No other symphony by Gustav Mahler has been subject to such a wide palette of readings and interpretations as the Seventh Symphony, from a scholarly and theoretical standpoint as well as by musicians, conductors and orchestras. It has been described as a «manifestation of elated sensual pleasure, a great Gloria» (in the foreword to the Philharmonia pocket score) and as having a «wholeness and formal coherence» with «mostly folkloric, thus memorable, themes» (critic Ernst Rychnovsky after the premiere in Prague in 1908). It has been accused of «disjointedness» (musicologist Attila Csampai), and of being a «very problematic work» (Mahler pioneer and conductor Otto Klemperer).

Freedom, fraternity and humanity – this is what Beethoven’s 9th Symphony stands for. It opens the 10th Grafenegg Festival, performed by the Tonkunstler Orchestra, joined by 24 alumni of the European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO) and ‘a soloist quartet which no one could possibly imagine to be more prestigious’ (Die Presse). ‘Vogt’s tenor and the Wiener Singverein were especially moving’ (Wiener Zeitung) and ‘the vocal performance by excellent bass René Pape, the fabulous soprano Camilla Nylund and the brilliant mezzosoprano Elena Zhidkova… in Beethoven’s Ninth was just sensational. Bravo!’ (Kurier) Composer in Residence Christian Jost’s new work also centres around Beethoven, featuring the song An die Hoffnung (‘To Hope’), and ‘convincingly used an impressive orchestra’ (Der Standard), with ‘tenor Klaus Florian Vogt as a well-cast soloist’ (Salzburger Nachrichten).