Eastern Music Festival (EMF), Greensboro’s nationally recognized classical music festival and summer educational program presented on the campus of Guilford College, hosts a performance dedicated to the fifth symphonies of Ludwig van Beethoven and Gustav Mahler on Saturday, July 15 at 8:00 PM in Dana Auditorium at Guilford College.
Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 are two masterpieces renowned for their emotional depth and transformative power that captivates audiences and musicians alike. The Symphony No. 5 in C minor of Beethoven, Op. 67, was written between 1804 and 1808. It is one of the best-known compositions in classical music and one of the most frequently played symphonies. It is widely considered as one of the cornerstones of western music. Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 stands as a testament to his creative genius and emotional depth. Composed between 1901 and 1902, this monumental work is a journey through a myriad of emotions, traversing from sorrow to triumph.
Leading up to EMF’s “Mighty 5’s” performance, students and faculty at EMF were asked to share their memories of when they first heard these infamous melodies. Their reactions shed light on the enduring impact of these world-renowned composers and their music.
“My first time hearing Mahler 5 was in New Zealand in the winter of 1977,” said Grant Cooper, one of EMF’s resident conductors. “The New York Philharmonic was traveling to Sydney, Australia to play celebratory concerts for the opening season of the then brand-new Sydney Opera House. As a very young member of our local orchestra, I was allowed to be in the hall to hear the NYPO rehearse for their Auckland concert. The conductor was Leonard Bernstein and the repertoire? My very first-time hearing Mahler 5, with its spectacular trumpet part played equally spectacularly by Gerard Schwarz.”
After this encounter with Mahler, Gerard Schwarz, and Leonard Bernstein, Cooper was inspired to relocate to the United States, where he has lived ever since.
EMF’s Associate Dean of students, Gil Cruz reflected on the complex configurations of Mahler 5.
“It’s both humbling and inspiring. Mahler’s compositions are revered for their complexity and profound emotional impact,” said Cruz. “He opens the Fifth Symphony with a distinct trumpet call that everyone can recognize because it’s just so memorable and iconic.”
The first movement is a funeral march, the trumpet ushering in the sullen melody first heard in the violins and cellos. The trumpet fanfare and the first melody itself slowly evolve over the course of the movement and eventually turns into a radiant and ecstatic resolution.
From the mournful opening funeral march to the exuberant and joyful finale, Mahler weaves a tapestry of contrasting moods and musical motifs that captivate and enthrall. Symphony No. 5 represents a pinnacle of late-Romantic symphonic repertoire, its soaring melodies and sweeping orchestral forces resonating with audiences and musicians alike, ensuring its place among the most treasured compositions in the classical music canon.
Audiences are invited to witness this monumental concert on Saturday, July 15 at 8pm in Guilford Colleges’ Dana Auditorium. Tickets are available for purchase at easternmusicfestival.org.