Thomas Dausgaard took the helm of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, making its local debut at the Esplanade Concert Hall, with a recital of Mahler’s unfinished 10th Symphony. The Straits Times, who likened Dausgaard’s expressive movements to that of a “ballet”, described the performance as “brilliant”, “breathtaking” and “sublime”.
The 10th symphony, written during a time of emotional turmoil, was unfinished at the time of Mahler’s death in 1911. It wasn’t until 1964 that Deryck Cooke’s completed version of the symphony – the most widely performed version of Mahler’s 10th today – was premiered.