Elder conducts Mahler

When Gustav Mahler confronted eternity, he turned to the poetry of classical China. Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth) distils every last drop of life’s sorrow and sweetness into six heart-piercing songs. Mahler’s Viennese contemporary Schreker, meanwhile, went for broke: pouring white-hot sensuality and Klimt-like colours into a chamber symphony that positively burst with outsize emotions. 

In other words, it’s a magnificent way for the BBC Symphony Orchestra to end its season – and the most perfect showcase imaginable for guest conductor Sir Mark Elder. Sir Mark is a legend among British musicians; an artist of undimmed energy and insight who brings a lifetime’s experience to everything he conducts. Two of Britain’s finest singers join him in music that leaves few listeners unmoved: this should be very special indeed.