Iceland Symphony Orchestra

PROGRAM

Anna Þorvaldsdóttir ax

Gustav Mahler Symphony no 9
CONDUCTOR

Eva Ollikainen

Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 9 is a monumental work in every sense of the word. Taking about 90 minutes in performance, it requires a very large symphony orchestra, making full use of the entire orchestral spectrum. This final symphony Mahler completed in his lifetime is a work of grand and profound emotions as well as large-scale formal innovations, a truly majestic farewell to the world. In the words of Herbert von Karajan, “it is music coming from another world, it is coming from eternity”.

Anna Þorvaldsdóttir's work "ax" is an orchestral piece derived from her composition "METAXIS," which premiered in the atrium of Harpa at the Reykjavik Arts Festival in spring 2024. "METAXIS" was composed for a "scattered orchestra and space," where the spacious foyer of Harpa connected separate groups of instrumentalists each playing in their respective corners. Now, Anna has distilled this work into the orchestral piece "ax," to be enjoyed in Eldborg in traditional concert form.