Conductor Jin Sol: "Mahler Project Began With a Wish to Make History, Now It's My Calling"

"Rather than following a path already taken by others, I think my humble wish to write a new chapter in history, even if it meant starting off unimpressively, was the true beginning."

Conductor Jin Sol's ambitious Mahler Project, which began in 2017, is now approaching its final stages. After completing her studies in Germany and returning to Korea, she made a bold commitment at the age of thirty to perform all ten of Mahler's symphonies, including the unfinished Symphony No. 10. Overcoming challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, next year will mark the tenth anniversary of the project's inception. After her performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 4 at the Concert Hall of the Seoul Arts Center on the 26th, only Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection" and Symphony No. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand" will remain.

At a press conference held on the 24th at Pungwoldang, Jin Sol expressed her determination to see the project through to the end, saying she feels it is her calling. She also shared that the project has been a catalyst for her growth as a musician.

Jin Sol said, "This is a promise I made to myself, and I believe that seeing this project through to the end is extremely important. It is a mission I carry in my heart, regardless of whether anyone acknowledges it." She added, "Because Mahler was a person full of anguish, I found myself engaging in a lot of philosophical reflection, and through that, I believe I have grown both internally and externally as a musician."

Conductor Jin Sol is explaining about the performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 4 and the recording of Mahler's Symphony No. 3 at a press conference held on the 24th at Pungwoldang in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

Mahler dedicated his life to symphonic music. He composed Symphony No. 1 in 1887-1888, in his late twenties, and passed away in 1911 while working on Symphony No. 10. As Mahler poured his lifelong struggles into his symphonies, they are renowned for their performance challenges.

Jin Sol explained, "They are technically difficult, and Mahler also wrote many obscure instructions in the score." She said, "He wrote a lot of directions in German, such as 'move forward but don't get faster' or 'as if stopping but don't slow down.' There are many instructions that are confusing in and of themselves."

The large orchestration is another reason Mahler's symphonies are challenging to perform. Both the remaining Symphony No. 2 and Symphony No. 8 each have a performance time of 80 to 90 minutes, sometimes exceeding 90 minutes depending on the conductor's interpretation. A choir is also required. Symphony No. 8 earned its nickname "Symphony of a Thousand" because more than 1,000 performers, including the choir, participated in its premiere in 1910. By comparison, Symphony No. 4, which will be performed on the 26th, is less demanding.

Jin Sol explained, "Most Mahler symphonies are performed by large ensembles of 100 to 500 musicians, but Symphony No. 4 typically lasts 50 to 60 minutes and is performed by 80 to 95 musicians."

For Symphony No. 2 and Symphony No. 8, which each last about 90 minutes, typically only that single work is performed in a concert. Since Symphony No. 4 is relatively short, another piece is needed. Jin Sol plans to perform "Death and the Maiden." "Death and the Maiden" was originally a string quartet by Schubert, but Mahler arranged it for orchestra.

Jin Sol said, "Death and the Maiden is about a girl dying and Death embracing her, and I thought it was connected to the fourth movement of Mahler's Symphony No. 4, which presents a celestial sound."

Jin Sol mentioned that she made some additional modifications to Mahler's orchestral arrangement of "Death and the Maiden." "Mahler arranged it because he wanted to include the double bass, but there are many sections where the double bass rests. I felt it was a pity for the double bass to be idle, so I gave it a more prominent role and also supplemented some harmonic aspects that were lacking in Mahler's youthful arrangement."

Conductor Jin Sol is listening to reporters' questions at a press conference held on the 24th at Pungwoldang in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

On the 24th, Jin Sol also released her first album since starting the Mahler Project. It is a live recording of Mahler's Symphony No. 3, performed during the sixth concert of the Mahler Project in 2023. The performance exceeded 90 minutes and was spread across two CDs. Jin Sol explained that, due to the large orchestration required for Mahler's symphonies, live recordings are more common than studio recordings.

On the 1st of this month, she also released a recording of Mozart's Requiem. She began her Requiem series last year. Following Mozart's Requiem, she plans to perform the requiems of Faur? and Verdi, expressing her wish to offer comfort. "A requiem is a mass for the dead, and in that sense, I consider it music of consolation."

This sense of consolation also aligns with Mahler's intentions in composing his symphonies. Jin Sol emphasized, "Mahler believed that the world is interconnected and that a symphony should embrace everything," noting that this is something she often reflects on. She said, "The world is experiencing more intergenerational, gender, and international conflicts than we might think, and there are times when comfort is needed. Rather than focusing on my own pain, I wondered what kind of message an artist could deliver to empathize with the pain of others, and that led me to start the Requiem Project."

Jin Sol said that the ninth performance of the Mahler Project is planned for April next year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.