I find that personally I enjoy more the so-called “Part II” of this work, because of its inclusion of music for angels and other delights. Also, I am often disturbed by Mahler’s seeming reference to the music of Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture, even if Brahms’ music has its roots in a German folk song. Let me explain:
The Mahler Symphony #3 begins with a fanfare played by all eight horns (in unison) at a loud volume. Since this tune references the melody of the German student song “Wir hatten gebauet ein stattliches Haus” (“We Had Built a Stately House”)The music sounds familiar even to many first-time listeners, if only because Brahms incorporated it in his Academic Festival Overture) of 1880.
Mahler’s version differs significantly from Brahms’ in terms of character, however. In the Symphony no. 3, the composer designated the melody as “Der Weckruf” (“the alarm call”) on his autograph, thereby identifying the passage as a call to arms within the upcoming programmatic battle between summer and winter.
Here is the amazing complete symphony #3 directed by Claudio Abbado; right at the very start you can hear the fanfare for the 8 horns:
