RESURRECTION
I haven’t written a blog post since fall of 2023 when the KWS announced its bankruptcy and I have to be honest, it has been really hard these past few years. The musicians refused to give up on the orchestra and we were able to find a temporary home at the St Matthews Centre in Kitchener as the Centre in the Square’s fees were just too high for us. We are grateful to still have concerts at the St Matthews Centre, but I am beyond excited to get back to Centre in the Square to play Mahler Symphony No.2 “Resurrection” on November 20th.
For those of you who might not know, the Centre in the Square has one of the best acoustics for orchestral ensembles in the country. It was built in 1980 by Raffi Armenian, who was Music Director of the KWS then. He had a vision of KWS putting together full Wagnerian opera productions, which is why it has such a huge pit (the story goes around that a crew member at CITS once asked why there was so much storage under the stage… Safe to say it’s not being used like it was meant to).
To go even deeper into the importance a hall plays in the lives of orchestral musicians, I would explain it like the hall is our instrument. Playing in a great hall makes all the difference, and to a violinist Centre in the Square would be like playing a Strad or a Guarneri. There is not a bad seat in the house, but my personal favorite is the concertmaster one :).
So you can imagine what a thrill I get to be going back on stage with my colleagues of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony at Centre in the Square to bring Mahler Symphony no.2 “Resurrection” to life on November 20th. It is also a full circle moment for the orchestra as this was the very first piece of music to be performed by KWS at Centre in the Square on its opening night.
Mahler’s Symphony No.2 has five movements, and the following program was written by Mahler for a performance of his 2nd symphony that took place in Dresden 1901.
First Movement: Allegro maestoso
“We are standing near the grave of a well loved man. His whole life, his struggles, his sufferings and his accomplishments on earth pass before us. And now, in this solemn and deeply stirring moment, when the confusion and distractions of everyday life are lifted like a hood from our eyes, a voice of awe-inspiring solemnity chills our heart, a voice that, blinded by the mirage of everyday life, we usually ignore: “What next?” it says. “What is life and what is death? Will we live on eternally? Is it all an empty dream or do our life and death have a meaning?” And we must answer this question, if we are to go on living. The next three movements are conceived as intermezzi.”
Second Movement: Andante
"A blissful moment in the dear departed’s life and a sad recollection of his youth and lost innocence."
Third Movement: Scherzo
“A spirit of disbelief and negation has seized him. He is bewildered by the bustle of appearances and he loses his perception of childhood and the profound strength that love alone can give. He despairs both of himself and of God. The world and life begin to seem unreal. Utter disgust for every form of existence and evolution seizes him in an iron grasp, torments him until he utters a cry of despair.”
Fourth Movement: Alto solo. ‘Urlicht’ (Primeval Light) – from the Knaben Wunderhorn
The stirring words of simple faith sound in his ears: “I come from God and I will return to God!”
Fifth Movement: Aufersteh'n
Once more we must confront terrifying questions, and the atmosphere is the same as at the end of the third movement. The voice of the Caller is heard. The end of every living thing has come, the last judgment is at hand and the horror of the day of days has come upon us. The earth trembles, the graves burst open, the dead arise and march forth in endless procession. The great and the small of this earth, the kings and the beggars, the just and the godless all press forward. The cry for mercy and forgiveness sounds fearful in our ears. The wailing becomes gradually more terrible. Our senses desert us, all consciousness dies as the Eternal Judge approaches. The last trump sounds; the trumpets of the Apocalypse ring out. In the eerie silence that follows, we can just barely make out a distant nightingale, a last tremulous echo of earthly life. The gentle sound of a chorus of saints and heavenly hosts is then heard: “Rise again, yes, rise again thou wilt!” Then God in all His glory comes into sight. A wondrous light strikes us to the heart. All is quiet and blissful. Lo and behold: there is no judgment, no sinners, no just men, no great and no small; there is no punishment and no reward. A feeling of overwhelming love fills us with blissful knowledge and illuminates our existence.”
You really have to experience this monumental musical masterpiece in person to feel it to the fullest, so join us on November 20th at 7:30PM at Centre in the Square for what is sure to be an unforgettable evening.