Album guide
Mahler’s Breakdown
- Composer
- Mahler
- Released
- 2023
- Label
- ACT
- Forces
- Big band
- Personnel
- Jazzrausch Bigband
Leonhard Kuhn turns Mahler’s Fifth into a fifty-minute techno big-band score, then adds the first movement of the Third because bandleader Roman Sladek wanted its trombone writing.
Reactions could hardly have been more divided. Paris Move called the result “repugnant and degrading” and “a massacre”, declined to award it a rating, and announced a need to “cleanse my ears with some Joe Zawinul” afterwards.
Hear both
The classical side contains only the source pieces used on the album, in album order. The jazz side presents the complete album whenever a dependable copy can be embedded.
One complete performance of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony covers the first five tracks, which follow its five movements in order; the opening movement of the Third Symphony follows, for the sixth.
Spotify’s player is here for convenience; the full track listing below remains available to everyone.
Source works
The album’s complete track listing, with each classical source identified and original compositions marked plainly.
- Sinfonie in cis-Moll - I. TrauermarschSymphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor: I. Trauermarsch
- Sinfonie in cis-Moll - II. Stürmisch Bewegt. Mit größter VehemenzSymphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor: II. Stürmisch bewegt, mit größter Vehemenz
- Sinfonie in cis-Moll - III. Scherzo. Kräftig, nicht zu schnellSymphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor: III. Scherzo. Kräftig, nicht zu schnell
- Sinfonie in cis-Moll - IV. Adagietto. Sehr langsamSymphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor: IV. Adagietto. Sehr langsam
- Sinfonie in cis-Moll - V. Rondo-Finale. Allegro - Allegro giocoso. FrischSymphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor: V. Rondo-Finale. Allegro giocoso
- 3. Sinfonie in d-Moll - I. Kräftig. EntschiedenSymphony No. 3 in D minor: I. Kräftig. Entschieden