In the summer Bernstein began work on his Third Symphony (Kaddish), a composition that would occupy him over a two-year period and which bears the imprint of his identification with Mahler in its intensity, overt emotionality, extremes of contrast, and prophetic tone. It may also reflect the impact of his recent experience performing Berg. His rendition of Berg’s opus 6 was revelatory, showing a deep understanding of both its impressionistic side and its roots in Mahler, and a shattering identification with its emotional climate.13 But above all, the Kaddish Symphony was his response to the
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