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
Berlin: Symphony of a Metropolis Berlin: Symphony of a Metropolis Berlin: Symphony of a Metropolis or Berlin: Symphony of a Great City () is a 1927 German silent film directed by Walter Ruttmann, co-written by Carl Mayer and Karl Freund. Composer Edmund Meisel was commissioned to write an orchestral score for its original release. The film is an example of the 'city symphony' film genre. It portrays the life of a city, mainly through visual impressions in a semi-documentary style, without the narrative content of more mainstream films, though the sequencing of events can imply a kind of loose theme or impression of the city's