PENTATONE’s release of the Czech Philharmonic’s complete Mahler cycle under Bychkov brings together one of Europe’s most historically resonant orchestras with a conductor internationally recognised for his structural command and interpretive integrity. The Orchestra occupies a distinctive place within Mahler’s geographical and cultural landscape – Mahler was born and brought up in Bohemia and completed his First Symphony shortly after spending a year in Prague. Mahler symphonies have been central to Bychkov’s programming with the Czech Philharmonic since 2018 when he opened his tenure as Chief Conductor and Music Director with performances of Mahler Symphony no.2.

Symphonies nos. 1–5, released by PENTATONE beginning in April 2022, have received universal acclaim. The recordings have been selected as Gramophone Editor’s Choice and BBC Music Magazine Recording of the Month. As The Sunday Times writes, “This is turning out to be one of the truly great Mahler sets.”

“Everyone who loves Mahler’s music knows why, even if not always able to explain it. They risk dying of an overdose, but don’t mind. They are right.

“Those who don’t love Mahler’s music also know why: too disturbing, too personal, too long. They are right too, for it is truly disturbing, truly personal, takes a certain amount of time to arrive at the end, and sometimes even longer to digest. We are so made that, what is a miracle for some is bound to be a punishment for others. In itself, this is not remarkable, except for the colossal shift in the perception of Mahler’s music. The rejection and derision that often greeted his music at the time it was first presented, have been replaced – roughly half a century later – by an overwhelming acceptance, often bordering on hysteria.

“Why? Why has Mahler’s music become so relevant today that we keep on trying to convincingly re-create it, keep on listening to it and, keep on rediscovering what has always been there but eluded us, as it eluded most of its early listeners? For me, the answer lies in Time: Time to have lived individually and collectively as a human society. A society that needed the 20th century (and to this day) with all its creations and all its destructions to recognize the extent to which we are all part of a larger Universe, the universe that Mahler uniquely and prophetically created in each of his works. The prophets are always there early, ahead of their time.”

“Given the astonishing breadth of the composer's vision, a complete Mahler symphonic cycle is no mean feat. For the celebrated orchestra that is the Czech Philharmonic, it is the culmination of their extraordinary recorded legacy under maestro Semyon Bychkov which emphasizes the universal appeal of the composer's music.

“Mahler was born in Bohemia and thus can claim that the roots of his humanist message spring from the soil of his childhood. It is both an honour and privilege for us at PENTATONE to share this incredible symphonic legacy with the world, and we congratulate the Czech Philharmonic on this hugely impressive achievement.”