May 22,23 & 24, 2026
Jones Hall
Houston, Texas – USA
Houston Symphony, Juraj Valčuha, conductor.
Gustav MAHLER: Symphony No. 9 in D major (1909)
Lawrence Wheeler | 24 MAY 2026
Friday evening at Jones Hall, music director Juraj Valčuha conducted the third program of the Houston Symphony’s Transfiguration Festival. Consisting of a single work—Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 9—it is an exciting and emotionally fulfilling conclusion to an outstanding season. This performance marked a new high level for conductor and orchestra—one that deserves any and all effort to experience firsthand. This evening, Valčuha also recognized two long-standing musicians who are retiring: 39-year principal percussionist Brian Del Signore and 43-year assistant principal trumpet Robert Walp.
Written between 1908 and 1909, Mahler’s Ninth Symphony is his final completed symphony. It is often viewed as his farewell to life. That is easy to assume, since this period was filled with personal challenges. Two years earlier, his brother had committed suicide. The year before, he was ousted as director of the Court Opera in Vienna following a virulently anti-Semitic campaign against him in the press. Then his beloved young daughter, Maria, died of diphtheria. Shortly afterward, he was diagnosed with a serious heart condition. Even so, many parts of Mahler’s life at this time were less pessimistic, even hopeful. He was given a lucrative contract to conduct Wagner’s
The brilliantly orchestrated score requires a huge orchestra. In an unusual seating arrangement, seven stands (two players each) of first and second violins were spread across the front edge of the stage. Cellos and basses were positioned on the left side of the podium, with dual harps on the right. The second violins are often featured, and they played with a secure and unified sound. Harpists Allegra Lilly and Margaret Davis added color. Principal clarinet Mark Nuccio delivered virtuosic passages, and principal French horn William VerMeulen offered several expressive solos in the horn-rich score. Principal trumpet Mark Hughes was brilliant, as was the entire orchestra throughout. Valčuha guided the musicians through the swirling emotions of the first movement with passionate expression, concluding in quiet resignation.
The second movement utilizes several dances—two contrasting Ländler melodies and two contrasting waltzes. Through deft conducting, Valčuha found the humor in the musical parodies that poke fun at Viennese society. Adding to the fun were bassoons and contrabassoon, followed by bass clarinet and trombones. Principal viola Joan DerHovsepian played an energetic and well-projected solo.
Mahler uses the third movement, “Rondo-Burleske,” to show off his contrapuntal skill. Though cast in rondo form, it hides a fugue in plain sight. This was played with cohesion and spirit, highlighted by unison French horns, trombones, and another viola solo. Kathryn Ladner added sparkle with her piccolo solos.
The symphony’s fourth movement, “Adagio,” is one of the most profound musical expressions in orchestral writing. The opening unison violin melody on the G string was remarkable for its sonic power and ensemble precision. The following espressivo string hymn possessed uncommon tonal richness and solemnity, interspersed with solo woodwinds. The double basses laid down a highway of sound supporting increasingly passionate melodies above. Principal flute Kayla Burgraff contributed well-tuned and dynamically nuanced solos. Concertmaster Yoonshin Song and principal cello Brinton Smith gave soft and tender solos. The movement contains a lifetime of heartbreaking emotions and nostalgic reflection, effectively communicated by Valčuha, reaching the heights of Mahlerian intensity and extremity.
Mahler’s complex polyphony is non-imitative, with motives acting independently. These were played with conviction and without compromise. For music this complex, the real work happens in rehearsals, with performance cues serving more as visual reminders than instruction. This was a reason this performance proved so successful. By necessity, Valčuha substituted control with trust. While the symphony was conducted and played with fastidious attention to detail, the primary focus remained the emotional content of the music. There are times when an orchestra—any orchestra—can sound so extraordinary that comparisons with other performances or recordings become irrelevant. This was such a night. For 85 minutes, Valčuha and the Houston Symphony musicians transported the audience to a place where people work together toward an elevated artistic ideal based on mutual cooperation, technical precision, and emotional expression. In today’s world, that is a gift.
This spectacular concert shows what the fabulous combination of Valčuha and the Houston Symphony musicians can produce, creating great expectations for next season. ■
The program was repeated Saturday night and livestreamed. The final performance will take place Sunday afternoon at Jones Hall.
EXTERNAL LINKS:
- Houston Symphony: houstonsymphony.org
- Juraj Valčuha: jurajvalcuha.com
Read more by Lawrence Wheeler.
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