Gurrelieder’s lush Romantic atmosphere, hyper-emotional language, endless melody, and sprawling scale bring to mind names like Wagner or Mahler. Arnold Schoenberg composed the cantata as a monument to late Romanticism before landing on his expressionist style that helped set off a musical revolution in the 20th century. Gurrelieder’s massive scale—calling for five soloists, multiple choirs, a narrator, and gargantuan orchestra—has made it a rarely performed but beloved masterpiece.

Equally rare are conductors who know how to navigate the piece, and LA Phil Conductor Emeritus Zubin Mehta is an expert in revealing the operatic emotion and architecture of Gurrelieder having conducted the LA Phil premiere, recording it multiple times, and choosing it for his final concert as NY Phil Music Director. Don’t miss this special opportunity to experience Mehta return to one of his signature pieces with the epic and poetic Gurrelieder.

Fri Dec 13, 8pm

Sun Dec 15, 2pm