Mahler, San Francisco Symphony, Royal Festival Hall

Multi Grammy Award winning conductor Michael Tilson Thomas leads his internationally acclaimed San Francisco Symphony, along with the London Symphony Chorus and the Choristers of St Pauls Cathedral, in a performance of Mahler’s gargantuan Symphony No. 3. This marks the first leg of the San Francisco Symphony’s two-week tour of the musical capitals of Europe. 

We’re in safe hands: Tilson Thomas is world famous for his interpretations of Mahler, and he and the San Francisco Symphony have already released Mahler’s symphonic output on CD in its entirety, to widespread critical acclaim and commercial success. The solo alto role for the fourth and fifth movements will be performed by Grammy Award winning mezzo soprano Sasha Cooke. Known for her versatility, we look forward to seeing how she handles the light and shade between these two contrasting movements.

If you’re unfamiliar with Mahler’s Symphony No. 3, prepare yourself to be worn out. The piece is enormous in every sense, employing an orchestra with the population size of a small town, and lasting almost two hours. Witnessing the piece live is nothing short of cathartic:  no feeling is left unexperienced, from the cheeky minuet of the second movement, to the sublime tranquil final movement which, until shortly before its publication, was subtitled ‘What Love Tells Me’. 

Listen out for the Mahlerian uses of performance space throughout: several offstage snare-drums burst in on the action during the first movement, and the cheerful fifth movement treats us to the sounds of bells and boys’ voices emerging from an upper gallery. 

Attending a performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 under the baton of Tilson Thomas will in the best possible way be similar to running a half-marathon during an electrical storm. We advise bringing a Thermos and some flapjacks if you don’t want to collapse on the tube afterwards. You will feel exhilarated, drained, and exhausted by the time the applause begins, but, like a half-marathon, by god it will be worth it.

Tickets: £15 - £75
Address and map: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, London SE1 8XX ‎
Nearest tube: Waterloo