David Afkham bids farewell to the ONE with Mahlers Ninth

German conductor David Afkham concludes his tenure at the helm of the Orquesta Nacional de España by performing Mahler's Ninth Symphony. The concerts, which will take place at the Auditorio Nacional and the Granada Festival, precede the ensemble's first visit to the BBC Proms in London. For the audience, it is an opportunity to access a high-level cultural event within the usual leisure offerings.

David Afkham conducting the Orquesta Nacional de España during Mahler’s Ninth Symphony, conductor’s baton in mid-air motion, orchestra musicians playing string and wind instruments intensely, auditorium stage with acoustic panels and microphones, sheet music stands reflecting stage lights, cinematic performance visualization, dramatic chiaroscuro lighting on the podium, blurred audience silhouettes in deep shadow, brass section gleaming under spotlights, photorealistic concert hall scene

Acoustics and orchestral dynamics in the farewell 🎵

Mahler's Ninth demands extreme technical control over dynamics and the acoustics of the space. Afkham has worked with the ONE on balancing the string and brass sections, seeking a smooth transition between the most intimate passages and the orchestral climaxes. The use of the resonances of the Auditorio Nacional and the Palace of Charles V in Granada will be key to projecting the harmonic complexity of the work, especially in the final pianissimos.

Farewell with Mahler: the drama of missing the bus 🚌

Afkham is leaving, but he leaves the orchestra with the task of carrying 80 minutes of existentialist symphony just before heading to London. Quite a logistical challenge: ensuring the violins don't go out of tune with jet lag and that the bassoonist doesn't confuse the airport with the concert hall. At least, if everything goes wrong, they can always say it was a very dramatic interpretation, which is what Mahler asked for.