Mahler Three

At about 90 minutes, Mahler’s Third Symphony is his longest, and also perhaps his most extroverted. Inspired by German folk tales, he wanted to present a vision of a world whose pain and longing could be alleviated by the heavenly paradise. A symphony must be like the world, he said – and contain everything. Nature was important to Mahler, and he uses soundscapes from it to illustrate his ideas.

But this is not a description of scenery, as in Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, and there is no pleasant walk to be found here. No; with Mahler, the tiny human stands up in the midst of the roar and sings, “O human, look out!” Nature is death and destruction, but also love and joy. Quite simply: a symphony that is the world.

The music is interpreted here by the Royal Swedish Orchestra from the Royal Swedish Opera – one of the oldest still-active orchestras in the world. In 2016, the Royal Swedish Orchestra celebrated its 490-year anniversary, and since 2012, Dutch Lawrence Renes has been its chief conductor.