James Gaffigan returns to Washington to conduct the National Symphony Orchestra in a unique program featuring American composers Charles Ives and Aaron Copland alongside the Symphony No. 1 "Titan" by Austrian composer Gustav Mahler. At first glance, it seems like some of this music doesn't quite go together. But it does, and it can take a different approach to pull off each one artistically. I had a chance to speak with him over the phone and asked him about his approach, similarities between these composers, how we appreciate music differently as we age, and if he has some favorite nonmusical places he likes to visit when in town.
Explore Copland's Appalachian Spring
Explore Mahler's Symphony No. 1 "Titan"
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