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A collective energy: NMPhil brings Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 3 in D minor to Popejoy
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The New Mexico Philharmonic, under the direction of Grammy-winning conductor Roberto Minczuk, will present Gustav Mahler’s magnum opus, Symphony No. 3 in D minor, at Popejoy Hall on Saturday, May 31.
“It was never played in New Mexico, so this is going to be a New Mexico premiere,” Minczuk said. “And it’s truly one of the most beautiful symphonies ever composed.”
As one of the last great Romantic composers, Mahler is known for the grandeur of his compositions, and Symphony No. 3 is one of the most ambitious ever written.
“As Mahler put it in his own words, ‘A symphony should contain the whole world.’ And that’s exactly what he tried to do,” Minczuk said. “His symphonies are immense events, because Mahler uses the largest orchestral formation of any composer.”
“So, just to give an example,” Minczuk continued, “normally, a (Pyotr Ilyich) Tchaikovsky or (Johannes) Brahms symphony would have four French horns. Mahler has ten. And six trumpets — double the normal size — and two sets of tympani.”
In addition, there will be two choirs — Quintessence: A Community of Singers and The Youth Chorus Coalition of Albuquerque — as well as a solo performance by internationally renowned Moldovan mezzo-soprano Lilia Istratii.
“She is really one of the up and coming stars in the opera and music world,” Minczuk said. “She is phenomenal. A really beautiful voice and a wonderful artist.”
Minczuk worked with Istratii last year at the Theatro Municipal de São Paulo where she performed the title role in Georges Bizet’s opera, “Carmen.”
Istratii said she’s “more than excited” to be performing in New Mexico.
“It’s my first time in the U.S., and in many ways, this moment carries the feeling of an American dream coming true,” Istratii said. “I’ve imagined it quietly for a long time, and now that it’s real, I carry both joy and a deep sense of responsibility.”
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Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 conveys emotions that transcend words, according to Istratii.
“There are moments in Mahler’s Third that feel almost suspended in time — where everything pauses to make space for an intimate, inner voice. Singing these parts feels like being entrusted with something deeply personal, almost sacred,” Istratii said. “It’s not just about singing the notes; it’s about holding space for what’s unspoken between pauses.”
While the symphony requires the soloist to have a strong technical foundation, Istratii said it requires a deep emotional connection, as well.
“If the technique is solid, it becomes invisible — and that’s when the music can speak on a more human level,” she said. “Mahler’s writing isn’t just about vocal control. It asks you to be fully present, to live inside the music.”
“The challenge is in the transparency, how exposed and sincere you must be,” Istratii continued. “There’s nowhere to hide, emotionally or technically. But that’s exactly what I love about it.”
For his part, Minczuk said his biggest challenge in presenting this symphony was assembling such a large group of top-tier musicians.
“At the orchestra, we have five French horn players. So, we recruited another five as guests,” Minczuk said. “We recruited a number of guest musicians for this specific performance, and many of them have even come from out of town.”
Mahler was born into a Jewish family, but he studied many religious and philosophical traditions, and he officially converted to Catholicism in 1897, the year after he finished writing Symphony No. 3.
“Many would say that he converted only as a political move,” Minczuk said. “I would disagree with that, knowing his music, which was the most important thing in his life, because he used a lot of Christian texts, and he communicated a Christian message through his music. I don’t think he would do that if it was not a sincere belief.”
On the other hand, Symphony No. 3 contains non-Christian spiritual ideas, too. In letters to friends, Mahler said his first movement was inspired by the classical Greek and Roman gods, Pan and Bacchus. And the solo in the fourth movement consists of lyrics from Friedrich Nietzsche’s “Thus Spoke Zarathustra.”
“Nietzsche was definitely not a religious man,” Minczuk said.
Symphony No. 3 incorporates ideas from multiple traditions, reflecting Mahler’s ongoing search for truth and beauty. His polyvocal text, voiced by two choirs, a soloist and an extra-large orchestra, does seem to contain “the whole world,” blending voices and instruments into a total work of art that’s greater than the sum of their parts.
As Istratii put it: “The real magic, the chemistry of music, depends on the collective energy: the connection between conductor, orchestra, and soloist. That’s the web where everything lives.”
