Forces gather for symphonic epic

The Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra calls in musical reinforcements for its debut performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 6, to be performed on 20 August at the Auckland Town Hall as part of the APN News & Media Premier Series.

Mahler’s 6th Symphony remains one of the most colossal undertakings in the classical repertoire, requiring over 100 musicians to perform a symphony that clocks in at around 80 minutes. For the evening, the APO, with a regular ensemble of 68 players, will be augmented by its reserve ranks as well as colleagues from the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

Owing to its considerable scale, the Symphony – known as “The Tragic Symphony” for its portrait of deeply personal struggles, triumphs and crises – is the only work scheduled in the evening’s programme, which will be conducted by the APO’s Music Director, Eckehard Stier.

The brass section alone has nearly doubled in size with 9 French horns, 6 trumpets, and 4 trombones. The Symphony has an unusual percussion section, which includes among other things, 2 sets of cow bells.

Another of the Symphony’s highlights are Mahler’s the three ‘hammer strikes of Fate’. For the performance, the APO sourced a hammer measuring just over 1.5 metres, flown in especially from Australia.

“There are large orchestras, and then there are Mahler 6 orchestras,” says APO Manager of Artistic Planning, Antony Ernst. “It was a logistical challenge to be sure, but as audiences will discover, it’s worth every effort. An orchestra this size is not just about volume, it’s about the range of colour and expressivity that’s possible. Mahler 6 is a work which spans great intimate delicacy and almost cosmic grandeur.”

What: APN News & Media Premier Series: Mahler 6

When: Thursday 20 August, 8:00pm

Where: Auckland Town Hall, THE EDGE®

Tickets: www.buytickets.co.nz or 09 357 3355