Bernarda Fink

George Frederic Handel's oratorio Theodora, in its first-ever staged version at the Salzburg Festival, was among the highlights of Handel Year 2009. Acclaimed director Christof Loy presented Theodora as the profoundly moving tale of a woman who prefers death to denying her faith, an interpretation captivated with bravura by world-renowned video director Hannes Rossacher. A luminous Christine Schaefer and countertenor Bejun Mehta formed a perfect leading couple altogether suited to conductor Ivor Bolton's vigorus reading.

Gustav Mahlers Gigantic Symphony No. 2 in C minor usually lls out a concert on its own. But in this recording with the Bayerischen Rundfunks' Symphonieorchester (Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra) under its principal conductor Mariss Jansons , the work is introduced by an exquisite and tting choral work: A contemporary (1982) 16-voice arrangement of a song by Mahler, Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen, based. on a poem by Friedrich Rückert and originally composed for voice and orchestra in 1901 performed here by the superb Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Bavarian Radio Choir).