Stuart Skelton and Catherine Carby star in this extraordinary encounter with Mahler’s monumental song cycle.
Standing face to face with death, Gustav Mahler did not cower from the abyss. He reached deep into his soul and conjured his final song cycle, Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth) – described by Leonard Bernstein as the greatest “symphony” of this master symphonist. It tells it all. The sweet bitterness of our brief lives. Darkness, light, cruelty, love, beauty and at last, catharsis.
Richard Tognetti directs this unusually intimate encounter with Mahler. Arnold Schoenberg, another titan composer of the 20th century, took Mahler’s signature mighty sound and arranged it for chamber ensemble, carefully preserving the texture and impact of the original. The arrangement gives two soloists room to shine.
Joining Richard and the ACO is Stuart Skelton, one of the great tenors of our time. Commanding a voice of incredible power and passion, he sings the most demanding music ever written for the human voice. This is a rare chance to hear him on his home stage, alongside celebrated Australian mezzo-soprano Catherine Carby.
It is love that makes us grieve death, so balancing Mahler’s powerful exploration of the human condition is the tender warmth of Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll – a musical gift to his wife, and the songs of Alma Mahler-Werfel sung by Catherine Carby – exquisite expressions of love and beauty.
The ACO will be joined on stage by guest artists on percussion, mandolin, harmonium and an array of wind and brass instruments for a thrilling spectacle. When this program debuted at the Edinburgh Festival it received rave reviews and audiences were in raptures.
Give yourself over to this extraordinary music, as Mahler captures the very human struggle that unites us and, ultimately, the quiet ecstasy of acceptance that brings us inner peace.
Duration
This event will run for approximately 2 hours.
Program
RICHARD WAGNER Siegfried Idyll
ALMA MAHLER-WERFEL (arr. David Matthews) Laue Sommernacht; Die stille Stadt; Bei dir ist es traut (World Premiere of new arrangements)*
GUSTAV MAHLER (arr. Arnold Schoenberg & Rainer Riehn) Das Lied von der Erde
Concert Hall
One of the world’s most sought after venues, the Concert Hall is a performance space like no other. With its cathedral like ambience and unrivalled majesty, standing on this very special stage will see you deliver a performance to remember.
In July 2022, the Opera House completed extensive upgrades to the Concert Hall. The multi-million-dollar project delivered extensive improvements to the venue, including: better acoustics for artists and audiences, enhanced access for people with mobility needs, new state-of-the-art theatre machinery and staging systems, and a more flexible and safer working environment for staff behind-the-scenes.
Our foyers will be open 90 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars. Please remember to maintain physical distancing whilst consuming drinks in our foyers.
All Sydney Opera House foyers are pram accessible, with lifts to the main and western foyers. The public lift to all foyers is accessible from the corridor near the escalators on the Lower Concourse and also in the Western Foyer via the corridor on the Ground Level (at the top of the escalators). Pram parking will be available outside the theatres in the Western Foyer consistent with COVID-safe rules.