The joy of singing Mahler lies in what the music demands of you, no matter which part you sing. It is a challenge issued to every voice part; soprano, alto, tenor, bass, that offers such a beautiful reward if you rise to it.
As an alto, I love that Mahler allows us to descend to our warmer, lower range, but challenges us to soar to the very top of our choral range at the conclusion of the piece. That payoff, to me, is one of the finest moments in all choral/orchestral music for alto singers. It seems to sum up the entire musical journey in that leap to the highest heights and a perfect counterpoint to the depths the basses achieve in the middle of the choral movement.

I hope everyone comes out to enjoy this piece on Saturday! It's so easy to connect with Mahler's music emotionally, so even if you aren't symphony-savvy, you'll still love this amazing work!
Thanks for the blog, Stephanie!