“It is nothing but humour, cheerfulness and enormous pleasure about the world,” said Gustav Mahler about his Third Symphony on one of his more positive days. The score is certainly a little more versatile than that, but it is definitely ‘enormous’. More than an hour and a half of music, with a gigantic string section and passages for alto solo, and women’s and boys’ choir.
Kazushi Ono takes the next step – a giant step in fact – in his journey with Mahler. With the Brussels Philharmonic, the Vlaams Radiokoor, Octopus Kamerkoor and the children’s choir of Opera Ballet Flanders all together on stage, it will certainly be a crowd. But the conductor expertly guides everyone through a symphony that fascinates him beyond measure.
While composing the Third Symphony – a process that took more than three years – Gustav Mahler retired during the summers to a small house on the Attersee in Austria, so as to be able to write in absolute silence.
In order to keep his studio as quiet as possible, Mahler’s sister Justine even paid the local youths to remove all the crow’s nests in the area, so that the noisy chirping of the birds would not disturb her brother. Perhaps that’s why this became a symphony with such powerful imagery. “Those who know the place should recognize it in the music,” Mahler said. And he was right; you can almost hear the chirping of the local birdlife in the notes.
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Close Encounters
Ready for a sneak peek behind the scenes at a Mahler 3 rehearsal? Join us for Close Encounters: experience the orchestra up close, and share your questions in a chat with someone from on or behind the stage-be it the conductor, soloist, musician, or a production team member.
thu 26.09 at FlageyMahler Deconstructed
Join pianist Florestan Bataillie in this musical lecture as he guides you through the intricate layers of Mahler’s masterpiece: the Third Symphony. Explore its symbolic meanings, innovative orchestration, and the vivid imagery of the natural world that Mahler so brilliantly brings to life. Whether you’re already an aficionado or simply curious, everyone is welcome, and no prior knowledge is required!
sat 28.09 at FlageyVoice of Illumination
Michèle Losier performs the alto solo in Mahler's Third Symphony: "It is an honour for me to sit in the middle of the orchestra, in those majestic symphonies, experiencing the overwhelming emotions."
learn moreMahler & nature
According to conductor Josef Stránský, Mahler considered himself as a "Sänger der Natur": someone who had spent his whole life singing about nature. Indeed, Mahler's works reveal his intense love of nature, both in a concrete and abstract sense. Read the article by Mien Bogaert.
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