Orquesta Nacional de España & David Afkham

Gustav Mahler’s symphonies have been likened to autonomous worlds, with a structure of their own and subject to internal processes. The Sixth is no exception. Although the nickname “Tragic” may be used less than in other cases, its relevance is, nevertheless, easy to understand.

The relentless rhythm of the opening chords seems to spell out the pressure of destiny, struggling to find consolation in an andante that exudes secular spirituality, a movement whose position in relation to the scherzo Mahler curiously altered. The symphony concludes with a sensational fourth movement, in which powerful sound effects lead up to the final climax of the allegro energico.