Symphony instruments, 19th century symphonies were gradually augmented with more string players and more wind parts, so that the orchestra grew substantially in sheer numbers, as concert halls likewise grew. At the beginning of the 20th century, Gustav Mahler wrote long, large-scale symphonies. His Eighth Symphony, for example, was composed in 1906 and is nicknamed the "Symphony of a Thousand" because of the large number of voices required to perform the work. Additionally, his Third Symphony is one of the longest regularly performed symphonies at around 100 minutes in length for most performances. The 20th century also saw further diversification in
Symphony No. 5 (Chávez) the Third Symphony, though of course without the powerful effect of a large orchestra . Symphony No. 5 (Chávez) Symphony No. 5, also called "Sinfonía para cuerdas" (Symphony for Strings) is a composition for string orchestra by Carlos Chávez, composed in 1953. The Fifth Symphony was commissioned on 24 September 1952 by the Koussevitsky Music Foundation, and was sketched in July and August 1953. Chávez composed all of it during the month of September, while he was living in Acapulco, completing the fair copy of the score the following month. The score is dedicated to the memory of Serge and