Maestro Hermann Michael, artistic director of the Phoenix Symphony, called it a career Friday night at Phoenix Symphony Hall. To a full house — many of the symphony patrons were weeping — he said, "Now is the time for me to say good-bye."

For a while, it looked as if Michael wouldn't get the chance to say good-bye. He entered to a prolonged standing ovation, stood dutifully as he listened to several speeches from Phoenix Symphony officials, accepted a gift from the orchestra and handed a huge bouquet of roses to his wife, Bigi.

Finally, it was Michael's turn to talk.

"Bigi is everything to me," he said, in his soft German accent. "When it comes to wives, I won the lottery."

Then he grew more serious.

"But this is what I would like to say. To God alone goes the glory. That is what I wish the headline to read about this performance, my career and my life."

With that he raised his baton and began to conduct the first movement of Mahler's stirring Symphony No. 2, "Resurrection."

Although Michael has been the artistic director of the Phoenix Symphony for only seven years, the popular conductor has enjoyed a 15-year connection with the orchestra, which at times included the titles of Principal Guest Conductor and Artistic Advisor.

But his full-time tenure with the symphony took an alarming turn a couple years ago when he was diagnosed with aplastic anemia, a sometimes-fatal blood disease. His alarmed musicians lined up en masse to donate blood for him, spurring a blood drive in Phoenix. Michael attributes his comeback to excellent medical treatment, the love that surrounded him, and — typically, for this deeply religious man — God's mercy.

During Friday's intermission, the Maestro's fans — many of whom flew in from Europe for this final performance — gathered in the lobby, wiping tears and sharing memories.

"We had to see him conduct this last time," said Claudia Schoch, from Munich, Germany. Schoch is married to Dr. Torsten Haferlach, the physician who has been treating Michael's health problems. "And it is such a wonderful night, so moving."

"But it's sad," said Heather Padilla, of Tempe. "To think that he won't be conducting for us again."

Bradley Batiste, of Ahwatukee, agreed. "How in the world are they going to fill this man's shoes?"

Christine Crain, of Phoenix, had followed Michael's career since he first took up the baton for the Phoenix Symphony seven years earlier.

"I love, I really love Maestro," Crain said. "We will miss him so much! He has a passion for the music, and the orchestra responds to that, to him. When he first became ill, I was devastated. But then he regained his strength. I want him to stay, but I understand that his health and his family come first."

Her husband, David Crain, said, "When you look at it from the orchestra's point of view, they're almost in the position of having to find a new father."

After intermission, Michael and the orchestra and the Phoenix Symphony Chorus resumed the final four movements of "Resurrection," ending the concert — and Maestro's career — with the highly fitting lines, "Rise again, yes, you will rise again!"

The audience rose as one and gave their departing maestro a seven-minute standing ovation. The orchestra showered him with roses.

And then Michael left the stage.