Symphony no3 1979Edinburgh International Festival
Read more about the opera Symphony no3
This is Mahler's longest symphony, and it does not seem to be anything like as popular as the second. Perhaps its length, in excess of ninety minutes, is seen as a problem. Here, as usual, the amazing Claudio Abbado conducted the whole work without a score. The LSO were on magnificent form.
The concert presented a very rare appearance in Scotland by Lucia Valentini-Terrani. She was seen as a Rossini specialist but was beginning to explore other areas of the repertoire - and this was about as far as she could get from her usual stamping ground. Her beautiful contralto voice was always wonderful for Cenerentola, but now indicated that she would soon sing Mistress Quickly in Falstaff for Giulini.
