On the podium of the Sala Mehta, conducting the Orchestra del Maggio, maestro Emmanuel Tjeknavorian leads Franz Joseph Haydn’s “Symphony in B-flat major Hob. I:68”, never before performed during the Maggio seasons, and Gustav Mahler’s “Symphony No. 5”.

Florence, May 15, 2026 – While performances of Un ballo in maschera, conducted by him, continue in the Main Hall of the Theatre, maestro Emmanuel Tjeknavorian takes the podium of the Sala Zubin Mehta, at the head of the Orchestra del Maggio, for a symphonic concert as part of the 88th Festival del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. The concert, scheduled for Saturday, May 16 at 6 p.m., opens with Franz Joseph Haydn’s “Symphony in B-flat major Hob. I:68”, never before performed during the seasons of the Teatro del Maggio: it was most likely composed between 1774 and 1775, during his long service at the Esterházy court, one of the oldest Hungarian noble families. At the time, the composer had by then consolidated his own symphonic language characterized by distinctive traits that can also be found in this symphony: from the attention devoted to the winds, no longer treated as mere accompaniment but placed in dialogue with the strings, to the theatrical effects scattered throughout the movements, playing with the listener’s expectations. This is followed by the celebrated “Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor” by Gustav Mahler: a work of Mahler’s full maturity, it stands midway between the early symphonies, linked to the fairy-tale world of Des Knaben Wunderhorn, and the later works, marked by the intimate lyricism and mournful atmospheres of the lieder on poems by Friedrich Rückert. Mahler began composing the Symphony No. 5 in 1901, a painful year in which the composer, struck by a hemorrhage, came close to death. The five movements of the symphony form three large sections, recognizable through thematic and expressive affinities.

The concert:

Franz Joseph Haydn

Symphony in B-flat major Hob. I:68

Haydn composed Symphony No. 68 in B-flat major most likely between 1774 and 1775, during his long service at the Esterházy court. At the time, the composer had by then consolidated his own symphonic language characterized by distinctive traits that can also be found in this symphony: from the attention devoted to the winds, no longer treated as mere accompaniment but placed in dialogue with the strings, to the theatrical effects scattered throughout the movements, playing with the listener’s expectations. While the first movement opens with a brilliant theme, characterized by a dotted rhythm full of momentum that expands and is enriched by sudden dynamic contrasts, the subsequent inversion of the central movements, with the Minuet in second position rather than third, creates an inevitable surprise effect, altering the traditional formal balance of the symphony. The Adagio, here in third position, is characterized by a graceful serenade intoned by the first violins over the ticking accompaniment of the second violins, while the final Presto is a brilliant rondo with three episodes rich in irony.

Gustav Mahler

Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor

A purely instrumental symphony, the Fifth is a work of Mahler’s full maturity and stands midway between the early symphonies, linked to the fairy-tale world of Des Knaben Wunderhorn, and the later works, marked by the intimate lyricism and mournful atmospheres of the lieder on poems by Friedrich Rückert. Mahler began composing Symphony No. 5 in 1901, a painful year in which the composer, struck by a hemorrhage, came close to death. The five movements of the symphony form three large sections, recognizable through thematic and expressive affinities. The funeral atmosphere that distinguishes the first section, formed by the first two movements, is clearly the direct expression of the composer’s private suffering. Opening the Fifth is in fact a dramatic and sombre trumpet phrase that triggers a funeral march, a reminiscence of the music heard from military garrisons during his childhood as well as an indelible mark upon Mahler’s sonic memory. The second movement as well, Allegro, shares with the first the same despair, presenting a development of the material previously heard. The heart of the symphony, however, is constituted by the imposing Scherzo, which marks the moment of emotional and existential turning point (it was in fact composed in 1902, a happy year in which Mahler returned to Maiernigg accompanied by his young wife Alma). The contrast with the first two movements is striking: anguish is replaced by the playful tones of the ländler, by waltz rhythms and nostalgic melodies. The celebrated Adagietto, which opens the third section, is entrusted with the task of lightening the atmosphere in an interlude of pure sonic ecstasy and abandonment of worldly matters, while the final movement, Rondo-Finale, through thematic reprises, broad chorales and fugues, establishes the triumph of life over pain and death.