Oramo conducts Mahler's Ninth Symphony

Music this moving needs space to breathe, and as Sakari Oramo continues his journey with the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s Mahler cycle, it feels right to give it a concert of its own. “Triumphantly tragic” was how The Arts Desk described Oramo’s recent performance of Mahler’s Sixth Symphony; now, as the journey continues, there’s no more impactful way to start our new season.

The very first notes of Mahler’s Ninth Symphony seem to falter. The composer, heartbroken after the death of his daughter, put the rhythm of his heart into the orchestra, beginning his final completed symphony with a sigh. But that’s just the beginning, and over eighty-five minutes of music, Mahler explores every last drop of beauty, terror, and love from a life of deep emotional commitment.