Philzuid

Gustav Mahler's Sixth Symphony, also known as the Tragic, requires both the orchestra and the conductor to delve deeply into human emotions. It is no surprise that this piece is high on chief conductor Duncan Ward's wish list! Together with Philzuid, he takes the audience on an in-depth musical journey through this impressive symphonic panorama.

Mahler's Sixth is characterized by a dark, ominous undertone, as if the composer was already anticipating the grief that would later befall him. Within a year of its premiere in 1906, his young daughter died and he himself was diagnosed with heart disease. Yet there are also moments of comfort and hope to be found in this work, Mahler's renewed faith in life: the Andante is one of his most comforting symphonic movements, full of subtle beauty and melancholic relief.