Mahler & Strauss
Sunday, May 19, 2024 | 3:30 PM | $5-$85
Pre-concert discussion at 2:30 PM
Stan Ruttenberg Memorial Concert
Macky Auditorium, 1595 Pleasant Street, Boulder
Photo by Glenn Ross
- WAGNER | Prelude to Die Meistersinger, WWV 96
- STRAUSS | Metamorphosen
- MAHLER | Symphony No. 4 in G Major
Kenneth Woods, conductor
April Fredrick, soprano
MahlerFest Orchestra
Strauss composed his piece for 23 solo string players in 1944-45, when it was clear Germany would lose the war. It is a meditation on the end of the tradition that begins with Mozart and Beethoven, reached its summit in Mahler, and then descends into the darkness of Metamorphosen.
Mahler’s Fourth Symphony may be his most intimate and personal work. It is the shortest of his symphonies and calls for the smallest orchestra (if you like the big stuff, come hear An Alpine Symphony on Saturday night. We promise a few surprises in the orchestration that night!). It is as if Mahler is drawing you into the most personal and vulnerable corners of his inner world.
Soprano April Fredrick, a MahlerFest favorite who can be seen in last year’s performance of Symphony No. 2, will join Kenneth Woods and the MahlerFest Orchestra for this finale performance of the season.
What to Expect
Macky Auditorium is a very cool building. Its history begins with Andrew J. Macky, a Boulder pioneer, gold rush settler, carpenter, and founding director of the First National Bank of Boulder. A primary figure in Boulder’s history until his death in 1907, Macky bequeathed $300,000 to the University for an auditorium. It took 13 years to build, delayed due to legal issues, and was completed in 1922. Since then, it has been home to everything from commencement ceremonies to the Conference on World Affairs and music from the Boulder Philharmonic and Yo-Yo Ma to Chick Corea and Trey Anastasio.
Parking can be difficult so we’ll let the Unviversity tell you about it here: https://www.colorado.edu/macky/your-visit/parking.
Unless you approach it from the quad, you will most likely walk up the hill from the back side. You will need to walk around the front to the rather grand entrance. There is a small outer lobby where you can purchase tickets if you still need them. The inner lobby is warm and spacious and opens into the main hall which is large and beautiful. It’s truly a magnificent place to see and hear a concert.
Photo by Glenn Ross
For this performance there will be no seating in the balcony. There are three seating areas – Gold Circle, Orchestra 1, and Orchestra 2 – but within each section, seating is general admission. We’ll open the doors at about 6 pm for the pre-concert discussion. Come early to get the best seats, though there aren’t any bad ones. This is Boulder so feel free to dress up or attend in casual attire.
Return to the MahlerFest 37 homepage.