“There is nothing like Mahler’s Symphony No. 2. It is an apocalyptic work requiring vast forces: a giant orchestra, as well as an organ, chorus, two soloists and multiple offstage musicians. Mahler poses the great questions of life and provides heart-stopping answers. In the finale the earth quakes, graves burst open, the last trumpet sounds, and a heavenly choir reassures all humankind: "Rise again, yes, thou shalt rise again." Of the culminating moments Mahler wrote: "A feeling of overwhelming love fills us with blissful knowledge and illuminates our existence."

-Benjamin Zander