A new symphonic universe was born in Mahler’s First Symphony, one in which life and music remained virtually inseparable. Few composers have succeeded in evoking so poetically the romantic magic of nature’s awakening, its birdsong, hunting horns and distant fanfares. This sound world invariably reflected his personal conflict, religious and philosophical outlook, and the current state of his psyche. The robust score bursts with the boldness and fire of youth and flirts cheekily with traditional ideas of good taste. His final symphonic work, the Double Concerto knits together Brahms’ approach to chamber music with the scale of his symphonic scores. It calls for deep lyricism and virtuosic technique from its soloists to create the illusion of a single instrument. Its rich harmonies and soaring melodies exude a warm, autumnal glow.