Jurowski conducts Mahler

The very first bars of Mahler’s Ninth seem to falter. The stricken composer put the rhythm of his failing heart into the orchestra, and began his Ninth Symphony with a sigh of ‘farewell’. But that’s the beginning, not the end, and over 80 minutes of music Mahler wrings every last drop of sweetness, terror and love from a life of total emotional commitment. Each performance of Mahler’s Ninth is a unique occasion, and there’s no doubt at all that LPO Conductor Emeritus Vladimir Jurowski – who describes his relationship with Mahler as ‘extremely precious and personal’ – will have something powerful to say.