Sir Simon Rattle on Mahler’s Sixth Symphony (9 min.)

When Simon Rattle made his debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker in 1987, Gustav Mahler’s Sixth Symphony was on the programme. The same work was also performed in 2018 when, 31 years later, the musician conducted his last concert in the Philharmonie as chief conductor of the orchestra. In this introduction, Sir Simon explains the significance to him of the symphony, often referred to as “Tragic”, and in which classical formalism and glimpses into the abyss are combined in an unusual way. In addition, the conductor remembers his mixed feelings of anticipation and nervousness when making music for the first time with the Philharmoniker, whose chief conductor he was to become in 2002.