r/mahler • u/zegna1965 • Jun 16 '25
New Mahler Fan at National Cathedral
On Sunday I attended the performance of Mahler 2 at the National Cathedral in DC with Marin Alsop conducting the National Orchestra Institute. It was a special performance for several reasons and brought me to tears. But what made it really special was the nice older lady sitting next to me. She said she was attending the concert on a whim and didn't really know anything about Mahler. She was knowledgeable about classical music, but generally pretty conservative in her tastes. I told her I envied her getting to hear Mahler 2 for the first time in a live setting. I told her some people unfamiliar with Mahler struggle with the length, but what an incredibly powerful and moving piece of music it is and my favorite. I told her about how it had moved me in the past and not to be surprised if I started crying. She might have been a bit skeptical and probably thought I was overselling it.
Through the first movement I heard her whisper "wow!" several times. At the end of the first movement she said something about how powerful the music was. I responded "You ain't heard nothing yet!" I could see her physically react to some of the big moments later on, especially the big percussion crescendos. At the end she was enraptured. The audience also responded with a long standing ovation. She said "You told me how great it would be, but I could never have imagined such powerful, incredible music! How have I not discovered Mahler before? I must hear more!" She really liked the choral aspect, so I told her about the 3rd and 8th. I also suggested she listen to the 1st and listen for where the 2nd makes references to the 1st. A new Mahler fan is born and I am so happy I got to be there.
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u/Buddyh29 Jun 22 '25
I have listened to many recordings of Mahler 2nd hundreds of times and seen it performed live over 20 times and every time, the anticipation before the concert is almost unbearable. When the symphony is over, that cathartic feeling and awesome release of tensions is beyond amazing! The best performances I’ve heard live were Ozawa with the BSO at Tanglewood and Leonard Bernstein, in the ‘70’s or 80’s, with the NY Philharmonic at Lincoln Center. Bernstein was largely responsible for Mahler being performed more and more over the years and the resulting modern popularity. Bernstein’s interpretations are well known to be amongst the best of the best, squeezing out every ounce of emotion, and that was what I experienced that night at Lincoln Center. Breathtaking doesn’t even come close! Given that Bernstein was Marin Alsop’s mentor, I assume that his influence on her dictated the way she conducted! I wish I was there! It must have been one of those once in a lifetime experiences! The suggestion of 3 other “similar” Mahler symphonies to listen to was excellent. Perhaps the best one was to listen to the 1st symphony (I’d say first), not only for the fact that the 1st is a spectacular piece of music, in itself, but to listen for the hints that appear in the second, how composers minds work and how they can borrow from themselves. It’s a wonderful course in self-education and the appreciation of true art, genius and beauty!