Symphony No. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand" (Mahler)

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Gustav Mahler's Eighth Symphony, appropriately subtitled "Symphony of a Thousand," is a work for large orchestra, two full choirs and several soloists that is generally considered to be the largest-scale work for chorus and orchestra in the current classical repertoire. With many performances lasting well over one hour, the "Symphony of a Thousand" is divided into two parts that share similar musical and poetic themes. The first part is based on the 9th Century Latin poem Veni creator spiritus (Come, Creator Spirit), and is musically structured like a Medieval motet of massive proportions. The first part introduces many of the themes that will be revisited in the symphony's second part, which is based on the closing scene from Goethe's Faust where Faust is saves himself from his contract with Mephistopheles and is allowed to ascend into heaven. The overall structure is believed to represent the evolution of Western civilization, from its mystic/spiritual roots in the Middle Ages, to humanity's ultimate redemption through love and unity of spirit. The "Symphony of a Thousand" is generally considered to be Mahler's magnum opus, narrowly beating out his Second Symphony in terms of its near-universal acclaim and importance to the development of Western music in the 20th Century.