LA Phil performs superb interpretation of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 3

Under the vigorous direction of maestro Gustavo Dudamel, the Los Angeles Philharmonic took the audience on an adventure through Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 3, a sweeping work that managed to capture the full range of human emotion. The sold-out crowd gave a well-deserved, rousing ovation at the end of the evening that would not have been out of place at a rock concert.

The six-movement piece is Mahler’s longest symphony, and lasted 90 minutes without intermission. According to the program notes, Mahler penned a letter to his friend and violinist Natalie Bauer-Lechner in which he outlined the structure of his epic beginning with “Summer marches in” and ending with “What love tells me.”

The theme of nature was certainly present throughout the performance which featured bucolic melodies and trills in the four piccolos evoking the sound of birds. The first movement was a tribute to the brass with strident horns, joyful marches and sorrowful solos in the trombone and French horn. Punctuated with gentle, lilting melodies in the strings and woodwinds the first movement is still the most powerful of the six, culminating in a stirring and triumphant finale.

At Mahler’s request there is a brief respite between the first and second movement which begins gently, featuring the oboe. The composer’s love of nature is felt here as the listener is transported to an idyllic scene in the countryside. The brass is mostly quiet in this section with attention on the lush, lyrical melodies in the strings and woodwinds.

The audience was eased into the third movement with charming, airy refrains reminiscent of rural life. This movement features the most interesting orchestral arrangement — a flugelhorn playing from off stage creates a sense of nostalgia, like a long, forgotten childhood friend speaking to you again. The movement suddenly transitions into a darker and more mysterious tune, perhaps signaling the coming of night, before ending with a triumphant herald and a resounding bang.

The fourth and fifth movements introduce the vocalists — Tamara Mumford as the mezzo-soprano soloist along with the Women of the Los Angeles Master Chorale and the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus. Mumford shines in her role, her powerful instrument carrying over the orchestra as the children’s voices peal with the “bimm, bamm” of bells.

The sixth and final movement was a quasi-religious experience that transported the audience to an enchanted world. In his letter, Mahler wrote that the piece represented “what love tells me,” and this movement was indeed a testament to romance, complete with moments of ecstasy and those filled with a deep longing that tore at the soul. As the performance came to an end, people in the audience leaned forward, transfixed by the depth of the work and hoping that the end would never come (though when it did it was magnificent.)

Dudamel and the LA Philharmonic have outdone themselves in this rendition of Mahler’s classic. With a glorious opening, the performance held the audience until the end and left them desperate for more.