There can be little doubt that Mahler’s Symphony #6 has a mood that is dark, combative, and at times – as in the finale – overwhelmingly panic-ridden. It is therefore no surprise that it was among the last of Mahler’s nine completed symphonies to achieve recognition commensurate with its enormous value in the music literature.
In the words of conductor Bruno Walter, the composer’s friend, assistant, and dedicated interpreter, “The Sixth is bleakly pessimistic: it reeks of the bitter cup of human life. In contrast with the Fifth, it says ‘No,’ above all in the last movement, where something resembling the inexorable strife of ‘all against all’ is translated into music….”
Here are the interpreters on this recording:
Composer:
Work:
Performers:
NHK Symphony Orchestra
And now, the music, as directed by Bernard Haitink:
