Two life-affirming musical tales narrated by two passionate storytellers. James Ehnes says of the Beethoven Violin Concerto, “It’s an incredibly uplifting, optimistic piece of music, one that makes you feel good about mankind.” Mahler’s First Symphony expresses a vast range of human emotion, from innocence to sorrow to triumph. “In Mahler,” says Music Director Stéphane Denève, “there is nowhere to hide. You must live all of his emotions.”

Things to Know

• “I’ve known the Beethoven Violin Concerto for as long as I can remember,” says Ehnes. “When I first heard it, I remember the soloist’s entrance, which drew everyone together into a suddenly intimate experience. The piece requires great refinement, consistency, and unbroken concentration. The piece pushes you always to play a little bit better, every time.”
• The First Symphony “does not keep to the inherited form in any respect," Mahler wrote. "But 'symphony' means to me simply to create a universe with all resources." Mahler explores diverse musical worlds, revels in the theatrical, tells us the story of a "hero," and searches for the meaning of life. 
• Mahler’s First Symphony is full of so many moments of wonder. The magical opening, conjuring nature at dawn. The second movement, setting off with full sails. The funeral march, opening with a fragile opening double bass solo. And the heart hurt and triumph of the explosive finale.