Vladimir Jurowski, the conductor on this album, was appointed a KBE by King Charles III in 2024 for his services to music and the arts.
Composition History
Mahler's Ninth Symphony, though intermittently worked on between 1908 and 1911, was mostly composed during his annual holiday in the Dolomites in the summer of 1909.
Composer Biography
Mahler's Ninth Symphony was his last completed symphony, as his Tenth Symphony remained in draft form at the time of his death in May 1911.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The Rondo-Burleske third movement was reportedly dedicated 'to my brothers in Apollo', referring to fellow musicians in Vienna who had made Mahler's career uncomfortable.
Compositional Technique
Mahler's Ninth Symphony uses a large orchestra, particularly in the woodwind section, but avoids the unusual extra instruments found in his previous two symphonies.
Notable Performances
The first performance of Mahler's Ninth Symphony took place in Vienna in June 1912, conducted by his younger colleague Bruno Walter.
Compositional Technique
The Ninth Symphony features Mahler's 'progressive' key-scheme, starting in one key and ending in another, and treats tonality very freely.
