Mahler’s symphony of a thousand: a musical masterpiece blooms!

Mahler’s symphony of a thousand: a musical masterpiece blooms!

Maiernigg, Österreich - The "Symphony of the thousand" by Gustav Mahler, widely regarded as one of the most impressive works of classical music, will be performed on June 10, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. This extraordinary symphony combines choir, soloists and a gigantic orchestra into a abundance of sound that is second to none. Mahler himself described the work in a letter to Willem Mengelberg as his "most important work", which strives for a universal message with spiritual depth and a strong humanistic note. Ö1 reports on the detailed performance.

The premiere of the eighth symphony took place on September 12, 1910 in Munich and was led by Mahler himself. Around 1,015 participants were on stage, including 850 choir members, which brought the work to the nickname "Symphony of the thousand". Ironically, this title does not come from Mahler itself, but was used as a sales argument. The colorful casts and the unconventional structure make the symphony an impressive experience that touches both emotionally and musically.

Details for performance

The performance on June 10 comprises two parts:

• Part 1: "Veni Creator Spiritus" (Hymnus 9th century) - 00:25:39
• Part 2: "closing scene from Faust (Goethe)"-01:01:28

Under the direction of Yutaka Sado, the Tonkünstler Orchestra in Lower Austria can be heard. In the soloist team you can find:

• Verity Wingate (soprano i)
• Eleanor Lyons (soprano II)
• Christina Gansch (soprano III)
• Stepánka Pucálková (Mezzosopran I)
• Noa BeinArt (Mezzosopran II)
• Maximilian Schmitt (tenor)
• rafael fingerless (baritone)
• David Steffens (bass)

The choirs consist of the Vienna Singverein, the Slovak Philharmonic Choir and the Viennese singing boy.

A look at the story

The origin of the symphony was in Mahler's villa in Maiernigg, Austria. The artistic vision, which is behind the work, addresses redemption through the power of love and expresses deep trust in the human spirit, as [Wikipedia] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/symphony_no._8_ (Mahler)). During the premiere, the work was received by huge applause, among the guests were greats like Thomas Mann and Richard Strauss, who considered the innovative performance to be decisive for the music world.

The work based on a medieval hymn and the final scene of Goethe's “Faust” is often performed and has been established in international concert life. Critical voices that classified it as artistically inferior could not reduce the continuing fame of the symphony. [de.wikipedia.org] (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/8._sinfonie_ (mahler)) summarizes that it is a unique masterpiece that is almost completely vowel and has no classic four sentences.

Another Highlight of the gala will be Sergej Rachmaninoff's "Concert for Piano and Orchestra No. 3 in D minor, op. 30", performed by pianist Andrei Gavrilov and the Philadelphia Orchestra under the direction of Riccardo Muti.

The combination of Mahler and Rachmaninoff promises to become an unforgettable concert experience that takes the audience on an emotional journey. This unique event should never miss lovers classical music!