Mahler Symphony No. 9, Part 1

Sticky Notes: The Classical Music Podcast

Joshua Weilerstein

Clarinet, Timpani, Performing, Trombone, Cello, Trumpet, Bassoon, Classicalmusic, Performing Arts, Arts, Violin, Flute, Piano, Conductor, Music, Weilerstein

4.9 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 14 April 2022

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Two events, occurring on the same day, drove Mahler to the brink. His daughter Maria died at the age of just 4, and Mahler himself was diagnosed with a heart condition that would prove to be fatal. He became consumed even more so than he ever was before with the idea of death, the afterlife, and all the philosophical trials and travails that came with these thoughts. These ideas of death did not come only from his own sense of loss and grief; they were about his place in history, and how he would be remembered. The 9th symphony explores all of these questions in a remarkably powerful way. The symphony sets up two poles: acceptance and struggle, and then wavers between them for its duration, vacillating between desperately clinging to life, and accepting and letting go. Leonard Bernstein famously said that the symphonies' 4 movements represent 4 ways for Mahler to say farewell, but they could just as easily be 4 movements for Mahler to say he will be here forever. Join us today for part 1 to discuss the first movement of this monumental symphony!

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and welcome to Sticking Up, it's the Classical Music Podcast.
0:09.4	My name is Joshua Weylerstein, I'm a conductor, and I'm the Music Director of the Phoenix
0:13.2	Orchestra of Boston.
0:14.8	This podcast is for anyone who loves classical music, works in the field, or is just getting
0:18.7	ready to dive into this amazing world of incredible music.
0:22.5	Before we get started, I want to thank my new Patreon sponsors, Alexander, Brent, Susan,
0:27.1	Matthew, Ricardo, Chris, Howard, Ryan, Richard, Daniel, John, David, and all of my other
0:34.2	Patreon sponsors for making Season 8 possible.
0:37.5	If you'd like to support the show, please head over to patreon.com slash sticky notes podcast.
0:42.3	And if you are a fan in the show, please just take a moment to give us a rating or review
0:45.0	on Apple Podcasts.
0:46.8	Every rating or review helps more people find the show, and it is greatly appreciated.
0:53.0	So I am back home after a month in the U.S. conducting.
0:57.1	I was in Seattle, then Boston, then Indianapolis, then North Carolina.
1:01.2	I just had an amazing week with the North Carolina Symphony doing William Levi Dawson's
1:05.4	Negro Folk Symphony for the very first time, which was really, really exciting, and I think
1:09.0	the audience really loved it, and I said to the audience that when they hear the piece,
1:13.1	they'll think to themselves, where is this piece spent all my life?
1:15.3	And a couple of people said that's exactly how they felt, so I was really happy about that.
1:19.3	And then I'll be heading to Belgium next week to work with the National Orchestra of
1:22.5	Belgium, also with Gil Shaham playing the Sensuals Third Violin Concerto, which I'm really,
1:27.5	really excited about.
	...

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