MAHLER
Symphony No. 3
(99 minutes)

BENJAMIN ZANDER, CONDUCTOR

SUSAN PLATTS, MEZZO-SOPRANO

CHORUS PRO MUSICA

THE BOYS OF ST. PAUL’S CHOIR SCHOOL

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

After 18 years, it is time once again for the BPO to perform Mahler’s exalted paean to nature, the Third Symphony. It is the longest and most all-embracing of all his works. In it, he set out to express the essence of his relationship to nature. Visiting Mahler while he was composing the Third Symphony at his summer retreat, his young apprentice Bruno Walter took a moment to reflect on the astonishing mountain view. “You needn’t stand staring at that,” Mahler crowed, “I’ve already composed it all!” In this vast and profound work for chorus, orchestra, and mezzo-soprano, you will hear it all—from exaltation to terror to union with the primal forces that surround us. Renowned mezzo-soprano Susan Platts returns to sing the poignant setting of Nietzsche’s Midnight Song. – Benjamin Zander

Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 3 – 99 minutes

• Voted one of the ten greatest symphonies of all time by conductors in BBC Music Magazine. Benjamin Zander calls the opening of the piece “One of the most distinctive and memorable of any symphony.”
• Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 was written between 1893 and 1896. It was premiered on June 9, 1902 with Mahler conducting.
• Learn more about Mahler’s 3rd Symphony at Music Web with a synopsis about the piece as well as reviews of notable recordings.
• Known for the richness of her mezzo-soprano voice, Susan Platts will be soloist with the Boston Philharmonic for this final concert of the season!

“Platts’s dark, fervent mezzo was perhaps the most superbly Mahlerian voice of the evening, emerging out of a full orchestra with a setting sun’s warm glow” – Globe and Mail

• Listen to Susan Platts sing Mahler Lieder on YouTube
• Listen to Benjamin Zander’s in-depth discussion of Mahler Symphony No. 3