The end has come, and in the silence after the Last Trumpet, a solitary bird is the only sound heard on Earth. The ambition of Gustav Mahler鈥檚 鈥楻esurrection鈥� Symphony staggers the imagination 鈥� an emotional odyssey on a cosmic scale that embraces tenderness, rage, dark humour and 鈥� yes 鈥� the end of the world itself. Sir Simon Rattle was still a teenager when he conducted his first performance of Mahler鈥檚 Second Symphony, and it鈥檚 been a personal touchstone at every stage of his career. Now, as he prepares to step down as Music Director of the London Symphony Orchestra, he pairs it with a short (but very personal) tribute from the late Harrison Birtwistle, one of Britain鈥檚 most distinguished recent composers.

There will be no interval

Broadcast on 成人快手 Four on Sunday 28 August

Image: Louise Alder 漏 Gerard Collett