Cultura y noticias hispanas del Valle del Hudson
Martina Stokow/Public Domain
La Voz invites you: “Resurrection” at the Fisher Center
Por Laura Pérez Rangel
October 2021Have you ever listened to a live symphony orchestra? This is the perfect opportunity! Come and enjoy one of the great works of the composer Gustav Maher, performed by great soloists and by the young members of the Bard Conservatory Orchestra and the university choir.
About the piece and its composer
Born in Bohemia, currently the Czech Republic, Gustav Mahler was one of the most influential composers and orchestra conductors from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, “Resurrection” being one of his most ambitious and moving pieces. Mahler's Second Symphony was composed over nearly seven years and was one of his most successful compositions. The symphony has five movements and lasts approximately 90 minutes.
It begins with a wake-up call from the strings: a note that starts out very strong on the high strings but immediately drops in volume and is then interrupted by a great entry from the cellos and basses, undoubtedly one of the most iconic beginnings for orchestral works. This movement is full of character and impressive strength and is related to questions like “What is life and what is death? Will we live forever? And is this all an empty dream or does our life and death have meaning?”
The symphony’s second movement has a more pastoral character and represents the memories of youth and childhood and the happy moments of life, while the third movement refers to a state of apathy and abandonment of faith, which Mahler describes as "desperate". The fourth movement refers to the return of faith and is where a solo mezzo-soprano enters who sings about the return of faith. These shorter movements are classified by the composer himself as "intermediate".
The symphony has a choral ending in the fifth movement that relates to the poem "Resurrection" by the 18th century German writer Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock. This movement portrays Mahler's ideas about the final judgment (including the trumpets in a great outer band that will be found in the audience) and has a glorious and moving ending in which, according to Mahler, “God in all His glory appears to the view. A wonderful light reaches our hearts. Everything is calm and happy. There is no judgment, no sinners, (...) there is no punishment or reward. An overwhelming feeling of love fills us with blissful knowledge and illuminates our existence. "
The orchestra speaks: Andrés Pérez, cellist at the Bard Conservatory
What do you like most about this symphony?
The drama that is felt throughout the piece and the contrast of emotions that Mahler creates in the audience and in us, the musicians.
What is your favorite part?
The symphony is full of incredible moments that keep you on the edge of your chair, but I would say the ending, one of the most epic in the history of orchestral music.
What is special about this concert? Why do you think our readers should attend?
I think that the experience of listening to a live orchestra is very different from watching it on video or on television: the gestures, movements and communication of the musicians on stage are more appreciated and the sound is vastly different. It is a great experience for many people who attend our concerts, especially those who are attending for the first time. Many people say that the most shocking thing is to feel the vibrations, to feel the sound in your body. In addition, it is a concert played by young musicians, which makes the energy of the orchestra something very particular. A simply fantastic and enveloping work!
La Voz invites you
We have courtesy tickets available for performances on Saturday, October 23 and Sunday, October 24. The concert hours are: at 8:00 pm on Saturday 23rd and at 3:00 pm on Sunday April 24th, and we will present talks in Spanish prior to the concerts.
Would you like to attend? For more information and to reserve your free ticket, write an email to [email protected] with the subject "Resurrection"
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COPYRIGHT 2021
La Voz, Cultura y noticias hispanas del Valle de Hudson
Born in Bohemia, currently the Czech Republic, Gustav Mahler was one of the most influential composers and orchestra conductors from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, “Resurrection” being one of his most ambitious and moving pieces. Mahler's Second Symphony was composed over nearly seven years and was one of his most successful compositions. The symphony has five movements and lasts approximately 90 minutes.
It begins with a wake-up call from the strings: a note that starts out very strong on the high strings but immediately drops in volume and is then interrupted by a great entry from the cellos and basses, undoubtedly one of the most iconic beginnings for orchestral works. This movement is full of character and impressive strength and is related to questions like “What is life and what is death? Will we live forever? And is this all an empty dream or does our life and death have meaning?”
The symphony’s second movement has a more pastoral character and represents the memories of youth and childhood and the happy moments of life, while the third movement refers to a state of apathy and abandonment of faith, which Mahler describes as "desperate". The fourth movement refers to the return of faith and is where a solo mezzo-soprano enters who sings about the return of faith. These shorter movements are classified by the composer himself as "intermediate".
The symphony has a choral ending in the fifth movement that relates to the poem "Resurrection" by the 18th century German writer Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock. This movement portrays Mahler's ideas about the final judgment (including the trumpets in a great outer band that will be found in the audience) and has a glorious and moving ending in which, according to Mahler, “God in all His glory appears to the view. A wonderful light reaches our hearts. Everything is calm and happy. There is no judgment, no sinners, (...) there is no punishment or reward. An overwhelming feeling of love fills us with blissful knowledge and illuminates our existence. "
The orchestra speaks: Andrés Pérez, cellist at the Bard Conservatory
What do you like most about this symphony?
The drama that is felt throughout the piece and the contrast of emotions that Mahler creates in the audience and in us, the musicians.
What is your favorite part?
The symphony is full of incredible moments that keep you on the edge of your chair, but I would say the ending, one of the most epic in the history of orchestral music.
What is special about this concert? Why do you think our readers should attend?
I think that the experience of listening to a live orchestra is very different from watching it on video or on television: the gestures, movements and communication of the musicians on stage are more appreciated and the sound is vastly different. It is a great experience for many people who attend our concerts, especially those who are attending for the first time. Many people say that the most shocking thing is to feel the vibrations, to feel the sound in your body. In addition, it is a concert played by young musicians, which makes the energy of the orchestra something very particular. A simply fantastic and enveloping work!
La Voz invites you
We have courtesy tickets available for performances on Saturday, October 23 and Sunday, October 24. The concert hours are: at 8:00 pm on Saturday 23rd and at 3:00 pm on Sunday April 24th, and we will present talks in Spanish prior to the concerts.
Would you like to attend? For more information and to reserve your free ticket, write an email to [email protected] with the subject "Resurrection"
back to top
COPYRIGHT 2021
La Voz, Cultura y noticias hispanas del Valle de Hudson
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