Mahler's Symphony No.6

Principal Conductor Kahchun Wong joins the Hallé Orchestra for a remarkable season finale centred on Mahler's Symphony No. 6.

Mahler composed this symphony during a period of relative personal happiness. His wife, Alma Mahler, immortalised in the deeply expressive Adagietto of his Fifth Symphony, had recently given birth to their second child. Against this backdrop, the symphony’s frequent subtitle, “The Tragic,” presents a striking and thought-provoking contrast.

While the work is often characterised by its brooding intensity and sense of inexorable fate, it also contains moments of warmth and deeply personal reference. The expansive melodies of the opening movement are widely associated with Alma, while the playful, restless Scherzo evokes the energy of his young daughters. Heard in full, the symphony emerges not simply as a tragedy, but as a complex and compelling portrait of love, joy, and the shadow of uncertainty that accompanies them.

Recorded on the 28th May and presented by Elizabeth Alker.

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No.6

The Hallé Orchestra
Kahchun Wong (Principal Conductor)

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