Organization

Singer

Soprano

Elizabeth Watts

Mezzo-soprano

Jennifer Johnston

Mezzo-Soprano

Conductor

Vasily Petrenko

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Others

Philharmonia Chorus

Orchestra

Journeys of discovery: transcendence

London

United Kingdom

Royal Albert Hall

Public

Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, ("Resurrection Symphony")

Approved

The thrill and sheer emotional impact of hearing this symphony live never diminishes: from the paroxysms of death to the affirmation of the life hereafter.

Mahler’s ode to life may end in glory, but the route there is full of twists and turns. Burlesque folk tunes sit alongside funeral marches, gentle nocturnes alongside storms. In Mahler’s deft hands, what might otherwise be jarring juxtapositions become vital pieces of the overall jigsaw. His Second Symphony is a panorama of life, death and resurrection, the musical equivalent of a vast Michelangelo mural.

With the glorious choral finale, Mahler provides his own unique response to the challenge set by Beethoven in his Ninth Symphony: how to bring voices into the symphonic ideal. Having been through the twisting journey, we find ourselves, as Mahler wrote in his own programme notes, in a place where there is ‘no judgement… no punishment and no reward. Just an overwhelming love illuminates our being. We know, and are.’

This concert has been rescheduled from from Wed 3 March 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

English

Journeys of discovery: transcendence by Mahler, From (2023/2023), Conductor Vasily Petrenko, Royal Albert Hall, London, United Kingdom

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Ensemble

Programme, About & Synopsis

Photos

Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues

Venues