Gustav Mahler completed his Symphony No. 5 in 1902, shortly after marrying Alma Schindler, but continued to revise it for years.
Interpretation
Andris Nelsons believes the Vienna Philharmonic has a unique relationship with Mahler's music, with its famous sound capturing the composer's full emotional palette.
Critical Reception
Richard Strauss, a colleague of Mahler, admired the symphony but found the 'little Adagietto' somewhat dimmed his pleasure, despite it being the audience's favorite part.
Performer Biography
Andris Nelsons, the conductor on this recording, is the Gewandhauskapellmeister of the Gewandhausorchester in Leipzig and the Music Director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Notable Performances
The Vienna Philharmonic first performed Mahler's Fifth Symphony on December 7, 1905, in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein, conducted by Mahler himself.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Mahler compared his Fifth Symphony to a Gothic cathedral, stating that its 'apparent confusion must resolve into the highest order and harmony'.
Critical Reception
Mahler was deeply anxious about the reception of his Fifth Symphony, particularly the central Scherzo, which he predicted conductors would play too fast for fifty years.
