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
A Symphony of Three Orchestras praised by musicians and critics alike. The cellist Fred Sherry (who performed the first recording of Carter's Cello Concerto) described "A Symphony of Three Orchestras" as one of three Carter pieces he would "recommend to every music lover," including his Concerto for Orchestra and "". The music critic Tim Page of "The Washington Post" wrote, "It makes its strongest impression in concert, where one may listen to each ensemble playing its own allotted music, then combining with the other ensembles to create a cumulative whole." A Symphony of Three Orchestras A Symphony of Three Orchestras is an orchestra composition by