What is it about MahlerFest?
When I came to Boulder for my first festival in 2016, I really didn’t know what to expect. At the end, my wife asked “so, what is it like?” I thought for a moment, then said, “It’s fun… It’s like Disneyland for the mind.”
As I’ve settled in to my role here, I’ve come more and more to believe that my initial response to the MahlerFest experience was not only more-or-less correct, but it was also an important reminder of what we should strive for here. We want this festival to be fun. We want it to be playful, entertaining, uplifting, engaging, and welcoming. And we want it to appeal to everyone.
I hope that MahlerFest XXXII will be our liveliest festival yet. This year, we start our fourth complete cycle of Mahler symphonies with a performance of his groundbreaking Symphony no. 1. No other work in Mahler’s output had such a long and fascinating gestation, but when it finally reached its finished form…. Wow! It must be the most innovative and audacious first symphony ever written.
But even the greatest artists must stand on the shoulders of giants, so this year, we explore Mahler’s musical connection to his idol and inspiration, Ludwig van Beethoven, with performances of Mahler’s orchestrations of Beethoven’s “Serioso” Quartet and Leonore Overture no.3. We’ll also hear pianist David Korevaar tackle Franz Liszt’s ultra-virtuoso piano transcription of Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony, a work which helped inspire the magical opening of Mahler’s First.
And, just as Mahler looked to Beethoven, Brahms and Bruckner to help him find his voice, this year we embrace some of the music of great composers of the 20th Century who were particularly influenced by Mahler, including Korngold, Britten, Schoenberg, and Ullmann.
There are so many threads to explore, so many connections to discover. I hope you’ll join us for a week of music, fun and ideas. Come to our amusement park for the soul!
Ken
Kenneth Woods – Artistic Director
