Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin

Terminally ill in 1910, Gustav Mahler orchestrates the most blatant dissonance of his oeuvre – the culmination point of the adagio in his 10th symphony. Not far off, the lyrics of Danish poet Jen Peter Jacobsen, who was admired by Rainer Maria Rilke, Stefan George and Thomas Mann, are connected with the late echo of Wagner’s style: in the Viennese premiere of the “Gurre Lieder”, which proves to be Arnold Schönberg’s greatest public success. Meanwhile in a Copenhagen tram, a middle-aged man with a crew cut scribbles the main theme of his new symphony on his cuff: with its “exuberant” energy and unsentimental life affirmation, the world premiere of this “Sinfonia espansiva” by the Royal Band Copenhagen conducted by the composer was an extraordinary success with the public and critics. What connects, what divides Viennese fin de siècle and Danish modern, Wagner’s heritage and the new “Nordic sound”? Marek Janowski, Lithuanian mezzo-soprano Violeta Urmana and the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin find the answer this music was counting on in the future – our present.