My Mahler Adventure

It's a rainy day outside, but I'm having a "moment" right now listening to Mahler's Second Symphony. It is certainly one of my favorite pieces of music, and I remember the day that I first listened to it in Samford University's library listening rooms. Why have I started listening to this piece again? Well, (1) I listen to it often, and (2) Hey, Woody (a blog that everyone should subscribe to) makes a reference to the piece.

Mahler's Second Symphony (The Ressurection Symphony) is a ninety-minute mega-work (full orchestra, choir, soloists, organ). After waiting for what seems like forever, Mahler gives you a fantastic gift for the finale. Here's a translation of the text.

In my senior year at Samford, the choirs sang this piece with the Alabama Symphony. I got the privilege to stand next to my best buddy Joel Davis (a fellow Mahler fan and theory/composition major) and scream "Auferstehen." I've never said or sung anything in German with more intensity than I did at that performance. Here's a YouTube clip of the piece. It's certainly not my favorite recording, but it gets you right in the heart of the final few minutes of one of my favorite musical works. I just wish Joel and I could have worn tunics like the women in the video. Perhaps we could have worn the crimson-colored Snuggies.