In the second movement of his Third Symphony, Gustav Mahler begins the upward journey on the ladder of consciousness. He considers flowers the first step and portrays them in musically charming ways.

Gustav Mahler?s Third Symphony is the story of creation, with each movement a higher rung on the ladder of consciousness. It begins with lifeless matter and the struggle for life to emerge, portrayed as a musical battle between winter and summer.

Season 3 focuses on Mahler?s Third Symphony in D minor (1895-1896), exploring Mahler?s unique perspective on the different orders of being, from lifeless matter to highest consciousness. Each episode is devoted to a movement of the symphony. Guests include conductors Kent Nagano and Michael Tilson Thomas; principal musicians of the New York Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam; scholars from New York City and St. Louis in the United States, Oxford, England and Athens, Greece; and featuring James Lurie as the voice of Gustav Mahler, with Paul Hecht as the voice of Friedrich Nietzsche.

Mahler described the last movement of his Second Symphony, which includes two soloists and a chorus, as a colossal fresco of The Day of Judgement. All of humanity meets its maker, and Mahler stretches his musical wings, soaring to glorious heights.

The fourth movement of Mahler?s Second Symphony is a delicate song for mezzo-soprano and orchestra. It?s a turning point in the symphony, where the protagonist?s spiritual wisdom blossoms.

In the summer of 1893, Mahler wrote a song, entitled ?St. Anthony of Padua?s Sermon to the Fish.? It turned out so well, he incorporated melodies from it into the third movement of his Second Symphony.

For his Second Symphony, Mahler created a second movement he described as a memory, ?a ray of sunlight, pure and cloudless, out of the hero?s life.? The music is bittersweet.

Mahler?s Second Symphony begins with the funeral for the hero of his First Symphony. The dramatic music rages with sorrow and anger...but also hope, for life after death.

Season 2 focuses on Mahler?s Second Symphony in C minor (1888-1894), delving into Mahler?s gigantic musical exploration of life, death, and what lies beyond. Each episode is devoted to a movement of the symphony. Guests include conductors Kent Nagano and Michael Tilson Thomas; principal musicians of the New York Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra; scholars from Columbia and Oxford Universities; and featuring James Lurie as the voice of Gustav Mahler.

Gustav Mahler originally titled his First Symphony ?Titan,? because of the mighty struggle between his hero and fate, a monumental battle that reaches its climax in the fourth movement. 

Guests include Michael Tilson Thomas (San Francisco Symphony, New World Symphony), William Hudgins (Principal Clarinet, Boston Symphony Orchestra), Jennifer Montone (Principal Horn, Philadelphia Orchestra), Marilyn McCoy (Columbia University), and Christine Lee Gengaro (Los Angeles City College). James Lurie is the voice of Mahler and Laura Gragtmans is the voice of Natalie Bauer-Lechner.

Early audiences found the third movement of Gustav Mahler?s First Symphony grotesque, macabre and unsettling. Inspired by an engraving entitled ?The Huntsman?s Funeral,? Mahler juxtaposes death with humor, incorporating a popular children's melody?a brilliant touch that still delights and spooks audiences today. 

Guests include William Hudgins (Principal Clarinet, Boston Symphony Orchestra), Dominic Seldis (Principal Bass, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra), Marilyn McCoy (Columbia University), Philip V. Bohlman (University of Chicago), and Christian Glanz (University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna). James Lurie is the voice of Mahler and Laura Gragtmans is the voice of Natalie Bauer-Lechner.

In the second movement of his First Symphony, Gustav Mahler draws upon the dance music of his youth. As his mood becomes more exuberant, so too, does the music.

Guests include Michael Tilson Thomas (San Francisco Symphony, New World Symphony), Kent Nagano (Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Hamburg State Opera and Philharmonic), Marilyn McCoy (Columbia University), Philip V. Bohlman (University of Chicago), and Christian Glanz (University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna). James Lurie is the voice of Mahler and Laura Gragtmans is the voice of Natalie Bauer-Lechner.

Gustav Mahler?s First Symphony is the story of a young man beginning his journey through life. In fact, it is Mahler himself, looking at the world with wide-eyed wonder. Originally, he titled the first movement ?Spring Without End,? for its depiction of the joys of nature. 

Guests include Michael Tilson Thomas (San Francisco Symphony, New World Symphony), Kent Nagano (Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Hamburg State Opera and Philharmonic), William Hudgins (Principal Clarinet, Boston Symphony Orchestra), Marilyn McCoy (Columbia University) and Caroline Kita (Washington University in St. Louis). James Lurie is the voice of Mahler and Laura Gragtmans is the voice of Natalie Bauer-Lechner.

Season 1 focuses on Mahler?s Symphony No. 1 in D major (1888), taking listeners back to the work?s origins in the street songs, folk tunes and bugle calls of Mahler?s childhood. Each episode is devoted to a movement of the symphony. Guests include conductors Kent Nagano and Michael Tilson Thomas; principal musicians of the Boston Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam; scholars from Columbia University and the University of Chicago; and introducing James Lurie as the voice of Gustav Mahler.