Every summer, the ancient monastery of Chorin near Eberswalde is the scene of a very special music festival: for one month, renowned orchestras and soloists enchant the medieval ruins with a programme of classical music.
Mahler’s second symphony is second to none in music history, and its subject is nothing less than man’s resurrection after death. At the 1895 première, some overtaxed critics hurled abuse at the work for being a »nuisance, scandal, nonsense and subversion«. Nevertheless, it has established itself on concert programmes worldwide ever since and has indeed become one of the most popular symphonic works.
(From the 2017 programme)
My contribution: Translating the programme into English