The theme of this concert is "Childhood", which is closely related to Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 4. This work takes the audience's perspective to the childhood world that Mahler longed for. In addition, there will be two new works by Li Zhenyan and Sasha Scott commissioned by the Beijing Music Festival, based on the theme of the fourth movement of Mahler's Symphony No. 4, "Youth's Magic Horn", engaging in a dialogue with Mahler across a century.

This concert will perform Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 4, adapted by John Warner, connecting the innocent imagination of children with a beautiful life, reflecting the endless musical thoughts that still float in Mahler's profound and vast spiritual ocean.

At the same time, this concert will perform two new commissioned works created by two young composers based on the theme of Mahler's Symphony No. 4, in line with Mahler's memories and reproductions of childhood in his music. Li Zhenyan's work "Prayer" adds falsetto to enrich the presentation of the theme. The work begins from a child's perspective, describing his love for various birds to us, from rich language to single words, and finally to silence. This is a process reflected in the natural world, reflecting the monotony and singularity of modern life ecology, just like the gradual extinction of species in the natural world, and the wildness and diversity of the natural world are gradually disappearing. Sasha Scott's "Utopia Twists" looks at the world through a childlike lens, intertwining magic and fantasy. The surrounding environment looks extraordinary, contrasting with a darker, more unsettling, and more realistic perspective of an adult, making this work imitate a constantly changing and deforming scene, juxtaposing ethereal and heavenly soundscapes with distorted and consumed segments, depicting a harsh reality.

Performance Information

Time: Tuesday, October 10th, 7:30 pm

Venue: Beijing Poly Theater

Falsetto: Liu Shen

Soprano: Gabriella Noble

Mahler Foundation Festival Orchestra

Conductor: John Warner

Composers: Li Zhenyan, Sasha Scott