Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and KBS Symphony Orchestra Face Off in Mahler Symphony Showdown

Seoul Philharmonic to Perform Mahler's Symphony No. 7,
KBS Symphony Orchestra to Present No. 2
Both Orchestras Take the Stage on the Same Day
at Lotte Concert Hall and Seoul Arts Center

Two leading orchestras in Korea, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and the KBS Symphony Orchestra, will face off head-to-head on the same day with symphonies by Gustav Mahler (1860?1911).

Yap Pan Tsubeden, Music Director of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra
[Photo by Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra]

The Seoul Philharmonic will perform Mahler's Symphony No. 7 at Lotte Concert Hall on the 20th and 21st, while the KBS Symphony Orchestra will present Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection" at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall on the 21st. The Seoul Philharmonic also performed "Resurrection" at their regular concert last month.

Yap van Zweden, music director of the Seoul Philharmonic, announced upon his appointment last year that he plans to perform and record all nine of Mahler's symphonies during his five-year tenure through 2028. Following last year's performance of Symphony No. 1, the orchestra performed "Resurrection" at last month's regular concert, which the KBS Symphony Orchestra will perform this time.

Mahler's Symphony No. 7, performed by the Seoul Philharmonic this time, is a work rarely heard live. It is considered one of the most challenging Mahler symphonies and requires a large orchestra of over 100 musicians, including guitar and mandolin. This will be the first time in nine years since the Seoul Philharmonic last performed this piece under the baton of Eliahu Inbal in March 2016.

Symphony No. 7 was composed during Mahler's tenure as director of the Vienna Court Opera, a period considered the prime of his life, and showcases his progressive orchestration techniques. It consists of five movements, with a symmetrical structure centered around the third movement, which is regarded as Mahler's most bizarre scherzo. It is often called the "Song of the Night" because the second and fourth movements are titled "Nachtmusik" (Night Music).

The performance lasts about 80 minutes, making it a grand work that rivals the scale of the KBS Symphony Orchestra's performance of Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection," which runs about 90 minutes.

Conductor Myung-Whun Chung
[Photo provided by KBS Symphony Orchestra (c) Takafumi Ueno]

The KBS Symphony Orchestra's performance of "Resurrection" with principal conductor Myung-Whun Chung is also a rarely heard work. The KBS Symphony Orchestra has performed this piece only twice in the past decade: under Yoel Levi at their 700th regular concert in 2015, and under Christoph Eschenbach at the 30th anniversary concert of the Seoul Arts Center in 2023.

Symphony No. 2 consists of five movements and was the most beloved work during Mahler's lifetime, embodying his artistic identity. It expresses deep reflections on life and death, the afterlife, and resurrection through music. Inspired by Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 "Choral," Mahler attempted to include vocal parts in the symphony, a feature that became characteristic of his music. While Beethoven sang of joy and peace, Mahler expressed the "sublime moment of human resurrection" through this work.

The performance will feature soprano Hwang Su-mi, mezzo-soprano Lee Dan-bi, the Goyang City Choir, the Seoul Motet Choir, and the Anyang City Choir as collaborators.

Both concerts have already sold out amid enthusiastic interest from Mahler enthusiasts (Mahlerians). Unless there are cancellations, additional tickets are unlikely to be available. The Seoul Philharmonic opened additional choir seats for sale on the 7th, but these also sold out quickly.