Like most of us, Mahler needed a change of scenery to take a break from his regular job. Fortunately for him, he had access to a cabin in the Alps surrounded by the bluest of lakes, the greenest of trees, and the most majestic of mountains. They proved the perfect inspiration for his Third Symphony, which set out to encompass all of nature itself, at its most wild, dangerous, delicate, and beautiful.

When a visitor stopped to admire his view, Mahler told him "You don't need to look. I have composed all this already!"

The symphony begins with Pan marching alongside his friend Summer, which is a perfect way to close our season as summer approaches our city. The opening movement begins with a call from the horn section, almost as if to say "pay attention — your life is about to be changed dramatically!" It follows with words from a poem by Nietzsche:

O Man! Take heed!
What does the deep midnight say?
'I was asleep, asleep —,
I have awoken from deep dreams:

Follow along on this glorious dream ride through Mahler's Third Symphony and celebrate your Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's 2021/22 season.