The Philadelphia Orchestra

Thu.-Sat., May 1-3, 8 p.m., $10-$123, Kimmel Center, 300 S. Broad St., 215-893-1999, philorch.org.

by Peter Burwasser

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Published: Apr 29, 2008

classical

Guess why Mahler's Eighth Symphony is called "Symphony of a Thousand"? Yes, because if performed with the composer's vision realized, you need a thousand (and then some) musicians, most of them choir singers. This is not very practical, and explains why the Philadelphia Orchestra has only programmed the work three times since it was written in 1906. The first performance, in 1916, was the spectacular American premiere, an event that made the orchestra's international reputation, under the direction of their glamorous new music director, Leopold Stokowski. It is, today, almost never played with so many participants, but even at half that number, you get quite a glorious sound. The chance to hear this sublime music live is rare, perhaps once in lifetime. These performances mark the culmination of Christoph Eschenbach's multi-year Mahler festival, surely the most important legacy of his short, strange tenure as music director.

Thu.-Sat., May 1-3, 8 p.m., $10-$123, Kimmel Center, 300 S. Broad St., 215-893-1999, philorch.org.

 

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