Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia

Tragedy and rapture are the essence of Mahler’s Sixth Symphony. The storm-tossed finale’s three titanic hammer blows presaged personal tragedies in Mahler’s life, including his own mortal illness. Superstitious, he removed the third blow. But the symphony overflows with life-affirming joys as well, from peaceful memories of mountain pastures—listen for the cowbells—to the ecstatic portrait of his wife, Alma, that fills the first movement.

Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto is one of his most beloved works, a masterpiece enriched by beautiful melodies and devilishly virtuosic passages. Gil Shaham, called “the outstanding American violinist of his generation” (TIME) is the soloist in this work that is a cornerstone of his career.

The Cleveland Orchestra

Please note that Thomas Hampson has withdrawn from this concert due to illness. Bass-baritone Christian Van Horn has graciously agreed to perform in his place.

A chorus sings of the pleasures of wine, a winter storm blows, the sun rises gloriously, and a farmer and his beloved declare their love. Haydn’s oratorio The Seasons is a masterpiece of text wed to music with expressive arias for soloists and robust choruses. In a series of brilliantly vivid tableaux, Haydn depicts pastoral pleasures, including a rousing spinning song and an autumn hunt—with horns quoting actual hunting calls—and more.

Boston Symphony Orchestra

A gaunt man in homemade armor tilts at a windmill, battles a flock of sheep, and dreams of love. Yo-Yo Ma’s cello takes on the “role” of the hapless Don Quixote in Strauss’s magnificent tone poem. The tale’s escapades are presented in brilliant orchestral colors, including that flock of combative sheep bleating with fluttering brass. Before the Don saddles his aged, wayward steed, there’s the sturm und drang of a youthful Mozart symphony and a new work by Jörg Widmann.