Mahler, Brucker: Ian Bostridge at Teatro Comunale di Bologna

About the Event

Des Knaben Wundernhorn, a cycle of poems and folk songs published in three volumes from 1805 to 1808 by Clemens Brentano and Achim von Arnim, encompasses various themes such as love, war, and travel, making it an essential part of Germany's literary national identity. Notably, it was a book that could be found in every German‐speaking household. Gustav Mahler, the renowned composer, came across this work at Captain Karl von Weber's home, the grandson of the famous composer Carl Maria. Mahler was immediately captivated by the Magic Child's Horn and proceeded to set around two dozen songs from it to music between 1888 and 1901. Some of these songs even made their way into his Third and Fourth Symphonies. But what was it about this collection that drew the Moravian composer to it so irresistibly? The answer lies in the three fundamental components of Mahlerian temperament that coexist within the Marvelous Horn: a sense of drama, a sense of the popular, and a sense of the religious.

Eduard Hanslick, a strong advocate for Johannes Brahms, expressed his astonishment and admiration after attending a performance of Bruckner's Seventh Symphony in E major. He wrote, "It had never happened to any composer to be called to the forefront four or five times after each movement. Bruckner is the new idol of Wagnerians." These words were spoken amidst a poisoned climate, with pro‐Wagnerians attacking Brahms and phylobrahmsians lashing out at Bruckner. Even within its usual architectural monumentality, the composer indulges in an unexpected sensuality in this symphony. Luchino Visconti, when selecting the "Seventh" as the unforgettable soundtrack for his film "Senso" starring Alida Valli, captured precisely this suffering, feverish side — almost a subcutaneous tremor. However, this intense energy melds seamlessly into one of the longest, most poignant, and dazzling adagios of the symphonic nineteenth century. Listening to the Seventh Symphony as a standalone work takes the listener on a one‐way journey into an operatic world, an itinerary of the spirit guarded by music that stands tall, solid, and mysterious like an ancient cathedral.