Gathering Note

Notes from the concert hall

Tag: Gustav Mahler

  • Operas, quartets, and Mahler on the lawn

    Spring is struggling to take hold here in the Midwest. Just when you think warm temperatures and sunshine are here to stay, a cold spell with rain arrives to dampen the mood. Still, the weather won’t stop the summer classical music season from arriving in mid-June. Classical music sounds better in the summer, at least…

  • Mahler’s many voices: how the CSO has shaped and been shaped by his music

    Mahler’s many voices: how the CSO has shaped and been shaped by his music

    Originally published on Seen and Heard International A palpable buzz filled Orchestra Hall on the afternoon of May 9th, as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, led by Jaap van Zweden, launched into Mahler’s formidable Sixth Symphony. The Friday matinee had drawn a full house, and the performance that unfolded was a gripping study of control, power,…

  • Jaap van Zweden returns with a blazing Mahler Sixth

    Jaap van Zweden returns with a blazing Mahler Sixth

    Jaap van Zweden returned to Orchestra Hall this week to lead the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in two commanding performances of Mahler’s Sixth Symphony. Whether by design or coincidence, this symphony has become something of a calling card for the Dutch maestro during his visits to Chicago. Van Zweden was on the podium the last two…

  • Mahler’s Third Symphony, Mäkelä’s emerging voice, and a thrilled Chicago audience

    Mahler’s Third Symphony, Mäkelä’s emerging voice, and a thrilled Chicago audience

    Mahler’s symphonies are always events. Whether performed in clusters, as they are this year, or—more typically—once or less per season, their size, length, and narrative sweep tend to position them at the beginning or end of something significant. Jaap van Zweden, who is leading the CSO in two Mahler symphonies this season—the Sixth and Seventh—ended…

  • CSO’s Mahler survey begins with a thrilling Seventh Symphony

    I keep finding my way back to performances of Mahler’s Seventh Symphony. It started in 2018, with a thrilling rendition by Carlos Kalmar and the Oregon Symphony. That performance roared. No, the Oregon Symphony isn’t a world-class orchestra, and subtlety wasn’t its strength. But they more than made up for it with heart and visible…

  • Mahler, Bruckner, and a nose-picking moment of truth

    If classical music had its own sacred pilgrimage, the Berlin Philharmonic would undoubtedly be its ultimate destination—a place where music reaches its zenith. Attending one of their concerts isn’t just hearing an orchestra; it’s an experience akin to standing in awe at the Vatican or Mecca. No matter what they’re playing, you simply need to…

  • Kahchun Wong’s musical alchemy: Beethoven and Mahler in perfect harmony

    Also published at Seen and Heard International Anticipation crackles in the air, thick like summer lightning before the storm breaks.  A hush descends, settling over an expectant audience.  Every cough or rustling program feels like a desecration. At the podium, conductor Kahchun Wong stands at the edge of creation – shoulders squared, back straight, baton…