Organization

Aspen Music Festival

Conductor

Patrick Summers

Chorus master

Emily Crile

Singer

Alto

Kelley O'Connor

Contralto

Robert Spano

Orchestra

The Aspen Festival Orchestra

Others

Colorado Children's Chorale

AOTVA Treble Chorus

Festival Orchestra: Spano leads Mahler's third Symphony

Aspen

United States

Benedict Music Tent

Tune in to a free livestream of this concert live from the Benedict Music Tent.

Festival Orchestra: Spano leads Mahler's third Symphony: 4′33″ Cage (+1 More)

Public

4′33″

Symphony No. 3 in D Minor

Approved

In a list of works exemplifying the season theme of “The Adoration of Nature,” Mahler’s 3rd Symphony would be near the top. This gigantic and glorious six-movement hymn to Nature is the longest symphony in the standard repertoire. It’s also one of Mahler’s most optimistic, extroverted works. For Mahler, Nature wasn’t just the natural world; it was the entire world. Just as Nature overflows with astonishing colors and breathtaking beauty, Mahler’s universe of a symphony teems with brilliant orchestration and stunning melodies. It’s a 99-minute visceral and emotional rollercoaster with shifts of mood and surprising contrasts. The first movement, “Pan Awakens – Summer Marches In” bursts into life with a confident march. The second, “What the Flowers and Meadows Tell Me’’ is a charming minuet. Next comes the bustling scherzo, “What the Animals of the Forest Tell Me,” followed by the dark stillness of “What the Night Tells Me.” This movement features mezzo-soprano Kelly O’Connor, known for her “ravishingly velvet vocal tone” (San Francisco Chronicle). Night breaks into sunshine with “What the Morning Bells Tell Me,” opening with the angelic sound of a children’s chorus. The final movement, “What Love Tells Me” is a gorgeously grand slow movement expressing Mahler’s belief that “God can only be comprehended as Love.”

Immerse yourself in one of the most uplifting and overwhelming experiences in all of music, Mahler’s gargantuan 3rd!

English

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Crew

Ensemble