Although he withdraw it a year after its successful premiere, Sibelius's early Kullervo symphony is laced with the atmosphere and creativeness that would characterise his later works, coupled with a tragic tale from Finnish folklore.

Kullervo recounts the story of its eponymous hero. After alonely childhood, Kullervo grows up to become a determined warrior. He seduces a girl only to discover she is his long-lost sister and in remorse throws himself on his sword. Despite the tragedy, the work evokes the beauty of the Finnish countryside is an orchestral tour-de-force, offering stunning cameos for its soloists and chorus.

Gustav Mahler’s 8th Symphony breaks the boundaries of the symphonic form in a world-embracing gesture. Riccardo Chailly is one of the staunchest performers of this work, and therefore it seemed appropriate in many ways that he chose this work for his inaugural concert as Claudio Abbado’s successor and new music director of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra. The artistic statement was combined with a deeply personal conviction: it should be a “tribute to Claudio,” the highly esteemed friend and colleague to whom Chailly, as he emphasizes, owes very much. On 12 August 2016, Claudio Abbado’s unfinished Mahler cycle with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra was completed in a breathtaking performance of the Mahler 8th, simultaneously heralding in a new era in Lucerne.

17 CDs and bonus DVD
This is the most comprehensive Mahler Edition featuring Michael Gielen, who celebrated his 90th birthday on 20 July 2017. It includes a DVD that features newly released footage of Michael Gielen conducting Mahlers Symphony No. 9, and the release also includes a recording of Michael Gielen directing Rückert-Lieder and Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen.