Mahler was the first of many composers post-Beethoven who feared the 'Curse of the Ninth' superstition, namely that death would follow the writing of a Ninth Symphony. It was for this reason that Mahler's next symphonic work following his Eighth was actually entitled The Song of the Earth, before he overcame his fears and wrote a Ninth, which critics consider his most intense. It was written in a time of deep personal crisis for the Austrian composer, following the death of his daughter, his forced resignation from the Vienna Court Opera, the diagnosis of his own fatal heart disease and the breakdown of his marriage. The first movement, permeated by premonitions of death, depicts the struggle between tonal stability and instability, while the last movement fades away after several impassioned climaxes, suggesting a man finally accepting his fate with joyous celebration rather than fear. Funnily enough, the curse was to prove half-true, with Mahler dying whilst working on his Tenth two years later. Bernard Haitink (pictured), one of the world's great Mahlerians, conducts this Prom 5: London Symphony Orchestra concert at the Royal Albert Hall. The Dutch maestro is celebrating his 80th birthday this year and the 50th anniversary of his UK debut so this should be something rather special.
Mahler Symphony No.9 (85 mins) London Symphony Orchestra Bernard Haitink conductor
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Mahler was the first of many composers post-Beethoven who feared the 'Curse of the Ninth' superstition, namely that death would follow the writing of a Ninth Symphony. It was for this reason that Mahler's next symphonic work following his Eighth was actually entitled The Song of the Earth, before he overcame his fears and wrote a Ninth, which critics consider his most intense. It was written in a time of deep personal crisis for the Austrian composer, following the death of his daughter, his forced resignation from the Vienna Court Opera, the diagnosis of his own fatal heart disease and the breakdown of his marriage. The first movement, permeated by premonitions of death, depicts the struggle between tonal stability and instability, while the last movement fades away after several impassioned climaxes, suggesting a man finally accepting his fate with joyous celebration rather than fear. Funnily enough, the curse was to prove half-true, with Mahler dying whilst working on his Tenth two years later. Bernard Haitink (pictured), one of the world's great Mahlerians, conducts this Prom 5: London Symphony Orchestra concert at the 
