Gustav Mahler (1860 - 1911) himself had a special relationship with this composition. He described her as his "most important work" and wrote to Willem Mengelberg that his eighth symphony should go down in history as a "symphony of a thousand". The premiere took place on September 12, 1910 under his leadership in Munich and was a great success that ensured Mahler a place in the first row of the international music scene. In fact, participants in the premiere over 1,015 were involved, including 850 choir singers and 157 instrumentalists, which impressively underlined the force and complexity of the work.
The structure of the symphony
The eighth symphony is divided into two parts. The first part is based on the Latin hymn "Veni Creator Spirit", which embodies a large motet in a musical form and wants to address the spiritual topics of salvation and unity. The second part is a setting of the closing scene from Goethe's "Faust", which is a mixture of music drama, cantata and oratorio. This structure deviates from the classic four sets and reflects the unconventional style of Mahler. Mahler felt under pressure when composing, which probably led to the high work speed with which the grades were written down.
Overall, the eighth symphony addresses the power of love and grace, which is illustrated by five guiding principles. Mahler wanted to create a plea for the reconciling power of human relationships with his work and thus turned away from the pessimism of his earlier work. Unconventional and full of emotional content, this symphony has established itself as a masterpiece and is often performed in concert halls worldwide.
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a big evening in Vienna
For the upcoming performance, the audience can look forward to a remarkable evening with many talented soloists. The voices are worn by Verity Wingate, Eleanor Lyons, Maximilian Schmitt and Rafael. In addition, the two large choirs, the Vienna Singverein and the Slovak Philharmonic Choir, as well as the Viennese singing boys, will ensure a magnificent sound. The Tonkünstler Orchestra Lower Austria under the direction of Yutaka Sado will perfectly round off the musical performance.
The technical quality of the performance, which is transmitted to Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, is also worth mentioning. This promises that the listeners can immerse themselves in a perfect sound experience. The joy of this musical highlight is further reinforced by the close connection to Mahler and the historical context of the premiere, which attracted many prominent personalities such as Thomas Mann and Richard Strauss and resulted in 20 minutes of lasting cheering. 
