"Mahler's 'Resurrection' Is Like a Vitamin"... Simon Rattle Returns to Korea After Two Years

Decided to become a conductor after hearing Mahler's "Resurrection" at age 11
Returns to Korea with the BRSO for the first time in two years, performing Nov. 12-13
"Korean audiences understand music deeply and respond with great feeling"

Maestro Simon Rattle, who led the world-renowned Berlin Philharmonic for 16 years, went on to the London Symphony Orchestra and now conducts the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BRSO). He decided to become a conductor at the age of 11, after hearing Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2, "Resurrection."

On November 13, Rattle will perform "Resurrection" with the BRSO, the work that set him on the path to becoming a conductor. At a press conference held at Rode Art Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on November 11, Rattle said, "Mahler's Symphony No. 2 has always been a source of energy and inspiration for me. It still fills me with wonder, and I would gladly spend my whole life grappling with it and making music."

Rattle has returned to Korea with the BRSO for the first time in two years, following their 2024 collaboration with pianist Cho Seongjin. The orchestra will perform over two days, November 12 and 13. On the first day, it will perform Schubert's Symphony No. 9, "The Great," and Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring"; on the second, it will perform Mahler's "Resurrection."

Simon Rattle, chief conductor of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, answers questions at a press conference held at Rode Art Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 11th. Vincero.

"Resurrection" is a monumental work addressing fundamental questions of human existence, including life, death, and resurrection. The performance will feature British soprano Lucy Crowe, Scottish mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill, the National Chorus of Korea, and the Seoul Motet Choir.

"When performing Mahler's works, you have to embrace his entire musical world," Rattle emphasized. "You have to take in not only the beauty in the music but also its bizarre and strange aspects, and bring them together into a single structure." He added, "The BRSO was the first German orchestra to record all of Mahler's symphonies with Rafael Kubelik. It is a truly precious orchestra because it can encompass both the strangeness and the beauty of Mahler's music."

The November 12 concert stands out for presenting two works with very different historical backgrounds and musical character on the same stage. Of the concerts on this Asian tour, which includes Korea, Taiwan, and Japan, the Korean performance is the only one to feature both works.

"At first, I had never imagined putting works by Schubert and Stravinsky together in one concert," Rattle said. "But when I thought about it, I felt it could make for a very interesting combination."

He identified "death" as one of the themes running through both works. In "The Rite of Spring," a maiden chosen as a sacrificial offering dances until she dies. He explained that Schubert's "The Great" also evokes, in its slow movement, the profound despair of the song cycle "Winterreise" and an atmosphere of moving toward death.

"By the end, it's hard to tell whether Schubert is dancing with joy or dancing joyfully toward hell," Rattle added.

Rattle has served as the BRSO's chief conductor since the 2023-24 season and recently extended his contract through 2033. He expressed great satisfaction with his musical rapport with the orchestra, saying, "I'm so happy with this orchestra that I can't imagine wanting to go to any other."

He emphasized that few orchestras have the potential to perform such a broad repertoire, from early music to contemporary works, as the BRSO does.

Since taking up his post, Rattle has broadened the orchestra's musical scope, including by founding the period-instrument ensemble "BRSO Baroque Orchestra." He has also continued to explore contemporary music through the modern music series "Musica Viva."

"This season, we began with one of Bach's major cantatas performed on period instruments, followed by a concert performed on modern instruments," he said, adding that he plans to expand performances using both period and modern instruments. "The work of exploring early music doesn't influence only Baroque music or the works of Haydn and Mozart. When you perform a lot of Bach, it significantly changes how an orchestra understands and approaches works by Schumann or Bruckner as well," he emphasized.

The BRSO is one of Germany's leading symphony orchestras, founded in 1949 by Eugen Jochum. World-renowned conductors including Rafael Kubelik, Colin Davis, Lorin Maazel, and Mariss Jansons have served as its chief conductors. Rattle led the Berlin Philharmonic as chief conductor from 2002 to 2018 and served as music director of the London Symphony Orchestra from 2017 to 2023 before taking the helm of the BRSO.

Rattle also expressed a particular fondness for Korean audiences. "I can say without hesitation that Korean audiences are among the finest," he said, praising their deep understanding of music and exceptionally rich responses. He added, "I get the sense that they do more than simply sit quietly after a performance; they truly understand the music. Even the sound of Korean audiences breathing feels special to me."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.