Waiting For the World to End

A Superconductor Editorial.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

The final conflagration at the end of the Met's new Ring Cycle.
Photo by Ken Howard © 2012 The Metropolitan Opera.

The Metropolitan Opera has announced the release date for its DVD and Blu-Ray sets of the company's Robert Lepage production of Der Ring des Nibelungen:

September 11, 2012.

The sets, which are re-packagings of the Met's Live in HD performances of Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried and Götterdämmerung, are scheduled for general release on the 11th anniversary of attacks on New York and Washington, DC that destroyed the World Trade Center and part of the Pentagon.

Free Mahler Concert Marks September 11

New York Philharmonic Announces Ticket Distribution Details for Free Concert

Alan Gilbert leads the New York Philharmonic.
Photo by Chris Lee © 2010 New York Philharmonic

Details are available for the New York Philharmonic's upcoming FREE concert in memory of the victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The concert, which takes place the day before the tenth anniversary of the attacks, will be held at Avery Fisher Hall on Sept. 10 at 7:30pm.

The program: Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2, subtitled the Resurrection. Philharmonic music director Alan Gilbert will conduct. Featured artists are soprano Dorothea Roschmann, mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung and the New York Choral Artists.


In a statement, Mr. Gilbert said:
"Mahler‘s Second Symphony, Resurrection, powerfully and profoundly explores the range of emotions provoked by the memories of 9/11. This great masterpiece has a very special place in the history and psyche of the New York Philharmonic, but its message of renewal and rebirth is universal. We offer it as a tribute to those lost ten years ago."

Tickets for the free concert will be distributed starting at 4pm at Josie Robertson Plaza at Lincoln Center on Saturday, September 10, the day of the concert. Tickets are first-come, first-serve with a ticket limit of two per person.

Additionally, the Philharmonic is offering priority ticket access to the families of 9/11 victims, first responders and survivors; members of this community may request a pair of tickets in advance by e-mailing concertfornewyork@nyphil.org by September 1, 2011.

Mahler's Resurrection Symphony has pride of place in the New York Philharmonic's history. Mahler himself served as music director of the orchestra from 1909-1911, and conducted the work (which requires a large orchestra and chorus in addition to vocal soloists) on several occasions during his tenure.

Leonard Bernstein, who did much to improve the stature of Mahler's music over the course of his long career, made the Resurrection a regular part of his repertory. He also recorded the work twice with the New York Philharmonic, once as part of a complete cycle of Mahler symphonies for CBS, and again for DG in 1987.

The concert will be broadcast on PBS on September 11 as part of the Great Performances series. A CD and DVD release is planned for October. The New York Philharmonic will also feature encore performances of the Resurrection Symphony as part of their regular subscription season. For more information and to order tickets, visit the orchestra's official website at NyPhil.Org.