Gustav Mahler’s achingly expressive Adagietto is a love letter to his wife Alma. This hauntingly famous romance leads into an equally beautiful pastorale by Aaron Copland, which turns, on a dime, into a rhythmic jazzy stomp through the streets of Copland’s native New York. The virtuosic work was written for Benny Goodman. We embrace with open arms the various jaunty sounds of America in our second half with the Hoedown from Rodeo, Gershwin’s bluesy Lullaby, and fun-loving tunes by Leroy Anderson.