BBC Music May 2017

In our May issue we explore the cult of Gustav Mahler and ask why we are so obsessed with his epic symphonies. Plus, we reveal the winners of the 2017 BBC Music Magazine Awards – which of the nominees will be given the prestigious title of Recording of the Year? Swedish mezzo Anne Sofie von Otter, who made her name performing the great operas of the 18th and 19th centuries, tells James Naughtie why she’s now finding herself drawn to music of the 21st century. We examine the birth of the maestro in a brief history of conducting, and ask whether Richard Wagner’s music reveals a more genial side than we’d expect. Plus, on your free cover CD, we present Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 performed by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Donald Runnicles.