If you could hear silence, how would it sound? Maybe something like the massive stillness that opens Mahler鈥檚 First Symphony: the starting point for a young artist鈥檚 journey to the heart of absolute tragedy and glorious triumph. It鈥檚 one of those pieces that simply has to be experienced live, and as part of our ongoing Composer Roots project, we鈥檒l uncover its origins in Jewish folk music with the klezmer ensemble She鈥橩oyokh. To open, an effervescent Broadway overture by Mahler鈥檚 great champion Leonard Bernstein and a magnificent rarity by a late-romantic master who shared Bernstein and Mahler鈥檚 Jewish heritage. In Ernest Bloch鈥檚 'Schelomo', the solo cello is King Solomon, and its voice is his Song 鈥� by turns passionate, forthright, and uninhibitedly sensuous. Paul Moylan and She鈥檏oyokh's new 10 minute work, 'Klez鈥橫ahler' will be performed by She鈥檏oyokh immediately prior to the 大象传媒 SSO's performance of Mahler's 'Symphony No.1'.
Prelude: 6.45pm in the Recital Room
Writer and broadcaster Gavin Plumley talks about Mahler鈥檚 complex musical roots, and how they influenced the First Symphony (free to ticket-holders, subject to seating availability).
Post-Concert Coda (approximately 10 minutes after the concert), the klezmer ensemble She'Koyokh will give a short performance.
The main concert will be broadcast live on 大象传媒 Radio 3 - presented by Kate Molleson.