Eckart Preu, Conductor
Magnificent Mozart & Mahler
Jun 06, 2026 7:30 PM
| Mozart | Eine Kleine Nachtmusik |
| Mahler | Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor |
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In Eckart’s words:
We begin our final concert of the season with one of Mozart’s best-known and most beloved works: Eine kleine Nachtmusik (or A Little Night Music) and like most of Mozart’s works, it sounds so simple and completely belies the composer’s sophistication. We actually don’t know for sure why Mozart composed this piece. He rarely composed without a specific purpose or commission. And there’s no mention of this work in his letters or those of his contemporaries. All we know is that he finished it when he was 31 years old in Vienna—the same year he wrote his opera Don Giovanni. Maybe it was one of several works written for a friend of his, Gottfried von Jacquin, in Vienna. Jacquin’s sister, Franziska, was a pupil of Mozart, and together, they met as a group at Jacquin’s home for what they called “discussions, games, and merrymaking.” Mozart actually wrote several works for the Jacquin household, and A Little Night Music may well have been one of them. And maybe it’s an example of party music—who knows? In any case, it is great music, lots of fun to play and to listen to.
In the second half, we will end our season with a bang—with one of the greatest symphonies of the 20th century: Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5. Mahler was an incredibly busy conductor, and the only time he had to compose was during his summer breaks. Just like Brahms, Mahler usually spent his summers somewhere in the Austrian mountains, or maybe in the mountains of northern Italy. He actually built a house in Maiernigg on Lake Wörthersee in Austria and composed there. It was a special hut, away from the house and everything else—his composing hut. He needed solitude, and like Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, Mahler took long walks. At the time, Mahler studied polyphonic motets by Bach and songs by Schumann, and we can hear both of these influences in his Fifth Symphony. Mahler became really obsessed with polyphony after studying Bach, and we can hear that in the third and fifth movements of the symphony. His study of Schumann’s songs may well have inspired the famous fourth movement, the Adagietto, which we all know from Visconti’s movie Death in Venice.
We can also hear the influence of Anton Bruckner—in the big chorale at the end of the second movement and at the end of the fifth movement. The sounds of Vienna play a big role in Mahler’s music, especially the music of Johann Strauss—the waltz, the lightness, the dance. And very importantly, Mahler was inspired by military music. In his childhood, Mahler spent 15 years in Iglau, where his parents and siblings lived just a few steps away from the town’s main square. There, he was able to watch the performances of the military band, and those military sounds were incredibly important to his music—his music is infused with marching band rhythms of all sorts. All of these elements, and so much more, can be heard in Mahler’s music. The emotional range of this symphony is incredible—from the most tender moments to violent outbursts, from frivolous happiness to tender intimacy, mourning wailing, threatening sounds and defiance. There are often very sudden, almost jarring changes without warning. The emotions sometimes seem in disarray, chaotic, disoriented, even neurotic. In the end, this symphony is a journey from darkness to light.
It opens with a gigantic funeral march and ends in the finale with music that is full of joy—perhaps an experience of redemption, triumph, and victory. It’s a fantastic symphony that reflects the struggle of the individual—Mahler himself—and the universal struggle for happiness, love, and humanism, in general.
Audiences will enjoy the Classical Series fun and elegant evening surrounded by the Terrace Theater’s dazzling fountains and fire pits, prelude ensemble in the lobby, 6:30 PM Pre-Concert Talk to gain greater knowledge regarding the evening programming, and the ability to “Sip & Enjoy” in the concert hall. Doors open at 6PM.
Eckart Preu, Conductor
Eckart Preu (Eck-art Proy) began his tenure as Music Director of Long Beach Symphony in 2017. Critics, the orchestra, and audiences alike have celebrated his ability to combine well-loved masterworks with rare or newer works in programs offering dimension, sophistication, and spirit. Preu also currently serves as …
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