Gustav Mahler: Symphony No.2 ‘Resurrection’

“The need to express myself musically begins at the point when the gloomy feelings assert themselves.” (Gustav Mahler)

Mahler, who was of Jewish origin but converted to the Christian faith, always struggled with his religiousness. Death instilled fear in him and his spiritual conflicts were also expressed in his music. The Second Symphony was composed between 1887 and 1894, when the conductor Hans von Bülow died and Mahler attended his funeral. Here he had the idea to use Klopstock’s Ode The Resurrection for the finale of his symphony. Between Scherzo and Finale he set the folk poem Urlicht as solo for mezzo-soprano. The complete symphony was premiered in Berlin in 1895.