3. Symphony Concert

Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 3 d minor

Gustav Mahler created a fascinating panorama of the world in his Third Symphony, with which Cornelius Meister and the Staatsorchester Stuttgart continue their Mahler cycle. Referring to this boundary-breaking opus, Mahler said: "But to me, symphony means building a world with all the means of existing technology. The world of his Third extends from plants and animals to man and the realm of angels to divine love. The first movement, which Mahler originally entitled Pan erwacht. Der Sommer marschiert ein (Pan awakes. Summer marches in), opens with a melody of horns in marching rhythm. With this wake-up call, the gradual awakening of nature begins. One after the other, the various forms of life have a say. In the fourth movement, which focuses on man, an alto voice, sung by ensemble member Stine Marie Fischer, joins in with the Mitternachtslied (Midnight Song) from Friedrich Nietzsche's Also sprach Zarathustra (Thus spoke Zarathustra). The singers of the Staatsopernchor Stuttgart lend their voices to the angels in the fifth movement. In addition, the children's choir imitates the sound of heavenly bells with its "Bim-Bam". The moving finale, in which God's love is described, meant for Mahler "the summit and highest level (...) from which the world can be seen."