Gemma New leads the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in a commanding performance of Mahler's Sixth Symphony. Photo / NZSO
Gemma New leads the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in a commanding performance of Mahler's Sixth Symphony. Photo / NZSO
Gemma New and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra’s finely shaded performance of Mahler’s Sixth Symphony came across as another impressive instalment in what could well be their ongoing celebration of the Austrian composer.
2023’s Third Symphony had many marvelling at New’s incisive interpretation of Mahler at his most monumental; lastyear, their richly laid out Fifth penetrated the very soul of its composer from blistering fanfares to heartrending Adagietto.
Tonight, some may have been surprised at this conductor’s customary precision and neatness unleashing the furious march of the Sixth’s opening movement. Yet, within minutes, after a shimmering fall from major to minor and some woodwind translucence, we were captivated by the soaring theme associated with the composer’s wife, Alma.
This symphony reveals Mahler at his most volatile. While much of its musical language is unabashedly tonal for 1904, these 80 minutes host many wild and unpredictable diversions, navigated with consummate ease by New.
While increased orchestral forces generated many pages of Mahlerian magnificence, there were also moments of exquisite intimacy, as heard in Vesa-Matti Leppanen’s beautifully understated violin solos. Celesta, xylophone and tuba, two harps and a contingent of eight horns contributed significantly to the evening’s luxuriant palette.
We were reminded of Mahler’s own career as a conductor in subtle references to earlier symphonic repertoire, and even the Italian opera house. A rebellious scherzo had me hearing something of a deconstruction of a set of Johann Strauss waltzes.
Mahler himself described his symphonies as all-embracing worlds, which we heard literally in the hypnotic blur of off-stage cow bells.
New’s attention to detail came through in an emotionally uncluttered Andante moderato. The confrontational finale, veering from cataclysm to cataclysm, with Leonard Sakofsky dramatically delivering his two blows of fate with a custom-made hammer and box, created tensions and climaxes that the legendary maestro Bruno Walter once likened to mountainous waves of a sea that will overwhelm and destroy the ship.
