Rossini's Spectacular Swansong Finale..... Not Forgetting Mahler.

I imagine that even non music fans would have heard at some point in
their lives the ever popular William Tell Overture by the great Italian
composer Gioachino Rossini. But it was only a few years ago that I
heard the climax of this opera, also known as Guillaume Tell. Well it is
quite simply spectacular and a tour de force.
In the video above we see the great Riccardo Muti at the helm and
conducting this performance at La Scala back in 1987.

Surprisingly Conductor Muti seems somewhat reserved in this climatic
performance. Now aged 87, but back then at his physical peak he was
prone to throw himself about a lot and audiences certainly got their moneys worth
when he was in charge, as you can see in a couple of gifs I made below.

And how surprising that Rossini having composed at least 34 operas
simply walked away after producing this last offering Guillaume Tell
in 1829. And he was still only young in his late 30's. Perhaps it was due
to health problems. It's still not really known why.

And when you watch the climax of this work (above) with Muti as
conductor, you can only say to yourself about Rossini, well, what
a way to go out.

Further down below  is also another staggering piece of music,
the climax of Mahler's 8th Symphony.
On both videos I have slightly pushed them forward so you
can enjoy the climax.


ABOVE VIDEO UPLOADED TO YOUTUBE BY PROMETHEUS 1889

Above is the new young pretender American Conductor Robert Trevino
who is about to take up his new post as Chief Conductor for the Malmo
Symphony Orchestra for the 2019-2020 season.
And like Riccardo Muti he is a real showman. Here (above) we see him
in a gif I made conducting the Finale of Act III of Verdi's Don Carlo.
Having practiced Conducting from the age of 16, it was actually in this
above performance of Don Carlo that he suddenly became noticed
internationally.

Below: The great Italian showman and Conductor Riccardo Muti
conducting in one of his favourite pieces The Overture to Verdi's
Nabucco.

"THE GREATEST AND MOST POWERFUL FINALE EVER WRITTEN IN THE
HISTORY OF MUSIC."     arrup3 - Youtube uploader.

"EPIC.  SIMPLY THE GREATEST FINALE EVER WRITTEN."   Greg Raines.

"I FEEL SAD WHEN I THINK THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE BORN AND DIE
WITHOUT EVER HEARING THIS."   Pedro Teixeira.

"MAHLER'S 8th SYMPHONY FINALE HAS JUST TAKEN MY MIND TO
ANOTHER LEVEL..... OUTSTANDING."      Allpress inc.

"THIS IS EASILY THE MOST BEAUTIFUL 5 MINUTES OF MUSIC I HAVE EVER
HEARD IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. THANK YOU GUSTAV MAHLER FOR SHOWING
ME LIFE'S UTTER BEAUTY."   Charlie Zandieh.


Well, who can argue with any of the above appraisals. All I can say is
that if there really is a Heaven and that our dying brain takes our souls
through a long bright tunnel, then this is the music to take us through that
supposed journey.

(Strictly headphones for the full on experience).