Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

conductor: Jiří Bělohlávek

19 September 2008, Prague, Rudolfinum, Dvořák Hall

Solemn concert on the occasion of 100 years from the premiere

Symphony No.7 in E minor by Gustav Mahler was premiered in Prague on 19 September 1908. The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra enlarged by members of the German Theatre Orchestra was conducted by the composer himself. 

 

 Henry-Louis de La Grange says about the Seventh (at www.andante.com):

"The Seventh marks the furthest point to which Mahler advanced on the road to musical modernism. There we find him reaching the furthest point in his development with an opening movement that is, harmonically at least, the most 'modern' of any he wrote; a second movement (the first Nachtmusik) that mixes together all manner of reminiscences and symbols in its evocation of a Romantic past; the most demonic and terrifying of all his Scherzos; the most faux naïf of all his symphonic idylls (the second Nachtmusik) and, finally, the most insane, most 'deviant' and most provocative of all his final movements....The choice of Prague and the turbulent setting of an exhibition celebrating the emperor's diamond jubilee might have seemed somewhat risky for the first performance of his new symphony, but Mahler had no reason to regret it, such was the zeal of the members of the orchestra and the inexhaustible enthusiasm of the Czech and German musicians who had gathered in Prague for the occasion. Moreover, he was granted almost two weeks of rehearsals, a privilege he would almost certainly never have enjoyed elsewhere. Of his numerous friends and disciples who were original poster of the premiere  present—suffice to mention only Bruno Walter, Artur Bodanzky, Otto Klemperer, Ossip Gabrilovich, Alexander von Zemlinsky, Alban Berg, Oskar Fried and Klaus Pringsheim—none would ever forget these days of collaborative effort. Most agreed that the rehearsals passed off in a harmonious atmosphere."

 

download poster (pdf)

 

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