Mahler’s Symphony No.1
Municipal House, Monday 22 February 2027 at 7.30 p.m.
Elias Grandy – conductor
Paula Murrihy – mezzo-soprano
Bohuslav Martinů: Nipponari, symphonic fantasy (22′)
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 1 in D major (53′)
A musical evening bringing together the imaginative sound world of the young Bohuslav Martinů and the expansive symphonic vision of Gustav Mahler.
Symphony must be like the world. It must embrace everything.
Gustav Mahler
The symphonic fantasy Nipponari was written in 1912, at a time when Europe was fascinated by Japanese art. In this work, Martinů responds to short Japanese poems, creating music rich in delicate colours, unusual rhythms, and subtle moods poised between impressionism and a symbolist atmosphere. The mezzo-soprano voice does not act as a traditional narrator, but becomes part of the orchestra – another colour within the shifting sound palette. The vocal part will be sung by the Irish mezzo-soprano Paula Murrihy.
Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in D major is a work in which the composer’s distinctive symphonic language already begins to emerge clearly. From the quiet “awakening” of nature in the opening, music grows, moving between lyricism, irony, and dramatic contrasts. The third movement introduces an unexpected funeral march based on the familiar melody of the children’s song Frère Jacques, which Mahler presents in a minor key and in the dark colouring of a solo double bass.
Elias Grandy
is a German-Japanese conductor born in Munich. He studied cello, music theory, and chamber music in Munich and Basel, before going on to study conducting at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin. He began his career as Kapellmeister at the State Theatre in Darmstadt, and in 2015 was recognised at the Sir Georg Solti International Conductors’ Competition. From 2015 to 2023, he served as music director of the theatre and orchestra in Heidelberg, and since 2025 he has been chief conductor of the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra in Japan.
The Irish mezzo-soprano Paula Murrihy
is among the most sought-after singers of her generation. Her repertoire ranges from Baroque music to contemporary works, and audiences know her from appearances at the Vienna State Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, and the Glyndebourne Festival.
Come and experience an evening in which the delicate exotic inspiration of Bohuslav Martinů meets Mahler’s symphony – music capable of embracing the full world of human emotion and imagination.
The concert will be broadcast live on Czech Radio Vltava:
Ticket prices range from 180 to 1,100 CZK
