Symphony No. 8 by Mahler reviewed by Gillian Moore 23rd September 2023

Gustav Mahler pushed the boundaries of what a symphony was at the turn of the 20th century. In his characteristically iconoclastic Symphony no.8, he paired an early Latin hymn with a setting of part of Goethe's Faust on a huge scale - it was exaggeratedly dubbed "Symphony of a Thousand" because of the number of performers Mahler calls upon. Writer Gillian Moore discusses the work, and the huge variety of approaches, with Andrew, ultimately revealing her personal recommendation to buy, download or stream.
Cheryl Studer, Sylvia McNair, Andrea Rost (sopranos)
Anne Sofie von Otter, Rosemarie Lang (mezzos)
Peter Seiffert (tenor)
Bryn Terfel & Jan-Hendrik Rootering (bass-baritones)
Rundfunkchor Berlin
Prager Philharmonischer Chor
Tolzer Knabenchor
Berlin Philharmonic
Claudio Abbado
DG 4458432 (CD)