ANNAPOLIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

SIXTY-FIRST SEASON

Masterworks Series

March 3, 8PM | March 4, 8PM

Maryland Hall

José-Luis Novo, Artistic Director & Conductor

The Philip Richebourg Chair

Symphony No. 6 in A minor, “Tragic”

I. Allegro energico, ma non troppo

II. Andante moderato

III. Scherzo: Wuchtig

IV. Finale: Allegro moderato

Gustav Mahler (1860 1911)

This concert is approximately 85 minutes long and will be performed without an intermission.

2022-2023 Masterworks Season sponsors: Faith Goldstein and Jesse Cunitz

ABOUT THE ARTWORK: Samuel Colman’s “The Edge of Doom”, oil on canvas (18361838) depicts the ultimate disaster: the destruction of the world. Lightning strikes erratically, blasting classical buildings, carriages, paintings, and even Time (a figure with an hourglass and scythe) to create a central glowing void. The colors, lightening, and looming clouds are suited for evoking the emotions of awe and terror associated with the Sublime notion of nature.

Mahler's Symphony No. 6 includes three blows of a specially crafted instrument, called Mahler's Hammer. Mahler used the hammer to create a unique sound to evoke a particular emotion: “It is the hero, on whom falls three blows of fate, the last of which fells him as a tree is felled.”

In 1907, Mahler received three “hammer blows” to his own life: the death of his oldest daughter, Maria, losing his job as music director at the Vienna Opera that he had held for ten years, and onset of a heart condition that would cause his death in 1911 (the last hammer blow that hits the hero as if a tree were felled, so to speak).

Although Colman painted “The Edge of Doom” almost 70 years before Mahler composed his Symphony No. 6, we love how this painting so surrealistically and yet beautifully seems to paint a picture of Mahler's “Tragic” music.

Special thanks to Olivia Ren, ASO librarian, for her help with this research and support of our effort to match masterful visual art to our 2022-2023 Masterworks series.

Photography and video/audio recording are not permitted in the concert hall. Please silence and dim all electronic devices. Thank you.