Borrowed from a poem by Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock, the term “Resurrection” sets the horizon toward which the five movements converge. In this program, the first movement represents a funeral and raises questions such as “Is there life after death?”; the second movement is a remembrance of the happy moments of the deceased’s life; the third movement portrays life as a meaningless activity ; the fourth movement conveys a yearning for release from a senseless existence, featuring a poignant melody, Urlicht (“Primal Light”), in which the alto voice expresses human anguish; and the fifth movement—after revisiting the doubts of the third movement and the questions of the first—culminates in a fervent hope for eternal and transcendent renewal.

Bruno Walter was a close friend of Gustav Mahler, his assistant conductor for many years, and one of the most revered conductors of his generation. He played a vital role in keeping Mahler’s music alive in concert halls after his friend’s death, as well as in spreading it through recordings. Regarding his role as a conductor, he once said: “I am merely a musical postman, and as such, I must make sure that my musical letters reach their destination.”