Almost exactly a year ago, the National Symphony Orchestra named Ivan Fischer its new principal guest conductor.

His new recording of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2 ("Resurrection") will likely come as a surprise to all but the conductor's most knowing and ardent fans. It is simply a beautiful performance — majestic but intimate, sweeping but tender, carefully planned and brilliantly executed by Fischer, the Budapest Festival Orchestra, the Hungarian Radio Choir, soprano Lisa Milne and mezzosoprano Birgit Remmert.

The opening Allegro Mae-stoso sets the mood. Fischer takes a moderate tempo and finds room to infuse real tenderness. The Andante Moderato is played in time: It is all too easy for conductors to forget that the tempo marking "andante" means "in walking tempo" rather than "slowly." Lesser interpreters simply melt all over the sentiment in this movement. Fischer seems content to let the music's beauty speak for itself.

The third movement begins with a blast from the timpani and then whirls ominously, unusually purposefully, for 11 minutes. The radiant "Urlicht" movement sounds here as though it were written by Henry Purcell; rarely is this music's deep connection with the brass music of the baroque era so clear. And the finale is as vast and spacious as they come.

This is one of the best recordings of the "Resurrection" Symphony ever made — worthy to stand with the very different performances by Otto Klemperer and Leonard Bernstein.

Resurrection is available from Channel Classics.