The Philadelphia Orchestra gave the US premiere of Mahler's Symphony No. 8 in 1916, conducted by Leopold Stokowski. Yannick Nézet-Séguin's live recording with the same orchestra was recorded a century later – almost to the day – in March 2016. The triumphant "Symphony of a Thousand", huge in scale, was Mahler's greatest success during his lifetime.
Featuring
Angela Meade
Anthony Dean Griffey
Elizabeth Bishop
Erin Wall
John Relyea
Lisette Oropesa
Markus Werba
Mihoko Fujimura
Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Michael Stairs
The Philadelphia Orchestra
The American Boychoir
Choral Arts Society of Washington (male section)
Westminster Symphonic Choir
Gustav Mahler
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Compositional Technique
Mahler's Eighth Symphony is revolutionary in its form, being sung throughout from beginning to end, unlike earlier choral symphonies.
Composer Biography
Mahler dedicated the Eighth Symphony to his wife, Alma, making it the only one of his symphonies to have a personal dedication.
Notable Performances
The American premiere of Mahler's Eighth Symphony in 1916, led by Leopold Stokowski, featured 1,068 performers, outdoing even the Munich premiere.
Composition History
Gustav Mahler composed his monumental Eighth Symphony in an unusually short eight weeks, describing it as a "lightning vision" that felt dictated to him.
Compositional Technique
The Eighth Symphony uses an immense orchestra, two large mixed choirs, a separate children's chorus, organ, off-stage brass, and eight vocal soloists.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Mahler considered his Eighth Symphony his greatest work, stating that "all the rest of my works are no more than introductions."
Historical Context
The unofficial title 'Symphony of a Thousand' was not Mahler's idea, but came from impresario Emil Gutmann, who arranged the 1910 premiere.
