Mahler Universe - Symphony no. 8

 In 1906, Gustav Mahler described his Eighth Symphony as his most ambitious creation to date in both content and form. According to Mahler, the symphony was revealed to him as a blazing vision, with a unique structure: from beginning to end, everything is sung, with human voices as essential instruments. The work merges two distinct texts in different languages: the medieval hymn Veni creator spiritus and the final scene of Goethe’s Faust, which explores and expresses a shared idea of redemption through the grace of love.

The challenge of bringing the Eighth to life surpasses that of any other symphonic work. Josep Pons, after years at the helm of the orchestra and choir of The Liceu Opera House, brings this magnificent musical chapter to a close, having transformed these ensembles and left his own distinctive mark. This overwhelming Symphony of a Thousand, one of the greatest masterpieces of all time, will be a moving culmination of this love story.