At the heart of the symphonic season is Petr Popelka’s Mahler cycle – but there are plenty of surprises as well

The symphonic highlight of this season is the continuation of the Mahler cycle with chief conductor Petr Popelka. Only a few other composers capture the absurdity of modernity as emotionally and intelligently as the former director of the Vienna State Opera: music between tradition and innovation – the world as a sonorous fairground. Popelka will conduct Mahler’s 1st Symphony, which already challenged its contemporaries, as well as the 3rd Symphony and the 7th, the so-called Night Symphony.

In addition, the Wiener Symphoniker will journey eastward and, together with conductor Karina Canellakis, explore Antonín Dvořák’s symphonic poem Polednice (The Noon Witch) and Béla Bartók’s Concerto for Two Pianos with Lucas and Arthur Jussen.

Of course, the great repertoire classics are also on the program: former chief conductor Philippe Jordan will conduct Bruckner’s 4th Symphony, and principal guest conductor Marie Jacquot will lead Bruckner’s 7th Symphony. Petr Popelka will also take on Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, while Karina Canellakis, together with Leif Ove Andsnes, will interpret Johannes Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2. Richard Strauss is represented with Tod und Verklärung (Canellakis) and with the monumental metaphor of life, the Alpensymphonie (Popelka).

The lightness of being in the music of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy will be celebrated by Philippe Jordan and Jan Lisiecki in his 1st Piano Concerto, and by Marie Jacquot together with Bomsori in the Violin Concerto in E minor. Always a new discovery is Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln, the oratorio by Franz Schmidt premiered by the Wiener Symphoniker in 1938 – Fabio Luisi will offer a fresh interpretation.