BSO: Mahler's Fifth

Haydn composed his second Cello Concerto in 1783 for Antonín Kraft, a cellist in the Esterházy court orchestra. It was for many years thought to be the work of Kraft (who presumably offered help in the writing of the solo part) before the rediscovery in 1954 of the autograph manuscript, which had lain unnoticed in a Vienna archive for over 40 years, cleared up the question of the work’s authenticity once and for all. The journey from death to life lies at the heart of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony, extremes of joy and pain contrastingly expressed more fully than ever before. Psychologically speaking, it proceeds from tragedy to triumph. Mahler paints a huge canvas of cosmic emotion, using enormous brushstrokes of sound for the largest possible gestures. From the opening funeral march the music gradually lightens, progressing through a gigantic waltz fantasy and intensely lyrical adagietto before reaching the exuberant rondo-finale. The effect is electrifying.