Philadelphia Orch Mahler 2, Mar 10 2026

Stephanie and I heard the Mahler 2nd symphony at Carnegie Hall on Mar 10, 2026. It was a performance by the Philadelphia Orchestra and chorus conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin featuring soprano Ying Fang and mezzo soprano Joyce DiDonato. This was my second time hearing it but since the previous time was over 25 years ago, it felt like a new piece.

I was a little alarmed that the opening sounded so much like the opening of *Die Walküre* but he turned the corner pretty quickly, it turned into Mahler within a minute or so. The first movement had his signature harmonic richness, a sure feeling for drama, and fleeting moments of great tenderness. Mahler was a master of orchestral texture - - there were a couple of moments in which all of the strings were playing and a few of the winds yet you could still hear the harp in its solo line. There were quite a few moments when the orchestra was going full tilt boogie and the four timpani players (four!) were banging away like there was no tomorrow. There was a tender moment near the end of the movement that had a swoony slide from one note to another in the violins, that was a treat to hear.

The couple in front of us smiled at each other when the second movement was about to start. And they held hands. Clearly they knew this piece because the second movement started with a ländler! I only know that term because of *The Sound of Music* - - it's the folk dance that Captain von Trapp and Maria do on the patio at the party, the dreamy moment when they first fall in love. Thankfully the music has been transformed so you don't quite notice that the tune is "The Lonely Goatherd." Yodel-ay-hee-hoo. Anyway, the Mahler ländler was ripe with longing and Viennese charm, it brought a tear to my eye. It developed into something darker and slightly menacing, then back to the ländler. I loved a delicate moment when the strings were all pizzicato and the basses had an accented, cheeky bit that made me chuckle out loud.

The third movement was swirling and searching with flashes of Moorish contours in the melody. The timpani had a temper tantrum at one point, that was a nice surprise. The movement ended with a striking of the gong - - that sound almost faded away and the fourth movement crept in unnoticed, with Joyce DiDonato singing so quietly we could barely hear her. It was primal, mystical, unforgettable. Can we all agree that Mahler is the master of writing for the lyric mezzo? He finds a warmth and sincerity that no one can match. DiDonato has sung a lot of Mahler and totally nailed the style.

The final movement started with a few horns offstage, a trick Mahler learned at his day job as an opera conductor. There was a fabulous brass moment with the strings pizzicato. This built up into a bright shimmering sound that had me seeing the stage flooded with sunlight - - indoors at 9:15pm. This led to a manic dance which developed and developed and became something I can't define. Why try?

The chorus crept in a cappella, so quietly it took a second to realize it was voices we were hearing. They seemed to not sing words for the first few lines, it seemed like something non verbal and apart from ordinary human experience, like their sound was coming out of the mossy earth. Soprano Ying Fang sounded a little unsteady to me at first but she found her bearings and sang beautifully.

The finale was out of control, an ascension to heaven like you've never heard before, like the similar finale to Gounod's *Faust* but a hundred times more powerful and meaningful. It was thrillingly overt, Mahler was not concerned about going too far, he was laying it all on the line.

The audience went berserk, it felt like the screaming and applause started just as the final chord was played. I don't think I've ever heard an audience so eager to scream and applaud. The bows went on for a long time, with Nézet-Séguin giving special bows to various sections of the orchestra. The piece was a tour de force for so many of them, it was gratifying for us to give our appreciation to them. Stephanie and I were both crying at the end of the performance. We were not alone, it's one of those pieces that is designed to turn you into a weepy mess.

Here's a recent performance from Munich:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIWi6zfFvXU