Credits:

Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano)

Description:

Ashkenazy paints a picture of colorful Mahler! Ashkenazy's performance of this piece, which is said to have been inspired by the poems of the great Chinese poets Li Bai, Wang Wei, and Meng Hao Chan, is both fluid and philosophically profound. The solo mezzo-soprano is Lilli Persikivi. The solo mezzo-soprano is Lili Persikivi, a Finnish singer who has frequently collaborated with Simon Rattle and Esa-Pekka Salonen. Her beautiful voice, supple yet dense, grabs the listener's attention. The contrast between sweetness and bravery in the fourth movement is particularly impressive. Tenor Stuart Skelton also adds to the song with a rock-solid performance. Octavia Records