Symphony No. 6 in A Minor

"…stupendous recording, many interesting insights." - Classic CD

"I can't tell you how impressed I am with Levi's conducting. One of the most striking achievements is the extent to which Mahler's every marking is loyally enacted."
- Bargain of the Month MusicWeb Dec 2004

Mahler composed his Symphony No. 6 in A Minor in 1904, and revised it several times. Divided into four movements, it was subtitled "Tragic" at its first performances, but the composer later discarded that appellation.

A highly emotional work, the symphony is noted for its ominous "hammer blows of fate" in the final movement, depicting, according to Mahler, the downfall of his hero, "who undergoes three strokes of destiny, the third of which fells him like a tree." In his final revision of the symphony, Mahler deleted the third hammer blow, leaving only the first two dramatic moments so accompanied.