7. Philharmonisches Konzert: Lied der Nacht

In the organizer's words:

Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 7

No other symphony has this: two inner movements entitled "Nachtmusik". As unusual as these movement designations are in a symphony, the characters of these two movements are equally peculiar. The first "Nachtmusik" can be understood as a kind of nocturnal hike, interspersed with sounds of nature such as birdsong and cowbells; the second is an idyllic serenade in which the guitar and mandolin also have their say.

For a long time, Mahler did not know how he was going to get from the two "Nachtmusiken" he had first composed to a complete symphony. A rowing trip then provided the unexpected inspiration: "I got into the boat to let myself be taken across. With the first stroke of the oar, the theme (or rather the rhythm and style) of the introduction to the first movement came to me - and in four weeks, the first, third and fifth movements were finished!".

In the finished symphony, the nocturnal triptych is embedded in strong contrasts. The jagged first movement is unusually rich and multifaceted, even for Mahler, while the finale is so exhilaratingly optimistic that its interpretation is still controversial today. The symphony forms a unit with Mahler's Fifth and his Sixth. The great arc of the Seventh corresponds to the Fifth, and the Sixth is particularly clearly echoed in it. Having performed these two symphonies in our concerts since the 2022/23 season, Gabriel Feltz and the Dortmund Philharmonic now conclude their cycle of Mahler's great middle instrumental symphonies with the Seventh.

7th Philharmonic Concert: Song of the Night