Mahler: Sinfonie Nr. 1 "Titan" (Hamburg Version 1893)

Featuring

Thomas Hengelbrock
NDR Sinfonieorchester
Gustav Mahler

Did you know?

1/7

Recording & Production

This recording is the world premiere of the Hamburg version of Mahler's Symphony No. 1, based on the New Critical Complete Edition of the International Gustav Mahler Society.

Composition History

The 'Blumine' movement, included in the Hamburg version of Mahler's Symphony No. 1, was later removed for the 1896 Berlin performance and is not part of the standard four-movement version.

Critical Reception

Critics at the 1893 Hamburg premiere of Mahler's Symphony No. 1 were divided, with some finding the music 'unintelligible' despite a portion of the audience enthusiastically crying 'Bravo!'.

Performer Biography

Thomas Hengelbrock, the conductor, is known for his unconventional programming, experimental interpretations, and efforts to establish the use of original instruments in Germany.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Mahler initially called his Symphony No. 1 a 'symphonic poem' to avoid the myth-laden term 'symphony' and later used the title 'tone poem in symphonic form' for the Hamburg premiere.

Composition History

Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 1, known as 'Titan' in its 1893 Hamburg version, was originally a five-movement work, later revised to the four-movement form commonly heard today.

Composer's Artistic Vision

For the Hamburg premiere of his Symphony No. 1, Mahler provided poetic commentaries for the program, making it a programmatic symphony, a rare instance of him publicly detailing his music's 'inner programme'.