Mahler: Symphony No. 9 Park Avenue Chamber Symphony & David Bernard

• Gustav Mahler (1860 - 1911): Mahler Symphony No. 9:
• 1 Mahler: Mahler Symphony No. 9: I. Andante comodo 24:39
• 2 Mahler: Mahler Symphony No. 9: II. Im Tempo eines gemächlichen Ländlers. Etwas täppisch und sehr derb 16:30
• 3 Mahler: Mahler Symphony No. 9: III. Rondo-Burleske: Allegro assai. Sehr trotzig 12:14
• 4 Mahler: Mahler Symphony No. 9: IV. Adagio. Sehr langsam und noch zurückhaltend 25:28
• Total Runtime 01:18:51

Info for Mahler: Symphony No. 9

"Bernard’s reading of Mahler’s Symphony No. 9 stands apart in its remarkable textural transparency. Every line emerges with clarity, yet nothing feels clinical or detached. On the contrary, this approach intensifies the emotional impact of the music, as listeners can follow each thread in Mahler’s complex tapestry while experiencing an overwhelming cumulative effect…" (Edward Kliszus, The Front Row Center)

The Park Avenue Chamber Symphony under the direction of David Bernard presents Mahler's Ninth, his final completed symphony, in a milestone release celebrating the orchestra’s 25th anniversary. The Ninth is Mahler’s artistic dénouement—presenting a procession of three movements that look backwards through the composer’s artistic life, followed by a finale that serves as a reflective epilogue. Through the unfolding of the first three movements--from Mahler’s most introspective and mature musical depiction of his youth, to his most expressive portrayal of cultural heritage through Ländlers and Waltzes, through his most spectacular and moving tour-de-force showcase of contrapuntal prowess--the Ninth embodies the most elevated treatment of the musical and philosophical tensions Mahler had explored repeatedly throughout his career. And through the final Adagio, Mahler ponders the impact of his creative life on the world with music that is at once emotionally deep, otherworldly and passionately expressive. It is an evocative and penetrating meditation on Mahler’s artistic soul that slows down time itself to magnify every nuanced gesture.

A celebrated Mahler conductor, David Bernard's approach to the Ninth emphasizes textual clarity and integrity of line while maintaining the emotional urgency of the narratives essential to this work. Recorded at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music by the Grammy Award Winning team at Audiosmith Digital Solutions, and engineered by Christian Amonson of Seeing Sound, this release draws listeners into an intimate encounter with Mahler's wondrous soundworld. The Album Booklet features liner notes by David Patrick Stearns, Maestro Bernard's essay "Beyond the Farewell: Survivorship Bias and Musical Meaning" and a photo essay celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony.

"A tour de force from the start... throughout the symphony, there is a sense of careful control…Bernard turns up the emotional temperature without straying into overstatement…" (Mark Estrin, Infodad)

“In the vast catalog of orchestral recordings, certain interpretations emerge as definitive statements that reshape our understanding of familiar masterworks. The new recording of Mahler’s Symphony No. 9 by the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony under David Bernard undoubtedly belongs in this rarefied category.”

"A tour de force from the start... throughout the symphony, there is a sense of careful control…Bernard turns up the emotional temperature without straying into overstatement…The first movement sounds thoughtful rather than almost dismal, as it does in some performances. The emotionalism is if anything rather understated, with the horn punctuations adding touches of warmth. In the Third Movement there is a communicative tightness that stands at the opposite emotive end from the second movement. Compressed, energetic and determined, the movement strides forth boldly and determinedly and its momentum never flags…The fourth movement's pervasive lyricism is anything but depressed or resigned: the sense here is of flow and continuity throughout, with this movement as a symphonic capstone that also hints of more to come…the final portion is scarcely death-haunted, instead moving surely toward a Mahlerian view of the peace that passeth all understanding, and at the very end evaporating into the ineffable." (InfoDad)

Park Avenue Chamber Symphony
David Bernard, conductor

Park Avenue Chamber Symphony
Since its founding in 1999, the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony has built a loyal following, both in New York City and worldwide through its extensive catalog of recordings on iTunes, Naxos/ClassicsOnline, Amazon and Spotify. In 2011 the orchestra toured the People's Republic of China performing in 9 cities including Beijing, Qingdao, Dalian, Chaoyang, Jinzhou, Shenzhen, Shenyang and Xi'an.

Three time--FIRST PRIZE Winner of The American Prize Competition in Orchestral Performance (2011, 2012, 2013), the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony's performances were described by the judges as "extremely impressive, well-shaped. This ensemble is good enough to surpass many professional orchestras, performing incredibly difficult repertoire on a professional level." New York Critics have acclaimed Park Avenue Chamber Symphony performances as “Triumphant...polished…exquisite…with a strong sense of style and commitment…with the depth and fervor of the old school European orchestras.”

David Bernard
serves as Music Director of the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, Massapequa Philharmonic and the Eglevsky Ballet. He is an active guest conductor, appearing with the Brooklyn Symphony, the Dubuque (IA) Symphony, the Greenwich (CT) Symphony, Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Island Symphony, the Litha Symphony, the South Shore Symphony and ensembles from the Manhattan School of Music. Called “the Johnny Appleseed of Classical Music” by Long Island Weekly, Maestro Bernard has helped the Arts thrive in the New York Metropolitan Area through his innovative approaches to audience and orchestra building as music director and guest conductor.

As a conductor of ballet, David Bernard has worked with dancers from the Eglevsky Ballet, New York City Ballet, Boston Ballet and the Miami City Ballet companies, including Jared Angle, Tyler Angle, Santiago Castañeda, Ji Young Chae, Jeffrey Cirio, Sarah Gavilla, Miriam Miller and Unity Phelan.

David Bernard’s performances and recordings are critically acclaimed worldwide, including Mahler’s Ninth Symphony (“Bernard’s leadership from the podium was characterized by meticulous attention to detail. His ability to interpret Mahler’s complex score with precision and emotional clarity exemplified a rare blend of technical mastery and artistic insight. With his fluid yet purposeful gestures, he guided the orchestra through the symphony’s emotional peaks and valleys, ensuring that each transition was seamless and every climax resonated with full impact.”—Edward Kliszus, The Front Row Center), Tchaikovsky’s Late Symphonies (“As a distinguishing feature of this recording, I noticed David Bernard’s obvious effort to bring out all that’s written down in the score thus exposing internal voices I’ve not heard before.”—The WholeNote/Canada), HEROIC: Beethoven’s Eroica and Mahler’s Fifth ("Quite impressive by our European standards. This interpretation is flawless both musically and artistically. The success of this album must be acknowledged, showcasing the high quality of the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony under David Bernard’s precise and inspired direction."—Crescendo Magazine/Brussels), Stravinsky’s "The Rite of Spring" at Lincoln Center (“transcendent...vivid...expertly choreographed” -LucidCulture), Beethoven’s Complete Symphonies praised for its “intensity, spontaneity, propulsive rhythm, textural clarity, dynamic control, and well-judged phrasing” by Fanfare magazine, Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique Symphony (“parts emerge like newly scrubbed details in a restored painting. Bernard and his musicians frequently shed new and valuable light on a thrice-familiar standard” -Gramophone) and an album of Dvořák’s Late Symphonies (“David Bernard treats each of the symphonies with alert and respectful acuity. He trusts Dvořák’s metronome markings, often to surprising and exciting effect, and makes sure the narratives unfold with seamless assurance. Bernard shapes the score with fine control, savouring its tender and invigorating material minus mannerism or bluster.” -Gramophone).

David Bernard is the founder and Director of InsideOut Concerts, Inc., a pioneer and innovator in the design, development and production of immersive classical music events, and is inventor of US Patent No. 11,673,070 entitled “Methods and Systems for Arranging Seats for Audience Members and Musicians.” Bernard’s work using these methods in concerts and events resulted in not only increased tickets sales, but also increased organic new audience acquisition.

Bernard is the First Prize winner of The American Prize Orchestral Conducting Competition (professional division) 2019. In presenting this award, the panel of judges commented:

“Conducting from memory, David Bernard exhibits remarkable skill and considerable elan in a vibrant reading of Stravinsky "Rite of Spring." Not content with a cool, furrowed-brow approach to this music, his interpretation is alive to the nuances of color and, indeed, the dramatic arc, of this legendary masterwork. His is a considerable achievement by any standard.” —The American Prize Competition PanelDevoted to the music of our own time, he has presented world premières of scores by Bruce Adolphe, Chris Caswell, John Mackey, Ted Rosenthal and Jake Runestad, and distinguished concert collaborators have included Anna Lee, Jeffrey Biegel, Carter Brey, David Chan, Catherine Cho, Adrian Daurov, Pedro Díaz, Edith Dowd, Stanley Drucker, Bart Feller, Zlatomir Fung, Ryu Goto, Whoopi Goldberg, Sirena Huang, Judith Ingolfsson, Yevgeny Kutik, Anna Lee, Jessica Lee, Kristin Lee, Maxim Lando, Daniela Liebman, Jon Manasse, Christopher Martin, Anthony McGill, Spencer Myer, Todd Phillips and Inbal Segev.

David Bernard is an acclaimed orchestra builder and is sought after for his artistic leadership and innovation in community engagement.

Booklet for Mahler: Symphony No. 9