Symphony No. 8 (Mahler) Symphony No. 8 (Mahler) The Symphony No. 8 in E-flat major by Gustav Mahler is one of the largest-scale choral works in the classical concert repertoire. Because it requires huge instrumental and vocal forces it is frequently called the "Symphony of a Thousand", although the work is normally presented with far fewer than a thousand performers and the composer did not sanction that name. The work was composed in a single inspired burst, at Maiernigg in southern Austria in the summer of 1906. The last of Mahler's works that was premiered in his lifetime, the symphony was a critical and
A Colour Symphony and Eugene Goossens to write a piece each. Howells wrote "Sine Nomine" for wordless chorus, which was not given its second performance until his centenary year 70 years later, in 1992. Goossens wrote a piece called "Silence" for chorus and orchestra. Elgar's own contribution was his orchestration of Johann Sebastian Bach's "Fantasia and Fugue in C minor". Bliss decided to write a symphony, but was at first undecided what the theme or character of the work would be. He could not get started for some weeks. One day, by chance, he came across a book on heraldry in which he