Symphony No 2

Hermann Behn (1859-1927) was one of Mahler's close friends in Hamburg. The doctor of law also studied composition with Anton Bruckner in Vienna and Joseph Rhein-berger in Munich. His compositional work includes no less than nine song books and a piano sonata. He became an important sponsor for Mahler, because Behn valued Mahler's music and supported it's distribution - especially with financial means - as much as possible. Together with the industrialist Wilhelm Berkhan from Hamburg, he also assumed the considerable costs for the premiere of the Second Symphony on December 13, 1895 in Berlin. Mahler, in turn, was very impressed by Behn's compositions, especially by his songs. After Mahler had completed his Second Symphony, he handed the manuscript to his friend Behn, because he wanted to know it in safe hands. Without informing Mahler about it, Behn arranged the work for two pianos. When Mahler came back from a trip and Behn surprised him with this arrangement, he was thrilled. He called it "excellent" and played the first three movements together with Behn four hands in his house. The manuscript has only just been discovered by Behn's great-grand niece, the pianist Christiane Behn, and was premiered in Hamburg on November 17th, 2008 in the small hall of the Laeiszhalle. This album is a recording of this performance.