To wind up its series of Mahler concerts that has carried through three seasons, the China Philharmonic Orchestra will play Mahler's Tenth Symphony.
Under the baton of Polish conductor Jacek Kaspszyk, the performance will mark the China debut of the work which has come to be known as Mahler's Unfinished Symphony. The concert will be held on Saturday night at the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing.
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) was still working on his 10th symphony in 1911 when he died.
The British musicologist Deryck Cooke (1919-1975) is well-known for his work in producing a performance version of the symphony from the sketches left by Mahler.
After a long process of work he produced first a radio feature containing a partial version of the work and then a complete performing edition that was premiered at the Royal Albert Hall in 1964.
In the 2002 Beijing Music Festival, the Polish conductor Kaspszyk thrilled Chinese classical music fans when he conducted the Teatr Wielki -- the National Opera in Warsaw -- in a performance of Verdi's Nabucco. He was appointed Artistic and Music Director of the Teatr Wielki in 1998.
This will be the second time for him to work with the China Philarhomonic Orchestra.
(China Daily June 11, 2004)