One of the best symphonies of the last gasp of the Romantic era is Mahler’s Symphony number 8, or Symphony of 1,000. The latter title was given for the fact that the chorus that was featured on the piece was one thousand singers in attendance. There is so much to say about this work. Where to begin?
Within the first 25 minutes of the work, the first one or two movements, the brightness of extravaganza is deep in the air. It was high! The movement features a front row of choir soloists and background choir singing what sounds like intense, mass-like mini-movements. There are many parts where sopranos are hitting consecutive high Cs and maintaining an impossibly high tessitura. These mini-movements are followed by expressive and highly inventive runs in the strings and the woodwinds playing in full color. The piece starts off all majestic in E-flat major with the organ and choir commanding the listener’s attention. There are some very minor key changes to E and A and D-flat. After the soloists finish their round of beautiful singing the texture changes back to E-flat and floats back and forth from E-flat to A-flat and back again.
The end of the movement features the singers and horn players playing their hearts out in A-flat and then it culminates in the ending phrase in E-flat. There are a ton of conventions that would be very common in Bach or Mozart. Mahler uses this to his advantage. It is a surge of energy and celebration. In classic Mahler fashion, he likes it breathtakingly big and flourishing all over the place. Well, the first movement does this and then some.
In historical background, this piece originally was written as a liturgical work for the masses. It was based largely on a Christian hymn of old time. Much of the rest of the piece has that flair of sacred and secular.
The second movement has the parallel minor of the first E-flat key in E-flat minor. It has a beauty and a mystique about it that has a deep sense of longing. The strings take it and carry it with a gusto that is unmatched and unparalleled by many other symphonies before or since this time. The violas were such a big part of this movement. They carry the over-arching theme of the movement. There are some great tones also by the double basses. The trumpets carrying the resounding E-flats in the violins is spectacular. It’s like adding brass metal and gold to bronze velvet.
The movement continues with the bass members of the choir are singing a “triste” of sorts. This is perhaps from the Caritas movement of the piece which is coined “Christian Love” The choir in the language of the piece talks about love and loss and the possibility of a brighter future. This is followed by a bright baritone or tenor solo. I don’t know exactly what the soloist is saying in the text. It is something of religious affect. The whole work is something to marvel at and one of the best works at the last gasp of the Romantic Era. The other movements offer much of the same bombastic tunes and show that the impressive first two movements do. It is a symphony full of a favorite of things: color.
