Ensemble Jupiter: 22nd Annual Concert

Beethoven and Mahler. We connect the works of these two composers—who lived in different eras and faced different circumstances—through the common thread of having been composed in the midst of profound despair.

The first half features Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 2.” This work was completed in the year he penned the “Heiligenstadt Testament,” as his hearing loss progressed. To those familiar with the anguish expressed in the testament, the brightness of this D major symphony and its bold, forward momentum resonate with an almost unbelievable radiance.

The second half features two fragments left behind by Mahler.
The “Symphonic Poem ‘Funeral’” is the prototype that would later be reborn as the first movement of “Symphony No. 2 ‘Resurrection’”; however, at this stage, the path to a hymn of resurrection is not yet in sight. It is a poignant snapshot of his youth, filled with the wailing of C minor.
And then, the first movement, “Adagio,” from the unfinished “Symphony No. 10.” Betrayal by his beloved wife Alma, the worsening of his heart condition—written amidst the collapse of his personal life, it is truly a “last will and testament.” The screeching dissonance that tears through the void is eventually unraveled and melts into a soft light. Beyond despair, a ray of peace shines through—yet this is the only movement Mahler ever managed to complete. It closes while gently leaving behind the lingering resonance of the music that was meant to follow.

A Classical-era symphony that refined its balanced beauty without revealing a shred of the composer’s despair, and a fragment from the late Romantic period that etches that very despair directly into the music.
We look forward to welcoming you with these three pieces, woven from rich resonance and deep contemplation.