Mahler - Symphony No. 8

Mahler - Symphony No. 8

Christoph Eschenbach conducts the Orchestre de Paris and Choir of the Orchestre de Paris in a performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 8. Recorded at the Palais Omnisports de Bercy, Paris in 2008. "Try to imagine the whole universe beginning to ring and resound.’’ Never before, such a large gathering of musicians had taken the stage as at the premiere of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 8. Three sopranos, two altos, a baritone, and a bass, two choirs, a boys choir, a very large orchestra, an organ, and of course a conductor behold the monstrous size of the orchestra the conductor has under his baton in performances of this gigantic composition. At the Munich premiere of 1910, 1003 people shared the stage, including the composer himself conducting the piece. The nickname 'Sinfonie der Tausend’ could not be more fitting, although this name was not Mahler's idea but rather a stunt by his impresario. The Symphony consists of two parts: part one is based on the Christian hymn for Pentecost ("Veni creator spiritus"), where the choir brings on an avalanche of sound. The second part deals with the closing scene of Goethe’s Faust, which opens more subdued and mysteriously. By using an orchestra of this size, Mahler intended to express the endlessness and the grandeur of the universe. The 1910 premiere formed the artistic highlight of Mahler's life. His success was overshadowed by the affair his wife Alma Mahler had with the architect Walter Gropius. As token of love, Mahler dedicated this No. 8 to her.