Erie Philharmonic Drops The Hammer with Mahler's 6th
Followed by holiday tradition Come Home for the Holidays
SATURDAY, NOV. 15 AND SATURDAY, DEC. 5
The Erie Philharmonic is closing out 2025 with dual concerts within the Symphonic and Pops series, starting with Gustav Mahler's Sixth Symphony, featuring renowned pianist Orli Shaham interpreting Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20. December follows with the annual Come Home for the Holidays concert, featuring the Mercyhurst University Department of Dance with the Erie Philharmonic Chorus and the youth ensemble choirs. Broadway star Blaine Krauss will be performing alongside the groups to welcome in the season.
"This is the crunch time of the fall season," Erie Philharmonic Music Director Daniel Meyer explains. "Most orchestras start their seasons around September, and they have quite a few opportunities to pack in [concerts] between that time and the new year."
At the centerpiece of the upcoming concerts is Mahler's Sixth Symphony, an intense work that came at the height of Mahler's career as the principal conductor of the Vienna State Opera. The symphony, commonly referred to as Tragedy, premiered on May 17, 1906, at the Saalbau Concert Hall in Essen, Germany.
"Mahler doesn't pull any punches," Meyer said. "He isn't interested in overly idealizing life. He's much more raw in terms of presenting emotional states and musical ideas that truly reflect life, whether it's in the elation of being in love with his new wife Alma within the first movement or the incessant pummeling he's receiving from the press as the most important figure in Viennese musical life at the time. He's wrestling with things in front of the audience. He's revealing his intense pain, but also the joys of life as fodder for this intense creativity he brought to this particular symphony."
Mahler's hammer, an unorthodox instrument to be used in the Erie Philharmonic's rendition of his Sixth symphony. Contributed photo.
The orchestration for Mahler's Sixth Symphony is unique in its use of unorthodox instruments, with the centerpiece being Mahler's hammer. Within the fourth movement, the booming sound of a giant wooden sledgehammer being slammed against a box on the ground has been compared to the opening of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony in its intensity and themes of life, as Meyer said. "We're talking about fate. The hammer blows represent you and these major life events that can either completely destroy and derail us. Or we can fall from them and find a way to pick ourselves back up."
Giving Mahler's hammer the flagship touch, the Philharmonic had it custom-made by Nova Cabinets, Countertops, and Flooring in Erie. "Every orchestra tries to find a way to envision and bring to life this incredible 'boom' that Mahler was looking for. It has to be striking from an auditory perspective to scare everyone, but has to be impressive visually," Meyers said. "It is a beautifully crafted hammer. It requires a bit of strength and muscle to even hoist it. But then if you hit it squarely, it makes that ear-splitting crack, but it also has that sonic boom we're looking for to shake everyone out of their seats."
With the return of Come Home for the Holidays following Mahler's Sixth, Meyer seeks tradition, with rich arrangements of carols and classics that bring all musicians, dancers, and even Santa Claus himself together to close out the year. "I want everybody to leave the Warner Theatre with a kind of glow from enjoying the music, decorations, and special traditions. People want to hear the music that will get them into the joy of the season, and with different combinations of soloists, such as Blaine Krauss, and choirs, that will put a nice twist on those traditions. I'm ready to take on everything this season means to help people and their families celebrate the holiday."
Mahler's Sixth: Saturday, Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. // Warner Theatre, 811 State St. // $17-$63 // eriephil.org
Come Home for the Holidays: Dec. 6 at 7:30, Dec. 7 at 3 p.m. // Warner Theatre, 811 State St. // $17-$68 // eriephil.org
