Brahms’s Third Symphony opens with three notes—F, A-flat, F—referring to his personal motto: “frei aber froh” (free but happy). Brahms composed his Third Symphony while staying in a town along the Rhine River, and he whispers his motto throughout the piece. Each movement ends with a quiet breath of release, leaving you assured that the composer’s motto is exactly how he felt during the summer of 1883 in that serene setting. Hear Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin lead the Orchestra