Mahler's Fifth Symphony

This morning -- lying in my bed at 5 a.m. -- listening to my iPod - - amazed at the way Mahler could depict "soaring the heights of joy and happiness" and "plunging the despair and grief" - - how is such music possible, I wondered - - often so loud and wild, then tender and sweet - - thanking my lucky stars I get to study this music and play it with my orchestra - - wondering: how was it possible that Mahler could seek inside his own being to find all of this emotion and these musical ideas - - wondering: how was it possible that all of us could somehow connect with Mahler's unique vision - -