Symphonic Cycle of the Orchestra of the Gran Teatre del Liceu
"It is music that comes from another world; it comes from Eternity."
Herbert von Karajan
Maestro Josep Pons, leading the theater’s orchestra, will unveil the mysteries of Gustav Mahler’s final symphony (Kaliste, Bohemia, 1860 - Vienna, 1911): the Ninth. Premiered posthumously, it captures the essence of the world—from haunting subtlety to the most expansive eloquence. A wonderful opportunity to be captivated by a great Mahlerian like Pons.
Gustav Mahler was deeply aware of death while composing his Symphony No. 9: his four-year-old daughter, Maria, had passed away in 1907, and he could not even bear to mention her name. The family decided to move to Toblach (Tyrol, on the Austro-Italian border) in search of a new place to spend their summer holidays, fleeing painful memories. It was precisely there that he composed Das Lied von der Erde (1908), the Ninth Symphony (1909), and fragments of the Tenth (1910).
That same year, he was diagnosed with a heart condition that would lead to his death four years later. He could no longer walk or exert himself physically in the mountains, nor enjoy nature as he once had. This frustration led him to isolate himself in his composition cabin, and with growing pessimism about a life that was nearing its end, he began writing the Ninth Symphony. This symphony, therefore, is marked by his preoccupation with death and a general sense of despair about life.
Alban Berg wrote to his wife in 1912: “The first movement is the greatest Mahler ever composed. It is the expression of a profound love for this earth, the longing to live in it peacefully and to enjoy nature in its deepest essence—before death arrives. Because death is inevitable. This entire movement is dominated by the premonition of death (...). It is the culmination of everything on earth and of dreams.”
Gustav Mahler is one of the composers who best captures the anxieties of today’s society. In a way, each of his nine symphonies contains a truly awe-inspiring world of its own.
Dates and tickets
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Buy the combined ticket for Univers Mahler - Symphony No. 9 and Symphony No. 8 and enjoy a 10% discount off the individual price.
Fitxa artística
- Symphony Orchestra of the Gran Teatre del Liceu
- Conductor
- Josep Pons
Hand program
Hand program
Ciutat de Clàssica
Each season, Barcelona hosts more than 1,100 concerts and operas performed by the most important international conductors, orchestras, singers, and soloists, in the three great temples of classical music in Barcelona: the Gran Teatre del Liceu, the Palau de la Música Catalana, and L’Auditori de Barcelona.
The concert Univers Mahler: Symphony No. 9 by Gustav Mahler is part of the Ciutat de Clàssica 2026 programme.
