6. Symphony Concert

Béla Bartók Violin concerto No. 1
Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 5 cis-minor

"My Fifth Symphony is a cursed work. No one understands it," so Gustav Mahler in 1905 about his composition which today is one of his most popular symphonies. With it, Cornelius Meister and the Staatsorchester Stuttgart continue their Mahler cycle. After his vocal symphonies no. 2 to 4, Mahler focuses in his Fifth on a purely instrumental expression. Inspired by his intensive Bach studies, the work is characterized by a dense polyphonic texture. The dreamlike, floating Adagietto, which Luchino Visconti used in his film Death in Venice, was written by Mahler as a declaration of love to his later wife Alma. According to conductor Willem Mengelberg: "Instead of a letter he sent her the manuscript, and not a single word more. She understood at once and asked him to come for her." A declaration of love is also hidden behind the Violin Concerto No. 1 by Béla Bartók, written in 1908 for the violinist Stefi Geyer, with whom Bartók fell head over heels in love. He thereby created a passionate portrait of the young violinist, but his love for her remained unfulfilled. The masterly solo part is performed by the versatile violinist Christian Tetzlaff, who is renowned for his highly individual interpretations.