BBC Symphony Orchestra . (Leader, Paul Beard ) Conducted by Hermann Scherchen
When Mabletr died in 1911, he left his tenan symphony unfinished: only one, or possibly two, of the projected five movements were sufficiently completed to justify performance The Adagio to be heard, tonight was original intended to be placed second, but Mahier seems later to have decided to make it the opening movement Ernst Krenek prepared a full score from Mahler's orchestral sketch, filling out the scoring but not adding a note to the actual music, and it is th s which is being used tonight. Hermann Scherchen introduced it to this country in two broadcast concerts in November 1948.
Liszt completed his symphonic 'poem
' Hunnenschlacht ' in 1857, a-nd conducted its first performance shot year at Weimar. It was inspired by an immense p:cture painted by Kauloach, depicrng the onslaught of Attala and his Huns against the forces of Christianity in the fifth century. According to legend, the battle raged so fiercely that when evening came, the survivors bdievod that they saw the spirits of those who had fallen continuing the conflict in the clouds. Deryck Cooke