A “baptism by fire”... but not for Klaus Mäkelä, making his debut with the Vienna Philharmonic at the Musikverein in Mahler's ...

An curved arrow pointing right. Percussionists build the craziest hammers to perform Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 6. Some weigh up to 70 pounds. Story and editing by Adam Banicki. More from ...

Give Mahler a cheery nursery-rhyme ditty and he’ll turn it into the bleakest of gallows marches. Don’t believe us? Have a listen to the opening of the third movement of the First Symphony.

In 1897, after months of intrigue and negotiation, during which Mahler converted to the Roman Catholic faith, he was installed as the Music Director of the Vienna Opera House. This was arguably ...