Susan Graham Takes On Mahler's Third

Renowned conductor Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony Orchestra welcome celebrated American diva Susan Graham and the women of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, as well as the local Children's Chorus, for a resplendent performance of Gustav Mahler's sweeping epic Symphony No. 3. A powerhouse performer possessed of a powerful mezzo-soprano voice, an exceptional range, interpretive nuance and a faultless technique, Graham is an opera icon in her prime and a performance in which she takes center stage is one not to be missed. 

The longest piece in the standard repertoire with performances lasting 90 to 105 minutes, Mahler's Third Symphony was completed in 1896 and is a soaring summation of everything the composer had learnt about life up to that point. Full of sharp contrasts, it begins with a majestic, mysterious brass theme before giving way to sweet interludes and moments of intense drama. Its final, rafter-clearing finale (built around the human voice) is a triumphant and jubilant tribute to the glories of being human.