The San Francisco Symphony Returns To Mahler's Seventh
Arguably the most orchestrally innovative of Mahler's works, the Seventh Symphony boasts a complex tonal structure and nocturne-like arrangement that has earned it the nickname Song Of The Night. Micheal Tilson Thomas leads the world class San Francisco Symphony in a stunning return to the unorthodox and refreshing piece, which garnered the ensemble two Grammy Awards for their recording of the Seventh as part of their Mahler Project release in 2011.
Whilst it is often overshadowed by the grand nature of his Symphony No. 3 or Symphony Of A Thousand, the dramatic work plays with unconventional arrangement techniques and pushes instruments to extremes, from the inclusion of mandolin and guitar in its fourth movement to the piercing extremes of the solo trumpet and violins at the very top of their upper register. Creating a soundscape the likes of which had never been heard before, Mahler may not have captured the Euphoria of his previous works, but demonstrated his genius and pioneering spirit that solidified his status as a giant of the classical world.