“Conducting Mahler the rubato is essential”

Maestro Honeck, the first question is always the same – do you remember when you heard the music of Gustav Mahler for the first time?

Honeck: I remember it very well. I was a member of the Austrian Youth Orchestra and we went to Berlin to participate in the Karajan Competition. Several youth orchestras from all over Europe were taking part and I heard the German Youth Orchestra ‘Junge Deutsche Philharmonie’ performing Mahler’s 1st Symphony. I was extremely impressed right away, not only by the big sound – other symphonies also have a big sound – but what impressed me very much was the way Mahler treated the darkness and also the special meaning of his music, for example in the third movement. It might have something to do with my own experience because I lost my mother. She was the mother of nine children. I took part in the funeral, of course, and the way this funeral was conducted reminded me a little bit of this music. It might have been connected to this. I must have been 13 or 14 years old at the time and it was remarkable for me. It was probably one of the most important moments for me. I was almost shocked that this can happen with music, that it came into my life and into my heart. Since then, Mahler has been a part of my inner heart.

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