Mahler Symphony No.6
Columbus Symphony Orchestra
January 16, 1999

I should probably introduce myself before I start.  I've been lurking on
this (and a few other) list for a few months, but never had a good reason
to post till now.  I must say some conversations on this list are very
enlightening while others are quite entertaining ;-).

I am a freshman Computer Science student at Ohio State U in Columbus, Ohio.
I moved to US from Russia a little over five years ago.  Prior to this
year, I was living in NJ, right next to Philly.  My interest in classical
music is rather recent.  Some time about a year ago, I got tired of my
changing my (pop) music tastes every 3 months or so, and started looking
for music that means something.  Classical music was the obvious choice
;-), and I started listening to it in the background more and more.

At some point, I decided that I should sit down and listen to the music
that I keep playing on the radio.  That is really when I got hooked.  Since
then, I've amassed a collection of some 50 CDs (or so), and I've been
buying them at every opportunity.  Then, I went the natural (for me) way,
and subscribed to a few mailing lists on the 'Net, and I have been learning
so much about music ever since.  I've also bought some books to help me
understand what you guys are talking about as well as learn some general
information about classical music.

My first encounter with Mahler was when listening to a Chicago SO
broadcast.  They played the fifth.  Right from the first note, I knew this
is the music I was looking for.  I wanted to find music that was painfully
expressive and emotional, and this is what I found and more.  This is music
that I could experience through listening.  Good performance of a Mahler
symphony never fails to move me both physically and emotionally.

After hearing my first Mahler, I had to buy a recording.  I bought the
Boulez' version of the 6th, a DG recording.  This immediately became my
favorite CD, strange as it sounds.  It still remains my favorite Mahler
symphony followed closely by the 3rd.  Imagine my excitement when I found
out that Columbus Symphony Orchestra is going to be performing the music
this year.  I was about as ecstatic as one can get about things like that
;-).

Columbus Symphony Orchestra is an above-average provincial orchestra
from what I can interpret.  I have to say that they sometimes come rather
close to perfection (at least in my mind).  Their performance of Strauss'
Don Juan a week ago was about the liveliest and electrical interpretation
I ever heard.  The orchestra is conducted by Allesandro Sicilianni, an
Italian conductor who has been opera conductor prior to crossing the pond
straight to Columbus.  He has a very "lively" way of conducting.  He
literally jumps around the podium.  The pictures in the "Vintage guide
to Classical Music" book that I have next to me seem to suggest that
Sicilianni is somewhat similar to Mahler in that respect.

The first movement of M6 is the famous heroic march interspersed with
a beautiful "Alma" theme said to be dedicated to his wife.  To me, this
movement is most uplifting.  While it has some tragic traits foreshadowing
what's coming next, it is very heroic and optimistic (perhaps falsely
optimistic).  The maestro chose to play at a slower tempo than I expected,
and while it allowed me to see some interesting details I did not notice
before, I found it to be boring overall.  In addition, close to the end of
the movement, the brass section decided to go South, and started playing
distinctly out of tune for a short while.

I was somewhat disappointed by the performance of the first movement, but
what was coming up next was sure to surprise me.  The second movement, the
scherzo, is usually described, in Alma's words, as an image of children
playing in the sand.  This explanation never made sense to me.  I feel it
is the fate chasing Mahler's proverbial "hero".  I can never hear anything
that suggests the children's play in that Scherzo.  The way the orchestra
performed was amazing.  From the first measures, I felt fear going through
me.  It was about as intense as I've ever seen this orchestra get.  Every
note made me shudder.  Immense experience it was.

Next, was the lyrical and melodical andante.  It was wonderfully played.
This movement always sets me on pondering on meaning of life and death.
This time was no exception.  The music is so beautiful, yet undisturbing,
you almost have to allow yourself to escape into another world.  It also
provides time to relax after the intensity of the first two movements.

The finale was spectacular.  I did not think anything could be more intense
than the second movement, but the finale certainly was.  It was so full of
electricity that I could not restrain myself from not moving in and around
my seat.  My neighbors did not seem to like that, so I limited myself to
"playing" the rhythm on my knees with my hands.  Not once did the last loud
strike of the symphony failed to make me shudder with fear, and despite the
fact that I literally saw it coming this time (all the orchestra players
lifting their respective instruments), it only made it worse.

This was the experience I was hoping for and more.  Experiencing Mahler
live is truly something else, something out of this world.  If you like
Mahler's music even a little bit, and haven't heard him live yet, then do
it ASAP.  You are not likely to be sorry.

Igor Grobman           [log in to unmask]                 [log in to unmask]