Composer: Gustav Mahler
Performer: Simone Schneider, Simon O’Neill, Michael Nagy, Evgeny Nikitin, Jacquelyn Wagner, Johannes Berger, Katharina Magiera, Claudia Mahnke, Regula Mühlemann, Orfeon Donostiarra, Philharmonischer Chor München
Orchestra: Münchner Philharmoniker
Conductor: Valery Gergiev
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Münchner Philharmoniker
Catalogue: 8709997426
Release: 2020
Size: 774 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Symphony No. 8 in E-Flat Major, “Symphony of a Thousand” (Live)
Part 1
01. I. “Veni, Creator Spiritus”
02. II. “Imple superna gratia”
03. III. “Infirma nostri corporis”
04. IV. Tempo I. (Allegro, etwas hastig)
05. V. “Infirma nostri corporis”
06. VI. “Accende lumen sensibus”
07. VII. “Veni, Creator”
08. VIII. “Gloria sit Patri Domino”
Part 2
09. I. Poco Adagio
10. II. Più mosso (Allegro moderato)
11. III. “Waldung, sie schwankt heran”
12. IV. “Ewiger Wonnebrand”
13. V. “Wie Felsengrund mir zu Füßen”
14. VI. “Gerettet ist das edle Glied”
15. VII. “Jene Rosen”
16. VIII. “Uns bleibt ein Erdenrest”
17. IX. “Ich spür soeben”
18. X. “Höchste Herrscherin der Welt”
19. XI. “Dir, der Unberührbaren”
20. XII. “Bei der Liebe”
21. XIII. “Neige, neige, du Ohnegleiche”
22. XIV. “Er überwächst uns schon”
23. XV. “Komm! Hebe Dich”
24. XVI. “Alles Vergängliche”
Hardly any other concert marks the city of Munich’s musical history as strikingly as the premiere of Gustav Mahler’s 8th symphony, the “Symphony of a Thousand”, which struck real waves of enthusiasm within the city’s cultural scene, and beyond. It marked a memorable triumph for the composer, whose works had regularly been performed in Munich since 1896. Mahler felt his art form was understood by the people of Munich.
Moreover, Gustav Mahler and the Münchner Philharmoniker share a very special connection. As a composer he sustainably linked the 19th century Austro-German tradition and the modernism of the early 20th century. The just discussed monumental world premiere of his Symphony No. 8 took place under his baton on 12 September 1910 in Munich with the present day Münchner Philharmoniker. His works have been a substantial part of the Münchner Philharmoniker’s core repertoire ever since and the orchestra has excelled on many occasions.
It therefore comes as no surprise that the Münchner Philharmoniker brought this very repertoire to performance on numerous occasions during their 2018/2019 125 years anniversary season, one of which marks this recording: a concert at the Philharmonie de Paris in February 2019.
In the symphony’s two highly contrasting parts in text as well as composition, Mahler brings the setting of the Latin 9th century Christian hymn for Pentecost “Veni, creator spiritus” in conjunction with the closing scene of Goethe’s “Faust II”: creating a syncretism of two different understandings of the world as it is, with the common theme of redemption through love.