The New York Philharmonic premieres tonight, Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m., performing Mahler's Symphony No. 6, with Semyon Bychkov conducting.
While it's customary in winter for New York to be plunged into the standard winter vortex, Mahler's Sixth has enough heat to keep David Geffen Hall warm on such a hopelessly frigid night.
Mahler's Sixth is noted for its dynamic sound, filled with cowbells and other nostalgic tones from Mahler's native Austria. Mahler and his wife wept when first hearing the piece, which is riddled with themes of ominous fate and doom.
The Telegraph noted:
"After he'd completed it in 1904, Mahler played it to his wife Alma at the piano, and afterwards she wrote: 'Of all his works this was the most personal... We were both in tears... so deeply did we feel this music and the sinister premonitions it disclosed.' The audience at the 1906 premiere in Essen was aghast and silent, and a good performance should have the same effect now."
And indeed it will. For the philharmonic's winter concert series, the orchestra and Mr. Semyon should do the composition justice, as it's been celebrated and noted on the website as a sheer tour-de-force.
Tickets for the performance can be purchased here. Other performances include Feb. 12-13 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m.
As noted, the event will take place at David Geffen Hall and run about 90 minutes.
Preview an earlier performance of Mahler's sixth below, featuring Leonard Bernstein.
