Mahler 6: Tragic

Although the Sixth Symphony, often called the “Tragic”, was composed during a happy part of Mahler’s life, it is paradoxically his most sombre work. The first movement introduces a relentless marching rhythm and the so-called ‘Alma theme’, whose lyricism must contend with the martial rigour. The scherzo, with its dance brimming with sarcasm, contrasts with an andante that offers an oasis of nostalgic beauty from which the sound of cowbells emerges—sounds that Mahler described as the ‘last earthly sounds’ perceived by the spirit. The monumental final movement culminates in the famous hammer blows, the ‘strokes of fate’ which, according to his wife, Mahler saw as a premonition of future personal tragedies. Pablo González, former principal conductor of the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra and National Orchestra of Catalonia, as well as the RTVE Symphony Orchestra, will guide our orchestra through this intense emotional landscape.