Mahler's 8th

Took in Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 8 ("Symphony of a Thousand") this afternoon at Chrysler Hall. An impressive performance by an augmented Virginia Symphony Orchestra together with the five choirs/choruses necessary to complete the 400-member symphony chorus plus eight (8!) soloists. While I knew the gist of the two movements from promotional emails, not having studied the text of the multiple parts and notes on the music reduced my appreciation.

I had expect to run through the notes in the program by getting to the performance 15 minutes early. For some reason, the supply of programs had already been exhausted. One would have thought that the knowledge that the performance was a sell-out would have prompted printing of enough programs but one would have been mistaken.

But 15 minutes wouldn't have been enough time to take in the ten pages of text anyway. A kind woman gave us an extra program after the performance and I've manged to study part of it so far.

I wouldn't exactly call Mahler's text strictly orthodox in Christian doctrine. Marrying early Medieval Latin Christian hymnody with a retelling of Goethe's Faust suggests infused rather than imputed righteousness and a moral influence theory of the atonement. Not exactly the theology of a good Presbyterian. Although the text notes didn't mention whether Mahler was aware of her, I wonder if he drew upon the universalistic writings of 14th-century anchoress Julian of Norwich for inspiration.

In any event, the performance was extraordinary from a technical view point and a fitting conclusion and crown for conductor JoAnn Falleta's goal of completing all of Mahler's symphonies.