Mahler: Symphony No. 10 (Arr. M. Castelletti for Chamber Orchestra)

Featuring

John Storgårds
Lapland Chamber Orchestra
Gustav Mahler

Did you know?

1/7

Composer Biography

Desperate scribbles found in the manuscript of Mahler's Symphony No. 10, such as 'The devil dances it with me' and 'To live for you! To die for you! - Almschi!', reflect his emotional turmoil.

Composition History

Alma Mahler, Gustav Mahler's wife, initially considered keeping the Symphony No. 10 hidden but later felt it was her duty to reveal her husband's last thoughts to the world.

Interpretation

Michelle Castelletti's chamber orchestra arrangement of Mahler's Symphony No. 10 aims to retain the authenticity of Mahler's manuscripts while combining it with the richer orchestral palette achieved by Rudolf Barshai's full orchestra version.

Instruments

The chamber orchestra arrangement uses a Mustel 1902 harmonium, a period-appropriate instrument also featured in chamber versions of Mahler's Symphony No. 4 and Das Lied von der Erde by Erwin Stein and Arnold Schoenberg, respectively.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Mahler's Symphony No. 10 is considered overwhelmingly autobiographical, excitingly bipolar, and plainly futuristic, reflecting the composer's personal struggles.

Performer Biography

John Storgårds, the conductor on this album, is a Finnish conductor and violinist who has been the artistic director of the Lapland Chamber Orchestra since 1996 and chief guest conductor of the BBC Philharmonic since 2012.