Kansas City Symphony: Matthias Pintscher & Joyce DiDonato - Mahler's Symphony No. 1

Kansas City Symphony: Matthias Pintscher & Joyce DiDonato - Mahler's Symphony No. 1 at Helzberg Hall - Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

A great orchestra can make Mahler sound like the most natural thing in the world. The Kansas City Symphony closes its Classical Series on June 4 at Helzberg Hall in Kansas City, Missouri, with Matthias Pintscher conducting an evening of song and symphonic drama.

The evening starts with Olga Neuwirth's Dreydl, then shifts inward for Mahler's Rückert-Lieder. Joyce DiDonato sings these intimate, introspective songs, giving the whole program a personal vocal heart. Neuwirth's opening work and Mahler's symphony frame a song cycle that changes the scale of the evening.

Then comes the main event: Mahler's Symphony No. 1, Titan. It's a strange, thrilling journey. Nature imagery opens the piece, then earthy dance arrives. A funeral march twists Frère Jacques into a minor-key procession. Czech folk-band color adds something almost grotesque. The finale throws all restraint aside and surges toward triumph. From minor-key nursery tune to triumphant finish, this symphony never stays in one mood for long.

The contrast is the pleasure: DiDonato's introspective songs and Mahler's unpredictable symphony invite different kinds of attention, each leaving its mark on the evening. Pintscher conducts a Classical Series finale that makes room for both personal reflection and startling symphonic turns, with Neuwirth's Dreydl opening the program.

Joyce DiDonato's songs and Mahler's symphonic drama shape the June 4 Classical Series finale; get tickets to hear both.