Baltimore Symphony Orchestra percussionist John Locke stands beside conductor Marin Alsop, who holds the giant hammer Gustav Mahler includes in his Sixth Symphony. Izabel Zambrzycki/Baltimore Symphony Orchestra hide caption

Composer Peter Lieberson wrote his Neruda Songs for his wife, mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. Johansen Krause/Peter Lieberson hide caption

William Schimmel distills Mahler's lengthy Ninth Symphony down to under seven minutes. Illustration by Joan Chiverton hide caption

Members of the ensemble So Percussion join conductor Gustavo Dudamel for the U.S. premiere of David Lang's man made at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Doriane Raiman/for NPR Music hide caption

John Bonham of Led Zeppelin at the Los Angeles-area Inglewood Forum in 1973. Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage hide caption

Gustav Mahler wanted each of his symphonies to contain a world of emotions and ideas. Library of Congress hide caption

Classical albums we loved this year. NPR/Denise DeBelius hide caption

Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) lived on a spartan diet for much of life due to health issues, but his sister's apricot dumplings were one of his many small indulgences. Wikimedia Commons hide caption

Mahler's ironic funeral march, in his first symphony, was inspired by this woodcut of forest animals bearing the hunter to his grave. wikimedia commons hide caption