Lucerne 2005 – Mahler, Berg, Schubert

Lucerne 2005 – Mahler, Berg, Schubert

In the years between the completion (1906) and premiere (1908) of Gustav Mahler’s 'Symphony No. 7', the composer's life changed rather dramatically. He quit his position at the Wiener Staatsoper, his first daughter died, and he was diagnosed with a cardiac anomaly. Because of the ‘dark’ character of several movements (the second and fourth movement are titled ‘Nightmusic’, and the third movement is titled ‘Schattenhaft’, meaning shadowy), the symphony is nicknamed ‘Song of the Night’, a name which the composer himself did not agree with. This 'Symphony No. 7' is Mahler’s most abstract work, which may account for its bad reception by musicians and listeners alike at the work's premiere. Even today, the 'Symphony No. 7' is rarely programmed, as it seems to be one of Mahler's least popular works. Unjustly so: 'No. 7' is uniquely structured, moving from dark to light and from dark to a jubilant finale. In Mahler's later work, 'No. 7' is certainly no less accessible than the more frequently-played 'Symphony No. 9'. Of of today's leading conductors, no-one skips this symphony.