‘La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra & Altinoglu’

Gustav Mahler usually composed during the summer, when he was free from other commitments and could fully immerse himself in the creative process. As he himself put it, ‘I can’t help but devote myself to the new each time ganz und gar.’ For four summers he worked on his Symphony No. 3, which was to be a grand homage to nature. He completed it in August 1896: dedicated to Pan, it was conceived as the creation of a complete world, the six movements successively dealing with the primal force of summer, flowers, animals, humans, angels and love. Although the composer mentioned this programme to friends, the published score omits the indications. Nevertheless, Mahler’s deep love for nature, which encompassed humankind, resonates in this symphony as in no other.