The MET Orchestra

Mahler said “a symphony should embrace the world,” a statement true of much of his music. In just a few bars, he can take the listener on a ramble through the forest, conjure visions of the last judgment, recreate a wild klezmer dance, or paint a picture of heaven. Mahler's music speaks to every emotion and touches every level of the psyche—it truly embraces the world. His song cycle Des Knaben Wunderhorn (The Youth’s Magic Horn) tells tales of joy, recounts the farewell of a young soldier to his lover, conveys the mysteries of childhood, reveals the pleasures and pains of love, and much more.