Gustav Mahler’s First Symphony: an introduction by Sir Simon Rattle (10 min.)

As part of the great cycle of all symphonic works by Gustav Mahler, the Berliner Philharmoniker and its chief conductor Sir Simon Rattle juxtaposed the composer’s First Symphony with Rachmaninoff’s last major work, the Symphonic Dances in November 2010. In this introduction, Simon Rattle explains the structure of Mahler’s symphony and explains why – contrary to the expectations of the composer – it caused a scandal at its premiere.