Political slogans chanted at end of Mahler’s Resurrection

From our Chile correspondent Felipe Elgueta:

An extraordinary performance of Mahler’s second symphony in the heart of troubled Santiago de Chile ended on Tuesday with flags waved and slogans chanted for the movement for social justice.

Mahler would probably have approved.

The performance was organised and conducted by Alejandra Urrutia, who had just lost her father.

The chorus was made up mostly of beginners. The orchestra was composed of young professionals and conservatory students, many of them recent migrants from stricken Venezuela.

This is a very 2020 concert.

Watch.

Speech of Alejandra Urrutia. Conductor

Two days after the first Concierto por La Hermandad (Concert for our
Humanity) last year, we met with Paula, Angelica, Caroline and Felipe
in a café and started planning this year’s concert. Mahler! It has to
be Gustav Mahler!

Paula was convinced that it had to be the Second Symphony and… she convinced us.
Life, death, nostalgia and finally surrender to what is to come. Beautiful!

And two months ago, the whole theme became very much more personal
when my beloved father, passed away… Gustav Mahler gave me the
possibility to understand at a deeper level what it means to die and
be reborn. He gave me a way to go on an inner journey finding meaning,
comfort and clarity that the future would be fuller because of the
past we had lived together.

Then… after this grand farewell, came another one… all that we are
living here in Chile. One can see the transformation all around us, in
fact it’s hard not to. But this day at least, we have the opportunity
to experience the transcendence…the rebirth, to feel what is to come
through the other side because of our united humanity.

And we have the guidance tonight of this great composer Gustav Mahler
accompanied by two incredible soloists – soprano Fanny Becerra and
contralto Claudia Lepe. An orchestra of the highest level of talent
and spirit. They are fabulous! And a citizen’s choir, totally
dedicated and sublime.

A new era for music. Collaboration between many. Success for all.

Finally, to understand how small our world really is… less than a
week ago, a new friend arrived at our door, from Mexico. Francisco
Bricio. Francisco saw in the world of social media, the news of this
great Concert for Humanity. He is the president of the Mahler Society
of Mexico and Vice-President of the Mahler Foundation of Vienna and
happened to be passing through Santiago for his vacation with his
beautiful family. He came to a rehearsal and shared with us wonderful
history of Mahler and this symphony, inspiring us as musicians and
enhancing the notes we play and sing that we will live toghether now.

photo and report: Felipe Elgueta