New Jersey Symphony / MAHLER, Symphony No. 3 (2023)

“Enter mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor. Dressed in an elegant, sparkling gown that evoked the paintings of Klimt (Mahler’s contemporary in turn-of-the-century Vienna) O’Connor’s rich, dark-hued voice galvanized both the audience and the orchestra alike. Her first line is “O Man, take heed!” Everyone in the hall did. She articulated Nietzsche’s German text expertly and sang the plaintive passages with an artful modesty that called to mind former Vienna master Christa Ludwig.”