Mahler: Symphony No. 7
The Seventh exudes, from its very first movement, the scent of a waking dream, before the two ‘Musiques de la nuit’ draw us into a sort of magical realism through their heady timbres. As a great lyrical conductor, Bychkov could not fail to deliver the ‘Symphony of a Thousand’, which he imbues with an unquenchable vitality without ever overwhelming the sound, even in the colossal ‘Veni, creator’. The soloists and choirs serve this tremendously inspiring vision flawlessly; it will remain one of the cycle’s greatest achievements.
Musikzen, 14 April 2026
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
Semyon Bychkov, conductor
Czech Philharmonic & Semyon Bychkov present Symphony No. 7 in E minor (1904–05), a work of striking contrasts and dissonances. Eerie nocturnes, a central dance on the edge of madness, and an Orphean descent into the most extreme sonorities create a journey of compelling intensity. The Finale, in C major, appears to strive for simplicity, with echoes of Wagner’s Meistersinger and even Beethoven’s Seventh. Yet beneath its determined optimism, transforming Don Giovanni’s serenade into a jubilant conclusion, an underlying ambiguity remains, its final cadence leaving more questions than answers.
TRACK LISTING
Mahler: Symphony No. 7
I. Langsam – Etwas weniger langsam – Nicht schleppen – Allegro con fuoco
II. Nachtmusik. Allegro moderato
III. Scherzo. Schattenhaft
IV. Nachtmusik. Andante amoroso
V. Rondo – Finale. Allegro ordinario