Munich Philharmonic: Shostakovich / MahlerTugan Sokhiev (conductor)
This event is in the past.
The world premiere of Mahler’s “Lied von der Erde”, performed in 1911 by the Munich Philharmonic under the baton of Bruno Walter, followed the composer’s death by only a few months.
This event is in the past.
The world premiere of Mahler’s “Lied von der Erde”, performed in 1911 by the Munich Philharmonic under the baton of Bruno Walter, followed the composer’s death by only a few months.
- Ekaterina Gubanova, mezzo-soprano
- Andreas Schager, tenor
- Tugan Sokhiev, conductor
For Walter, it was the most “Mahlerian” of Mahler’s compositions as well as the “last confession of a man touched by death”. Mahler’s music left a deep impression on many 20th century Russian composers. Among his greatest admirers was Dmitri Shostakovich, who repeatedly emphasised that Mahler’s “Song of the Earth” was the most brilliant thing ever created in music. In his Symphony No 9, penned in 1945, Shostakovich quotes Mahler’s song “Lob des hohen Verstandes” many times – a special dedication to Stalin. For contrary to the Soviet leadership’s expectation that Shostakovich compose a triumphant victory symphony to mark the end of the Second World War, he composed a playful work, characterised by neo-classical austerity and entirely without pathos.
Programme
- Dimitri Shostakovich: Symphony No 9 in E-flat major, Op 70
- Gustav Mahler: “Das Lied von der Erde” (The Song of the Earth)
