Mahler's final symphony

On 23rd January next year Peter will conduct Philharmonia Britannica in a performance of Mahler's Symphony no.10.  This was Mahler's final sympyhony.  He wrote it in the summer of 1910 but by his death in May 1911 although Mahler had written out the entire symphony in short score he had not fisinished writing out the orchestral parts.  Since then many attempts have been made to create a performing edition of the symphony.  The best known is that of Deryck Cooke, and that is the version which Peter will be using. 

The music is full of pathos.  Mahler was not well and seemed to sense death was not far away.  It is an achingly beautiful piece of music.  Of course we shall never know what Mahler would have done to complete his symphony - he might have changed a good many things (as was his habit) - but this is as close as we will ever get.  And we get a glimpse of Mahler pusing the boundaries of music away from standard tonality (a famously powerful 'discordant' chord appears twice in the first movement).

Come and hear Mahler's final outpouring.  St John's Church, Waterloo, London SE1 8TY.  23 Jan 2016.  7.30pm.