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EspañolSYMPHONY NO. 8 (MAHLER)
The 'Symphony No. 8 in E flat major' by Gustav Mahler, known as the '''Symphony of a Thousand''', was mostly written in 1906, with its vast orchestration and final touches completed in 1907. The symphony takes around eighty minutes to perform.
The symphony requires a massive number of musicians to perform, hence the nickname "Symphony of a Thousand."
The work is scored for:
★ Woodwinds:
:4 flutes, 2 piccolo parts (several to a part), 4 oboes, English horn, E-flat clarinet, doubled throughout, 3 clarinets in B flat and A , bass clarinet in B flat and A, 4 bassoons and contrabassoon.
★ Brass:
:8 horns in F, 4 trumpets in F and B flat, 4 trombones, and tuba.
★ Percussion:
:Timpani, triangle, 3 cymbals, bass drum, tam-tam, deep tubular bells in A and A flat and glockenspiel.
★ Keyboards:
:Celesta, piano, harmonium and organ.
★ Offstage instruments:
:4 trumpets in F (several to a part) and 3 trombones.
★ Vocal parts:
:First soprano (Magna Peccatrix)
:Second soprano (Una poenitentium)
:Third soprano (Mater gloriosa)
:First alto (Mulier Samaritana)
:Second alto (Maria Aegyptiaca)
:Tenor (Doctor Marianus)
:Baritone (Pater ecstaticus)
:Bass (Pater profundus)
:Boys' choir
:Mixed choirs I, II
★ Strings:
:2 harp parts (several to a part), mandolin (several to the part) and strings.
Note by Mahler: When large choirs of voices and strings are used, doubling of the first chair of woodwinds is recommended.
The work is divided into two large parts. The first, Part I, ''Hymnus: Veni, Creator Spiritus'' is a setting of a Medieval Latin hymn by Rabanus Maurus and typically lasts almost half an hour; one of the soprano soloists does not appear in this section. The movement is almost continuously vocal, with the hymn being sung mainly by the choirs. Despite its apparent complexity, in it can be seen a type of sonata form.
The second part, Part II, ''Schluss-szene aus "Faust"'' lasts almost an hour, which is longer than most complete symphonies. It takes as its text the final scene of Goethe's ''Faust II''. It is often said to be more like a cantata than a symphony, because of its extensive use of vocal soloists. The music is continuous, but it can be regarded as consisting of three sections corresponding to the last three movements of the classical symphony: first, a slow adagio section lasting for fifteen minutes with almost no singing; then a scherzo-like section; and finally a quick and lively finale.
The symphony uses a three-note theme prevalently, first heard by the full chorus. (E flat, B flat, A flat.) Themes and large sections from the first part are later repeated in the second part; the ''Infirma nostri corporis'' section of Part I is repeated around the middle of the second part. Mahler described the tremendous finale of this symphony to his friend the conductor Willem Mengelberg this way: "Try to imagine the whole universe beginning to ring and resound. These are no longer human voices, but planets and suns revolving."
Mahler uses the organist and some wind instruments on a powerful E flat major chord to begin, instead of using an orchestra to launch the symphony. (The organist looks at the conductor in a mirror for a signal to begin.) The organ maintains a low E-flat while the full chorus joins in with a call of "Veni!" The orchestra enters with timpani and brass instruments, then the rest of the orchestra simultaneously with the chorus repeating the call of "Veni".
Today, despite the enormous forces and cost required to stage the symphony, performances and recordings are not rare. However, the number of musicians involved in modern performances rarely reaches 1,000. In 2001, however, there was a performance celebrating an anniversary year in Basel, with over 700 singers from 16 local choirs and 200 members of the Basel Symphony Orchestra. Including around 150 aides, over 1,000 performers were involved.
The premiere performance in Munich on 12 September, 1910 featured a chorus of about 850, with an orchestra of 171. These massive forces led to Mahler's agent dubbing the work ''Symphony of a Thousand''. Mahler did not approve of the title at all, but it remains.
This work was the first to which the publishers Universal Edition obtained an original copyright. They first published a vocal score in 1910, with a full score following in 1911.
The piece was a great success at its premiere, one of few of Mahler's works to be so well received in his lifetime. It was the last premiere of one his works that Mahler witnessed before his death. He completed two further works, the orchestral song cycle ''Das Lied von der Erde'', and his ''Symphony No. 9''.
★ World premiere: September 12, 1910, Munich, conducted by the composer.
★ American premiere: March 2, 1916, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, conducted by Leopold Stokowski.
★ English premiere: April 15, 1930, London, with Henry Wood conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
★ Japanese premiere: December 8, 1949, Tokyo, with Kazuo Yamada conducting the Japan Symphony Orchestra (now NHK Symphony Orchestra)
★ Canadian premiere: June 24, 1983, Toronto, with Andrew Davis conducting the Toronto Symphony Orchestra
★ Taiwanese premiere: October 10, 1995, Taipei, with Uri Mayer conducting the National Symphony Orchestra (Taiwan) (former known as National Concert Hall Symphony Orchestra)
★ Chinese premiere: October 11, 2002, Beijing, with Long Yu conducting the China Philharmonic Orchestra
★ Southeast Asian premiere: May 29, 2004, Singapore, with Lan Shui conducting the Singapore Symphony Orchestra
★ The fastest recording of the symphony is conducted by Neeme Järvi, clocking in at 70:16, while the slowest, with Wyn Morris, takes 92:45.
★ This symphony marks the return to the usage of voices since the fourth symphony, the usage of a chorus since the third symphony, and a chorus with male voices since the second symphony.
★ On August 26, 2006, about 90,000 people witnessed a free performance billed as the "first-ever outdoor presentation". It was given on a specially constructed stage on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, conducted by Isaac Karabtchevsky leading 412 choral singers, 8 soloists and 171 instrumentalists. It included amplification, lighting, and video screens to accompany the symphony, marking a cultural achievement. (By coincidence, Esa-Pekka Salonen conducted the same symphony on the same evening (of the "first-ever outdoor presentation") at Berwaldhallen (Berwald Hall) in Stockholm, as the concluding event at the Baltic Sea Festival.)
★ Extensive history and analysis by renowned Mahler scholar Henry Louis de La Grange
★
| Contents |
| Instrumentation |
| Structure |
| The opening of the symphony |
| Text |
| Movement I (Veni, creator spiritus) |
| Premiere and history |
| Premieres |
| Trivia |
| External links |
Instrumentation
The American premiere of Mahler's Eighth Symphony with Leopold Stokowski conducting 1,068 performers. (Photo: The Philadelphia Orchestra Association Archives)
The symphony requires a massive number of musicians to perform, hence the nickname "Symphony of a Thousand."
The work is scored for:
★ Woodwinds:
:4 flutes, 2 piccolo parts (several to a part), 4 oboes, English horn, E-flat clarinet, doubled throughout, 3 clarinets in B flat and A , bass clarinet in B flat and A, 4 bassoons and contrabassoon.
★ Brass:
:8 horns in F, 4 trumpets in F and B flat, 4 trombones, and tuba.
★ Percussion:
:Timpani, triangle, 3 cymbals, bass drum, tam-tam, deep tubular bells in A and A flat and glockenspiel.
★ Keyboards:
:Celesta, piano, harmonium and organ.
★ Offstage instruments:
:4 trumpets in F (several to a part) and 3 trombones.
★ Vocal parts:
:First soprano (Magna Peccatrix)
:Second soprano (Una poenitentium)
:Third soprano (Mater gloriosa)
:First alto (Mulier Samaritana)
:Second alto (Maria Aegyptiaca)
:Tenor (Doctor Marianus)
:Baritone (Pater ecstaticus)
:Bass (Pater profundus)
:Boys' choir
:Mixed choirs I, II
★ Strings:
:2 harp parts (several to a part), mandolin (several to the part) and strings.
Note by Mahler: When large choirs of voices and strings are used, doubling of the first chair of woodwinds is recommended.
Structure
The work is divided into two large parts. The first, Part I, ''Hymnus: Veni, Creator Spiritus'' is a setting of a Medieval Latin hymn by Rabanus Maurus and typically lasts almost half an hour; one of the soprano soloists does not appear in this section. The movement is almost continuously vocal, with the hymn being sung mainly by the choirs. Despite its apparent complexity, in it can be seen a type of sonata form.
The second part, Part II, ''Schluss-szene aus "Faust"'' lasts almost an hour, which is longer than most complete symphonies. It takes as its text the final scene of Goethe's ''Faust II''. It is often said to be more like a cantata than a symphony, because of its extensive use of vocal soloists. The music is continuous, but it can be regarded as consisting of three sections corresponding to the last three movements of the classical symphony: first, a slow adagio section lasting for fifteen minutes with almost no singing; then a scherzo-like section; and finally a quick and lively finale.
The symphony uses a three-note theme prevalently, first heard by the full chorus. (E flat, B flat, A flat.) Themes and large sections from the first part are later repeated in the second part; the ''Infirma nostri corporis'' section of Part I is repeated around the middle of the second part. Mahler described the tremendous finale of this symphony to his friend the conductor Willem Mengelberg this way: "Try to imagine the whole universe beginning to ring and resound. These are no longer human voices, but planets and suns revolving."
The opening of the symphony
Mahler uses the organist and some wind instruments on a powerful E flat major chord to begin, instead of using an orchestra to launch the symphony. (The organist looks at the conductor in a mirror for a signal to begin.) The organ maintains a low E-flat while the full chorus joins in with a call of "Veni!" The orchestra enters with timpani and brass instruments, then the rest of the orchestra simultaneously with the chorus repeating the call of "Veni".
Text
Movement I (Veni, creator spiritus)
:'Original Latin' :Veni, creator spiritus, :mentes tuorum visita; :Imple superna gratia, :quae tu creasti pectora. :Qui tu Paraclitus diceris, :donum Dei altissimi, :fons vivus, ignis, caritas, :et spiritalis unctio. :Infirma nostri corporis, :virtute firmans perpeti. :Accende lumen sensibus. :Infunde amorem cordibus. :Hostem repellas longius, :pacemque dones protinus; :ductore sic te praevio :vitemus omne pessimum. :Tu septiformis munere, :digitus paternae dexterae. :Per te sciamus de Patrem, :noscamus [atque] Filium, :[Te utriusque] Spiritum :credamus omni tempore. :Veni, creator spiritus :mentes tuorum visita; :Imple superna gratia, :quae tu creasti pectora. :Da gaudiorum praemia, :da gratiarum munera; :dissolve litis vincula, :adstringe pacis foedera. :Gloria sit Patri Domino, :Natoque, qui a mortuis :surrexit, ac Paraclito :in saeculorum saecula. | :'In English' :Come, Creator Spirit, :visit the minds of your people, :fill with grace from on high :the hearts which Thou didst create. :Thou that art called Comforter, :gift from God most high, :living fount, fire, love :and unction of the spirit. :Endow our weak flesh :with perpetual strength, :kindle our senses with light, :pour Thy love into our hearts. :Drive the enemy far from us :grant us lasting peace, :so that, beneath Thy guidance, :we may avoid all ill. :Thou, sevenfold in gifts, :finger of the Father's right hand. :Give us to know Father :and Son through Thee, :and in Thee, Spirit emanating of both, :grant that we may always believe. :Come, Creator Spirit, :visit the minds of your people, :fill with grace from on high :the hearts which Thou didst create. :Give us joy, :grant us Thy peace, :smooth our quarrels, :preserve us in bonds of peace. :Glory be to the Father, :to His Son, who rose from the dead, :and to our Advocate and Comforter :for ever and ever. |
Premiere and history
Today, despite the enormous forces and cost required to stage the symphony, performances and recordings are not rare. However, the number of musicians involved in modern performances rarely reaches 1,000. In 2001, however, there was a performance celebrating an anniversary year in Basel, with over 700 singers from 16 local choirs and 200 members of the Basel Symphony Orchestra. Including around 150 aides, over 1,000 performers were involved.
The premiere performance in Munich on 12 September, 1910 featured a chorus of about 850, with an orchestra of 171. These massive forces led to Mahler's agent dubbing the work ''Symphony of a Thousand''. Mahler did not approve of the title at all, but it remains.
This work was the first to which the publishers Universal Edition obtained an original copyright. They first published a vocal score in 1910, with a full score following in 1911.
The piece was a great success at its premiere, one of few of Mahler's works to be so well received in his lifetime. It was the last premiere of one his works that Mahler witnessed before his death. He completed two further works, the orchestral song cycle ''Das Lied von der Erde'', and his ''Symphony No. 9''.
Premieres
★ World premiere: September 12, 1910, Munich, conducted by the composer.
★ American premiere: March 2, 1916, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, conducted by Leopold Stokowski.
★ English premiere: April 15, 1930, London, with Henry Wood conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
★ Japanese premiere: December 8, 1949, Tokyo, with Kazuo Yamada conducting the Japan Symphony Orchestra (now NHK Symphony Orchestra)
★ Canadian premiere: June 24, 1983, Toronto, with Andrew Davis conducting the Toronto Symphony Orchestra
★ Taiwanese premiere: October 10, 1995, Taipei, with Uri Mayer conducting the National Symphony Orchestra (Taiwan) (former known as National Concert Hall Symphony Orchestra)
★ Chinese premiere: October 11, 2002, Beijing, with Long Yu conducting the China Philharmonic Orchestra
★ Southeast Asian premiere: May 29, 2004, Singapore, with Lan Shui conducting the Singapore Symphony Orchestra
Trivia
★ The fastest recording of the symphony is conducted by Neeme Järvi, clocking in at 70:16, while the slowest, with Wyn Morris, takes 92:45.
★ This symphony marks the return to the usage of voices since the fourth symphony, the usage of a chorus since the third symphony, and a chorus with male voices since the second symphony.
★ On August 26, 2006, about 90,000 people witnessed a free performance billed as the "first-ever outdoor presentation". It was given on a specially constructed stage on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, conducted by Isaac Karabtchevsky leading 412 choral singers, 8 soloists and 171 instrumentalists. It included amplification, lighting, and video screens to accompany the symphony, marking a cultural achievement. (By coincidence, Esa-Pekka Salonen conducted the same symphony on the same evening (of the "first-ever outdoor presentation") at Berwaldhallen (Berwald Hall) in Stockholm, as the concluding event at the Baltic Sea Festival.)
External links
★ Extensive history and analysis by renowned Mahler scholar Henry Louis de La Grange
★
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