Bernstein conducts Mahler: Symphony No. 6 (1976)

Leonard Bernstein was arguably the most important Mahler conductor of the second half of the 20th century, and his complete audiovisual cycle of the symphonies is powerful testament to that fact. At its dark heart lies the "Tragic" Symphony No. 6, performed with the conductor's beloved Wiener Philharmoniker. Here Bernstein's emotional generosity is allied to his instinctive structural control to irresistible effect in a work that plumbs the depths and scales the heights before concluding in almost unbearable despair – all captured to unforgettable effect by this ideal combination of conductor and orchestra.