But there are deep artistic reasons composers went to such great lengths, literally, in certain nonoperatic works. Hearing Mahler's Third Symphony live is a can't-miss opportunity to discover the heights to which classical music can ascend, emotionally and intellectually. The mammoth works of late Romantic composers such as Mahler, Bruckner and Sibelius represent a high point in the history of symphonic music. The sheer size of a Mahler symphony may seem daunting at first, but once you start listening to it, it tends to grab and sustain interest. One part of orchestra is lyrical and dreamy, and another is dark, creating a surrealist effect.
People are unclear on what they are feeling.
The Third is such a significant work that music director Mariss Jansons canceled its PSO appearance last February when he fell ill. Realizing the size of the work might be daunting for some, Jansons decided yesterday to place an intermission after the first movement. Kaplan's point of view on Mahler is as much that of a fan as of a researcher. He made his fortune as a publisher, then formed the Kaplan Foundation to satisfy a love for Mahler that arose in the '60s when he heard a performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 2 led by Leopold Sto-kowski. The work touched him, and he devoted time to learn how to conduct it, a feat he has accomplished more than 40 times.