{"id":1046,"date":"2025-04-21T21:01:42","date_gmt":"2025-04-21T20:01:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jayweiner.me\/blog\/?p=1046"},"modified":"2025-06-22T04:19:55","modified_gmt":"2025-06-22T03:19:55","slug":"mahler-8-symphony-of-a-thousand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jayweiner.me\/blog\/performances\/mahler-8-symphony-of-a-thousand\/","title":{"rendered":"Mahler 8 “Symphony of a Thousand”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BOZAR, 8 and 9 March 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Symphony No. 8 in E-flat major by Gustav Mahler<\/a> is one of the largest-scale choral works in the classical concert repertoire. Because it requires massive instrumental and vocal forces, it is often called the ‘Symphony of a Thousand.’ Due to its difficulty and high cost of performance, it is rarely programmed, making it a rare piece to encounter \u2014 especially for a young singer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For these two concerts, organised by La Monnaie and conducted by Alain Altiniglou, we were nearly three hundred singers and musicians on stage at the main hall of the Palais de Beaux-Arts in Brussels. We filled all the stage, plus six balconies full of singers and some trumpets at the back of the audience. Both concerts were sold out, so we sang for more than 2000 people every night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have sung with an orchestra before, but this was two orchestras combined (La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra<\/a> with the Belgian National Orchestra<\/a>) as well as two adult choirs combined (La Monnaie Choral Academy<\/a> and the Flemish Radio Choir<\/a>), plus one children’s choir (the Children’s and Youth Choirs of La Monnaie<\/a>), and eight soloists, all of which created an incredibly loud sound, for a non-amplified concert, and an almost overwhelming atmosphere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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All in all, an impressive experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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