Love and Longing
Orchestral songs by Dvořák, Mahler and Ravel Magdalena Kožená (mezzo-soprano), Berlin Philharmonic/Simon Rattle DG 479 0065
Magdalena Kožená projects the sincerity of these myriad settings magnificently, we suggested back in 2012. A beautifully crafted and performed programme.
Mozart Operas and Concert Arias
Magdalena Kožená (mezzo-soprano), Jos Van Immerseel (fortepiano), Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment/Simon Rattle DG Archiv 477 6316
A charming and stylishly performed collection of arias from Così fan tutte, The Marriage of Figaro, Idomeneo and more – plus the gorgeous concert aria Ch’io mi scordi di te? K505.
Mahler Das Lied von der Erde
Magdalena Kožená (mezzo-soprano), Stuart Skelton (tenor), Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra/Simon Rattle BR Klassik 900 172
Something of a dream tema here – Kožená and Skelton dig deep while the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra lavish all with ladles of detail. We named Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra one of the best orchestras in the world
Debussy Pelléas et Mélisande
Christian Gerhaher, Magdalena Kožená, Bernarda Fink, Franz-Josef Selig, Gerald Finley et al; London Symphony Orchestra/Simon Rattle LSO Live LSO 0790
‘Kožena’s Mélisande has a firm streak of red-blooded coquettish defiance’, we said when this sublime recording of Debussy’s opera was released in 2017.
Mahler Symphony No. 2
Kate Royal (soprano), Magdalena Kožená (mezzo-soprano), Berlin Radio Choir, Berlin Philharmonic/Rattle Warner Classics 647 3632
‘For anyone who cares about this symphony, Rattle’s new recording is essential listening.’ BBC Music Magazine, March 2011.
We named Simon Rattle one of the greatest conductors ever
Read our reviews of the latest Simon Rattle recordings here
