7. Philharmonic Concert »Puzzling«

Whilst Gustav Mahler was working on his 6th Symphony during the summer months of 1903 and 1904, he found himself – at least from an outsider’s perspective – on the sunny side of life. Other composers would have immortalised this phase of personal happiness in cheerful music. Gustav Mahler, however, wrote his sombre 6th Symphony during this period, a work full of dramatic abysses that confer extreme tension upon the music. He would later call it his ‘Tragic’. It is the symphony in which he reveals most of his inner struggles and emotional pain in the face of a marriage that had been overshadowed from the very beginning.

Despite its sombre tone, this symphony moves the listener deeply by its emotional intensity, its monumental musical language and its fascinating exploration of inner conflict. Particularly beautiful and moving are the striking contrast between moments of hope and deep despair, and the strict classical form paired with modern harmony. A striking yet mysterious motif of fate runs through the movements. In a second, more tranquil theme, Mahler paints a portrait of his wife. “I do not know whether I have succeeded,” he writes to her.

Mahler would not be Mahler if he did not also lead his listeners out of their contemplation and into the light. This is evident in the second movement, with its idyllic depiction of nature, the ländler-style melodies and the elegiac passages in the solo horn.

With this 6th Symphony, Mahler created a vast musical canvas featuring an extraordinary array of instruments – from cowbells to the infamous wooden hammer in the final movement. The score requires around one hundred musicians. At around 85 minutes, this symphony is as long as a one-act opera. This special performance is conducted by GMD Felix Mildenberger.