05 s!) and Das klagende Lied (6 min 10 s and following), or even the 5e Symphony (9 min 20 sec) by Gustav Mahler. Basically, Mahler is in germ at Rott and it is paralyzing to see how much. On the other hand, it is just as undeniable that Mahler succeeded in channeling a language which, here, disperses with indiscipline. One thing is certain: every Mahler fan should know the Symphony of Rott. That said, the versions multiply in an unreasonable and tiresome way… except in this case. As a result, the discography now has three references that go chronologically and in crescendo from Leif Segerstam (BIS, 1992), Paavo Järvi (RCA, 2012) to, now, Jakub Hrůša, who dominates the lot with his orchestral plenitude.
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To see in video