Renowned soprano Jessye Norman performs Mahler’s Rückert-Lieder, a pensive set of orchestral songs meditating on love and death — perhaps Mahler’s favorite themes. Then she joins Zubin Mehta and the Orchestra in Wagner’s ecstatic aria of fatal love.

MAHLER (1860 –1911)
Five Late Songs to Poems ...

In his penultimate symphony, in the despairing key of G minor, Mozart descends to great depths for profound emotional impact.

MOZART (1756–91)
Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K.550 (1788)
1. Molto allegro
2. Andante
3. Menuetto
4. Allegro assai

Emanuel Ax solos in Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto — a work of spirit and elegance. Kurt Masur, the Philharmonic’s Music Director at the time, conducts this 1994 performance.

BEETHOVEN (1770–1827)
Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15 (ca. 1795 / 1800)
1. Allegro con brio
2. Largo
3. R...

Legendary cellist Mstislav Rostropovich performs Dvořák’s powerful Cello Concerto, written during the Czech composer’s time in New York City.

DVOŘÁK (1841–1904)
Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104 (1894–95)
1. Allegro
2. Adagio, ma non troppo
3. Finale: Allegro moderato

Sir James Galway solos in Jacques Ibert’s sunny, spirited Flute Concerto. This 2008 performance is conducted by then Music Director Lorin Maazel.

IBERT (1890–1962)
Concerto for Flute and Orchestra (1932–33)
1. Allegro
2. Andante
3. Allegro scherzando