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London Symphony Orchestra: Mahler 7
May 6, 2023 @ 7:30 pm - 8:50 pm
Mahler’s Seventh is the dark horse of his symphonies.
It doesn’t turn up in orchestra programs quite as often as it should, but when it does, this fascinating work intrigues and delights every time. No wonder it has become a signature work for Sir Simon Rattle.
The heart of this symphony is ‘music of the night’, with Mahler taking inspiration from Mozart serenades and lovers singing below windows (there’s even a guitar and a mandolin). He sets up a weird, nocturnal atmosphere with music that scurries through the shadows of a kaleidoscopic dreamworld. Is he being ironic or should we take him seriously? It’s Mahler, so it’s complicated. And it’s that ambivalence that makes this symphony seem so modern and up to date.
Mahler Seven, says Sir Simon, follows a ‘journey from night to an almost blinding dawn’. Spend the night with Mahler and the LSO and you too can take that sonic and emotional journey.