The Cleveland Orchestra

“It is music coming from another world—it’s coming from eternity,” said conductor Herbert von Karajan of Mahler’s Ninth Symphony. The composer's hallmarks are all present in his final completed work: sweeping breadth, profound emotion, a rustic dance, and unchecked ferocity. The ethereal finale is a serene farewell that sets grief, bitterness, and regret aside as it achieves transcendence.

The MET Orchestra

Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 is an elegant work with an abundance of beautiful melodies that also shows a fascination with all things Turkish, including a section where cellos and basses slap the wooden side of their bows on the strings to create an exotic percussive sound. Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 has its own share of melodic splendor, particularly in the fourth-movement Adagietto—the gorgeous love letter he wrote to his wife, featuring strings and harp. The symphony is also dramatic with a powerful opening Funeral March and roof-raising jubilant finale.