Mahler 9, Rattle and the LSO, Barbican

Two strands revealed when Sir Simon Rattle unveiled his plans for the London Symphony Orchestra as its music director, from September 2017, come together in this concert, another big landmark in his debut year with the orchestra that has started so triumphantly.

Rattle is promoting British music old and new in his forthcoming seasons at the Barbican, and alongside favourite compositions comes an as yet untitled new piece. One element of it, Fanfare, was played at Sir Simon's inaugural concert, when he conducted only English music.

Helen Grime is one of the most exciting composers working in Britain today. Photo: Jonathan Wrather

Helen's new commission for the LSO precedes a performance of Mahler's great Symphony No 9, the composer's last, and a work he was destined never to hear in his lifetime. And that ties in with another of Rattle's themes – pieces that the composer never heard, other than in his or her head.

Superstitious about the ninth symphony – the last such work for several composers – Mahler avoided numbering his ninth symphonic composition with the number 9 – and died after writing this piece, which does bear that number.

The symphony is colossal in scale, and calls for a massive orchestra, making it a very exciting piece to witness.

Book now for what is destined to be a very powerful occasion: Rattle has transformed the LSO, and every one of their concerts together in future is a date for the diary.