Fulham Symphony Orchestra Return to Town Hall on Saturday

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With over 90 musicians performing Gustav Mahler's Ninth Symphony

Fulham Symphony Orchestra return to Hammersmith Town Hall on Saturday 18 March to perform Austrian composer Gustav Mahler’s legendary ninth symphony.

The local orchestra will swell its ranks to more than 90 musicians for the occasion.

The symphony, which Mahler worked on shortly after his young daughter’s death and was completed around 1908 to 1909 – requires a large orchestra, as it includes expanded woodwind sections, as well as passages for solo piccolo, flute, horn, oboe and cellos.

This means the event is set to be "an overwhelming experience", according the FSO’s conductor Marc Dooley. "This was the last piece Mahler completed and it is very concerned with human experience as he understood it at that point," he said.

"It is imbued with an incredible love for life, and a desire to live life to the fullest, but in the knowledge that life brings hardship and toil."

Although the FSO has previously performed other Mahler works since it was founded in 1958, this will be its first showcase of this particular symphony.

"It is seen as one of the big highpoints of symphonic music and it is a good time for us to approach it,” added Mr Dooley.

"What is wonderful about Mahler’s music is the way you get the overwhelming experience of an enormous orchestra playing together, as well as moments of incredible intimacy and delicacy where he uses solo instruments almost like chamber music – but because he has all these instruments available it is always surprising what new colours he can think of."

The concert starts at 7.30pm on Saturday. Tickets are £12 (£8 concs). You can book online at
WeGotTickets or visit Fulham Symphony Orchestra's website for more details.

March 16, 2017