GUSTAV MAHLER (1860–1911)
SYMPHONY NO. 9
Essener Philharmoniker
Tomáš Netopil, conductor
Gustav Mahler was already very close to the
after world, when he finished working on
the 9th Symphony. So, the work is permeated
by a permanent presentiment of death.
At the same time, Mahler’s music vibrates full of
vital energy, putting the listener in a melancholic,
yet optimistic mood simultaneously. The result is a
harrowing work with moving passages and violent
explosions, mirroring Mahler’s personal drama between
life and death. The present recording from
the Essen Philharmonie (April 2018) is a perfect
proof of all this.