Mahler x Bernstein

If silence had a sound, what would you hear? Maybe something like the massive stillness that opens Mahler’s First Symphony. A magical spring dawn, or the creation of life itself? It’s the starting point for a young artist’s journey through tragedy and triumph – a voyage through life and death, birdsong and fanfares, funeral marches and Viennese waltzes.

Mahler said that ‘the symphony should be like the world – it must embrace everything’, and no recording does the First Symphony justice: it’s one of those pieces that you simply have to experience live.

First, though, a majestic interlude from Puccini sets the scene for Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms. Raising the roof with a shout of joy, this setting of three Hebrew psalms is both affirming and exhilarating – a timeless plea for peace and unity.

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