It was described as “the first nihilist work in the history of music” by the conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler. We look at the story behind Mahler’s Sixth Symphony.
The third hammer blow of fate has been struck by an enormous mallet on a wooden crate high in the orchestra. The music withers slowly away: after a final crashed chord and timpani roll, the conductor signals total hush from both orchestra and audience for a few moments before the ritual applause can begin.
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