d Martin Luthers Werke Weimarer Ausgabe Sonderedition Abteilung 4 Teil 4 Disputationen Und Spte Vorlesungen Band 39ii

A small orchestra specializing in music of the Baroque and Classical eras, the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields became one of the most popular ensembles in the entire field of classical music, making albums that topped classical charts and even made an impact in pop. The group's seamless sound was identified in the minds of many listeners with that of Baroque music itself. The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields (the name has been spelled both with and without the hyphens, and with and without the period after "St") was formed in 1958 by violinist Neville Marriner, who was interested in exploring the then largely new field of Baroque music with a group of other musicians. Performing without a conductor until market forces dictated that Marriner take the post, the group played its first concert on November 13, 1959, at the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields and took its name from that venue.

Gustav Mahler described his Third Symphony as ‘a work in which the whole world is indeed reflected’, a claim supported by its large, six-movement structure and the use of huge orchestral and choral forces, plus a part for alto solo. The first performance of the symphony took place on 9 June 1902 in Krefeld under Mahler’s direction. This is the third recording of a Mahler symphony by the Essen Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Tomas Netopil. They are joined here by Bettina Ranch (alto), the Aalto Children’s Choir, the ladies of the Essen Philharmonic Choir and the children’s choir of the Deutsche Oper Berlin.