May 2026: Relive Childhood Memories with the Tokyo Philharmonic. Schumann's 'Kinderszenen' and Mahler's 'Symphony No. 4,' a Musical Story Conducted and Arranged by Principal Conductor Andrea Battistoni

The Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra (Location: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo / Chairman: Hiroshi Mikitani), founded in 1911, is Japan's oldest existing orchestra. It is highly regarded by the global classical music community for its history, tradition, and innovation, playing a significant role in the international music scene.

In May 2026, Principal Conductor Andrea Battistoni will appear at the Tokyo Philharmonic's regular concerts (May 13th and 17th). He will present works by two prominent 19th-century German and Austrian composers, Robert Schumann and Gustav Mahler.

Conductor Andrea Battistoni writes about this performance:

"I believe Schumann is one of the greatest composers in music history. His legacy, as one of the most original bodies of work in the Romantic era, still maintains a strong presence today. Schumann's music always speaks to us, hinting at mysterious stories. He explores the dialogue between poetry and sound in a delicate and suggestive manner."

"Schumann, a master of miniatures, truly excels in intimate music that feels like conversing with close friends. It is music like notes jotted down, capturing improvisations or inspirations evoked by images and texts." He continues, "Fascinated by Schumann's piano writing, which stimulates the listener's imagination, I decided to arrange this masterpiece for orchestra as an homage to this great composer, without compromising its unique sound world."

This led to the creation of "Battistoni's Arrangement of Kinderszenen," an orchestral version of Schumann's representative piano work "Kinderszenen," arranged by Battistoni. This orchestral version of the work, filled with beautiful melodies like "Träumerei," will have its world premiere at the Tokyo Philharmonic's regular concerts in May.

The second half of the concert features Gustav Mahler's "Symphony No. 4," by the Bohemian composer born four years after Schumann's death. Among Mahler's symphonies, which often feature large orchestrations, this piece has a comparatively smaller orchestration. The fourth movement, which serves as the finale, features a soprano soloist singing "The Heavenly Joys," a quotation from the poetry collection "Des Knaben Wunderhorn." Battistoni will deliver a dreamlike world, akin to Schumann's "Kinderszenen," and the "storytelling" he finds so captivating in music.

Mahler, himself a composer and conductor, was also strongly inspired by Schumann's works, arranging all four of Schumann's symphonies himself and performing them at concerts with the New York Philharmonic, where he served as music director. At this performance, you will be able to enjoy the charm of Schumann's and Mahler's works, and the skills of 21st-century maestro Andrea Battistoni, both in his conducting and his arrangement, inspired by the musical connection between the two composers.