Performer: Stefanie Irányi

A stellar soloist and deft work by Semyon Bychkov put a fresh spin on familiar fare in the Rudolfinum. 

Under the baton of Semyon Bychkov, the Czech Philharmonic and a sprawling supporting cast lead listeners up a stairway to heaven. 

Doing justice to the vast scale of Mahler's "Symphony of a Thousand" is itself the mightiest of tasks. Semyon Bychkov and his NDR forces only partially succeed.