Fateful Hammer Blows

Gustav Mahler’s Sixth Symphony (composed in 1903–04) is often referred to as The Tragic. Mahler himself used the title for a time – at least around the first performances – but later withdrew it. Still, the name has stuck, not least due to the dark force that permeates the entire work. We encounter a Mahler who swings between the joy of life and catastrophe, between march-like determination and a sense of fateful resignation.