Mahler Symphony No 6

Two complex and brooding works by Mahler and Shostakovich are the focus of Sir Antonio Pappano’s concert with the LSO.

With his roots firmly in the theatrical tradition of the opera-houses, Pappano is the ideal conductor for concert works of great emotional depth and urgency. His baton can tease out even the most elusive of emotive subtexts, a quality that is vital when interpreting the intense and dramatic works of Mahler and Shostakovich.

Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No 1 is a virtuoso tour-de-force composed during a time of personal and political unrest, it is widely considered to be one of the most significant contributions to the violin repertoire of the twentieth century. Mahler’s Symphony No 6 is popularly known as the composer’s ‘Tragic’ symphony, its final movement is punctuated by three devastating ‘hammer-blows’ that represent the inescapable force of fate.