CONCERT PROGRAMME
G. Mahler. Symphony No. 5
The Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Artistic Director and Chief Conductor Gintaras Rinkevičius, continues the cycle of symphonies by the Austrian musical genius Gustav Mahler (1860–1911) and this evening will perform the composer’s Fifth Symphony. The legendary Herbert von Karajan once said about G. Mahler’s Fifth Symphony: “Listening to this work makes you forget the passage of time, and the fantastic finale simply takes your breath away”.
G. Mahler’s Fifth Symphony was composed during perhaps the most successful period of the composer’s life – between 1901 and 1902, while on vacation in a villa by a lake in southern Austria, with his wife Alma Mahler expecting their first child, a daughter, Maria Anna. It seemed to be one of those rare times when G. Mahler’s career as a conductor, his creative achievements, and personal happiness were in perfect harmony. In his cozy home surrounded by forest, G. Mahler composed one of the most profound declarations of love – the famous Adagietto of the Fifth Symphony, later dedicated as a gift to his wife Alma. The symphony was completed in this atmosphere, as evidenced by its extraordinarily luminous and radiant finale.
However, the beginning of the work – the first two movements – contrasts sharply with gloom and outbursts of anger, with a dark trumpet solo sounding as if death itself were present. The reason for these moods was a trial sent by fate – on the night of February 25, 1901, the composer nearly died from severe hemorrhage. Facing death brought radical changes to his worldview. After the mournful and despair-filled opening movements, G. Mahler introduces a feverish Scherzo, whose euphoric uplift sounds like boundless gratitude and a triumph of joy in life re-evaluated in the face of death. At the center of the Fifth Symphony, a wild dance unfolds – one of those rare moments in the score where G. Mahler captures invincible optimism.
The director of the famous “Gürzenich Konzerte” in Cologne suggested that the premiere of the Fifth Symphony become the highlight of the 1904–1905 concert season. Two years after the triumph of the Third Symphony, this marked a stunning turning point in G. Mahler’s career and solidified his reputation as a composer.