Passionate gestures of hope and despair characterize Gustav Mahler's gigantic symphonies, which encompass chromatic melodies, polymathic cultural references, and bursting-at-the seams harmonies. Of course, all of these qualities are subject to interpretation, and their performances can be vastly different. While Leonard Bernstein focuses on the explosive climaxes and dramatic themes of love and death—especially in Symphony No. 1—Sir John Barbirolli treats the Ninth with balance and poise, articulating the late-Romantic composer's beautiful counterpoint and shifting moods.