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Dudamel and the LA Phil perform a thrilling Mahler Second Symphony Los Angeles, CA
Walt Disney Concert Hall
10/09/2025 - October 10, 11, & 12
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in C minor “Resurrection”
Chen Reid’s (soprano), Beth Taylor (mezzo-soprano),
The Los Angeles Master Chorale (Grant Gershon, Artistic Director),
The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Gustavo Dudamel (conductor)
© Matthew Martinez
“Was vergangen, aufersteh’n!” The inevitability of resurrection after death is key to the arc of Mahler’s massive Second Symphony. Perhaps the piece itself was an inevitable choice for Dudamel, now embarking on his final season of leading the LA Phil after 16 years, to perform with his group and take on tour. The Second is a massive piece that plays to the orchestra’s strengths: powerful brass, tender strings, impeccable woodwinds, and an orchestra with the flare for the dramatic, particularly in one of the most thrilling acoustics in the country. Zubin Mehta and the Phil performed the piece memorably back in 2019. Here, Dudamel and the band made an equally memorable impression.
Dudamel did perform the piece previously with the Phil at the Hollywood Bowl in 2019. Dudamel also performed it in Los Angeles back in 2012 with his previous Simón Bolivar Symphony Orchestra, but this was another event altogether: Dudamel, the Phil, and Disney Hall. Dudamel is every bit the “conducting animal” he ever was: physical, controlling, and ridiculously smart. His performance here was fierce. His tempos were brisk, heavy textures were punchy, not ponderous. Dudamel reveled in the power of his forces, clearly enjoying the sardonic and tragic moments of Mahler’s music. No matter the tempo, the sheer length of the piece requires it to be a journey, from death, to remembrance, to resurrection. Dudamel knew the destination before the first notes sounded and each phrase in his hands was a tear, lingering little for fermatas.
The first movement was a thrill ride, surging and raucous, constantly thrilling. Dudamel did not dwell on the tragedy of Mahler’s fallen hero of Totenfeier. Instead, in Dudamel’s reading, it was what it was, fierce, biting, but part of the journey. The Phil players were only to eager to comply, impossibly soft at one moment, and shattering the next. Indeed, the dynamic range that Dudamel and company showed throughout the performance was astonishing. The second movement Ländler showcased this magnificently. The tender playing of the strings at the pizzicato recap was particularly special. Dudamel’s work here was highly effecting but not sentimental.
Even the third movement, based on one of Mahler’s most sarcastic musical motives, was a vehicle for propulsion. St. Anthony’s sermon was knowingly mischievous, the brass counter subject ringing and majestic. The “cry of despair,” was staggering and led to an exceptional Urlicht. With hymn-like pace, rather than a dirge, mezzo-soprano Beth Taylor sang nobly, backed by her rich instrument and intelligent musicality. Her entire vocal range was ideal for this piece, capped by an assured piano at the climax.
The final movement was no-less thrilling with the LA Phil brass in particular providing the thrills, including the two off-stage bands sounding from the back of the hall, an effect that never gets old. Dudamel, gaining steam as he went rarely paused for repose, with the dynamic range of his reading providing ample tension in the hall. The Los Angeles Master Chorale were remarkable, singing their entrance impossibly quiet and then providing jaw-dropping power when Dudamel pulled the lid off. Soprano Chen Reid’s contribution was angelic as she sang with a rich, soaring soprano.
Through it all, Dudamel led with firm command and an indefatigable optimism. The conductor’s Mahler is as confident as they come. Given his forces, it’s hard to blame him. There were several microphones present in Walt Disney Concert Hall. One can only hope that such a special series of performances will be released to a wider audience commercially as Mahler’s message through the tumult was a cathartic salve in a world where it’s needed more than ever.
Matthew Martinez
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