Nagano Conducts Mahler's Resurrection Symphony
The Philharmonia Orchestra invites you into Gustav Mahler’s world – a world saturated with orchestral colour, and a journey leading to redemption.
Since it was founded in 1945, the Philharmonia has given many outstanding performances of Mahler’s epic, all-embracing symphonies.
In the orchestra’s 80th anniversary season, ‘superb’ (Opera Now) conductor Kent Nagano takes to the podium for the great Resurrection Symphony, scored for a large orchestra, two solo singers and chorus.
In his own programme notes for the symphony’s premiere, Mahler describes the work’s rollercoaster of an emotional journey: the first movement represents a funeral. Then come movements depicting happy memories, followed by the fear that life may have no meaning at all.
But reassurance comes from the soprano who sings, ‘I come from God, and to God I shall return.’ In the monumental finale, soloists and chorus affirm ‘O believe, you were not born for nothing!’
Nagano has chosen to preface Mahler’s deeply spiritual work with a chant by the medieval abbess and visionary Hildegard of Bingen. Composed around 750 years before Mahler’s symphony, it sings the same song of faith and redemption.
Performers
Philharmonia Orchestra
Kent Nagano conductor
Jane Archibald soprano
Christina Bock mezzo-soprano
Philharmonia Chorus
Repertoire
Hildegard of Bingen: O vis eternitatis
Mahler: Symphony No.2 (Resurrection)
Need to know
St John’s Waterloo at 6pm: Philharmonia Debates… Music & Belief. Does a composer need to be a believer to write great religious music? How do we engage with music that expresses beliefs different to our own? Come and join the conversation. Free, but ticketed.
Book through the Philharmonia’s website
Box package
You can buy an exclusive box package for this event. More details of our Royal Festival Hall exclusive box package.
For your visit
This event is held at the Royal Festival Hall Southbank Centre
The Royal Festival Hall is open six days a week.
Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 11pm
Monday, closed.
Plan your visit
The Royal Festival Hall is home to our largest auditorium as well as The Clore Ballroom, National Poetry Library, Members’ Lounge, Festival Bar & Kitchen, Ballroom Cafe and Skylon restaurant.
Getting here
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
We’re cash-free
Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.
Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Food & drink
On Level 2 of our Royal Festival Hall you can grab a slice of life by the Thames with drinks and freshly made pizza at our Festival Bar & Kitchen which opens out onto our Riverside Terrace. You can grab a coffee and a slice of freshly made cake from our Ballroom Cafe. Or alternatively enjoy destination dining in the restaurant at Skylon.
From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.