Journeys of Discovery: Transcendence

The thrill and sheer emotional impact of hearing this symphony live never diminishes: from the paroxysms of death to the affirmation of the life hereafter.

Mahler’s ode to life may end in glory, but the route there is full of twists and turns. Burlesque folk tunes sit alongside funeral marches, gentle nocturnes alongside storms. In Mahler’s deft hands, what might otherwise be jarring juxtapositions become vital pieces of the overall jigsaw. His Second Symphony is a panorama of life, death and resurrection, the musical equivalent of a vast Michelangelo mural.

With the glorious choral finale, Mahler provides his own unique response to the challenge set by Beethoven in his Ninth Symphony: how to bring voices into the symphonic ideal. Having been through the twisting journey, we find ourselves, as Mahler wrote in his own programme notes, in a place where there is ‘no judgement… no punishment and no reward. Just an overwhelming love illuminates our being. We know, and are.’

 "...a glorious experience that nobody is going to forget in a hurry."

The i ★★★★ review of the RPO's performance of Mahler's Symphony No.8 in October 2022. 

This concert has no interval.

This concert has been rescheduled from from Wed 3 March 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra gratefully acknowledges the support of RPO President, Aline Foriel-Destezet.

Large print versions of the programme for this concert are available on request. Please email your request to Doran Crowhurst crowhurstd@rpo.co.uk at least one full week before the performance.