Mahler Symphony No. 8

Classical Music / Symphony

Composer: Gustav Mahler (7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911)

Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 8 in E-flat major is frequently called "Symphony of a Thousand" because it requires huge instrumental and  vocal forces, although it is normally presented with fewer than a thousand performers. It is one of the largest-scale choral works in the classical concert repertoire. The work was composed in a single inspired burst, in the summer of 1906, at Maiernigg, Southern Austria. The last of Mahler's works premiered in his lifetime, it was a popular success when he conducted the Munich Philharmonic in its first performance, in Munich, on 12 September 1910.

The fusion of song and symphony had been a characteristic of Mahler's early works. In his "middle" compositional period after 1901, a change of direction led him to produce three purely instrumental symphonies. The Symphony No. 8, marking the end of the middle period, returns to a combination of orchestra and voice in a symphonic context. The structure of the work is unconventional; instead of the normal framework of several movements, the piece is in two parts. Part I is based on the Latin text of a 9th-century Christian hymn for Pentecost, Veni creator spiritus ("Come, Creator Spirit"), and Part II is a setting of the words from the closing scene of Goethe's Faust. The two parts are unified by a common idea: redemption through the power of love, a unity conveyed through shared musical themes.

Mahler offered the Eighth as an expression of confidence in the eternal human spirit. In the period following the composer's death, performances were comparatively rare. However, from the mid-20th century onwards the symphony has been heard regularly in concert halls all over the world, and has been recorded many times.

Another performance: 

Mahler: Symphony No. 8 - Rattle & NYOGB [BBC Proms 2002]. Sir Simon Rattle conducts the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. YouTube, uploaded by Newmono. Accessed August 12, 2025. 

Video Credit:  

 Mahler - Symphony No. 8 - "Symphony Of A Thousand" - Bernstein / WPO / 1975. Youtube, uploaded by glagolitic.  Accessed September 2, 2026.  


Resources & Suggested Reading:

Symphony No. 8 (Mahler). en.wikipedia.org.  Accessed September 12, 2013. 

Symphony No. 8 in E-Flat Major, Symphony by Gustav Mahler.  Britannica (Online). Accessed September 12, 2013.


(c) September 2013. Updated September 2, 2026. Tel.  Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved. 

Brahms Symphony No. 1

Classical Music / Symphony

 

Brahms Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68


Johannes Brahms spent at least fourteen years completing his Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68. His sketches date from 1854. He declared that this work, from sketches to finishing touches, took 21 years, from 1855 to 1876. The premiere of this symphony, conducted by his friend Felix Otto Desssoff, was on 4 November 1876, in Karlruhe, then in the Grand Duchy of Baden. A typical performance lasts between 45 and 50 minutes.

Enjoy listening to the video below conducted by Paavo Järvi, with Orchestre de Paris - Brahms: Symphony No.1 in C Minor, Op.68.

 

Mahler Symphony No.6 in A Minor

Classical Music Dateline, May 27 / Orchestral

 

Premiere of Gustav Mahler's Symphony 6

This day, May 27, 1906, Gustav Mahler conducts the first performance of his Symphony No.6  in Essen, Germany.  Mahler's  Symphony No. 6 in A minor is sometimes referred to as "Tragic" or Tragische, which he composed between 1903 and 1905 (revised 1906; scoring was repeatedly revised).

Saint-Saëns Symphony No.3, Organ Symphony

Classical Music / Symphony

Camille Saint-Saëns's Symphony No.3 "Organ symphony" is first performed in London on May 19, 1886, at St. James's Hall in London, conducted by the composer himself.

Commissioned by England's Royal Philharmonic Society, Camille Saint-Saëns's Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78, popularly known as "Organ Symphony" was completed by the composer in 1886, considered the best time of his career life. Although nicknamed "Organ symphony" it is not a true symphony for organ, but an orchestral symphony where two sections out of four use the pipe organ.

Movements:  Adagio - allegro moderato - allegro moderato

The composer inscribed it as: Symphonie No. 3 "avec orgue" (with organ).  

Mendelssohn Symphony No. 4 'Italian'

Classical Music Datebook: May 13

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy conducts the premiere of his Symphony No.4, "Italian." On May 13, 1833, Mendelssohn's Symphony No.4 was first performed in London at a Royal Philharmonic Society concert.

Symphony No. 4 in A major, Op. 90, known as Italian, is an orchestral symphony composed by by Felix Mendelssohn, a German composer. 

Like Mendelssohn's "Scottish Symphony" and the orchestral overture "The Hebrides" (Fingal's Cave), "Italian" was also inspired during his tour of Europe from 1829 to 1831. His inspiration was the colour and atmosphere of Italy. Symphony No. 4 was completed in 1833.

Sergei Prokofiev Classical Symphony

Classical Music Milestone: April 21

Prokofiev's "Classical Symphony" Premieres

This day, on April 21, 1918, in St. Petersburg (formerly Petrograd), Symphony No. 1 in D major (Op. 25), by Sergei Prokofiev was first performed, conducted by the composer himself. 

Prokofiev began work in 1916, finishing it on September 10.  It is written in loose imitation of the style of  Haydn and Mozart. This symphony is one of Prokofiev's most popular works. It is commonly known as Classical Symphony, a name given to it by Prokofiev himself. 

Beethoven Symphony No. 3 "Eroica"

Ludwig Van Beethoven conducts his own "Eroica"

This day, April 7, 1805, Beethoven conducts in Vienna, Austria, the first public performance of his Symphony No.3 in E Flat Major (Op. 55), famously known as Eroica symphony.  He began composing the third symphony soon ater his second symphony in D major, completing the actual work in early 1804. 

"Eroica" is an Italian term meaning "heroic." It is a  landmark musical work that marks the advent of Beethoven's series of unprecedented large scale works of intense emotion and structural strength, referred to as "middle-period."

Mozart's Last Three Symphonies - Nos. 39, 40 and 41

Mozart / Symphonies / Orchestral

Symphony No. 39, Symphony No. 40, Symphony No. 41

The Symphony No. 39 in Eb major, K. 543, completed on 26 June 1788, is the first of a set of three last symphonies that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed in rapid succession during the summer of 1788. Symphony No. 40 was completed 25 July and Symphony No. 41 on 10th of August. Austrian conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt argues that Mozart composed these three symphonies as a unified work, pointing, among other things, to the fact that the Symphony No. 39 has a grand introduction (in the manner of an overture) but no coda.

Symphony No. 40 in G minor, KV 550 is sometimes referred to as the "Great G minor symphony," to distinguish it from the "Little G minor symphony," No. 25, which Mozart composed when he was only 17 years old (October 1773). Symphony No. 25 is one of two G minor symphonies Mozart wrote aside from Symphony No. 40. (Mozart's Symphony No 40. YouTube, uploaded by WD Classical Music, Maestro Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducting Concentus Musicus.  Accessed July 25, 2025.)  The two symphonies are the only extant minor key symphonies Wolfgang Mozart wrote. (Here's a favourite link from Maestro Leonard Bernstein conducting Symphony 40: here, and Symphony No. 25: here. Sorry, the video has no live performance, thus I don't know the performers. I enjoy listening to Symph No. 25 when I feel drained of energy.)

Symphony No. 41 in C major, K. 551, was completed by Mozart  on 10 August 1788. The longest and last symphony that he composed, it is regarded by many critics and music lovers as among the greatest symphonies in classical music... the pinnacle of Mozart's instrumental music. Its combination of simplicity and complexity, melodic invention and emotional depth remain unsurpassed. This work is nicknamed the Jupiter Symphony, a name stems not from Mozart himself but said as likely coined by the impresario Johann Peter Salomon. (Mozart: Sinfonie C-Dur KV 551 (»Jupiter«) ∙ hr-Sinfonieorchester ∙ Paavo Järvi. Uploaded by Frankfurt Radio symphony. Accessed June 26, 2015. Mozart Symphony 41 / Simone Young / 2018. YouTube, uploaded by micabrains. Accessed April 29, 2021.)



Resources:

Symphony No. 39 (Mozart). en.wikipedia.org.

Symphony N0. 40 (Mozart). en.wikipedia.org.

Symphony No. 41 (Mozart). en.wikipedia.org.

(c) June 26, 2015. Updated July 25, 2025. Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved.

Mozart's Symphony No. 31 in D major "Paris"

Classical Music / Mozart Symphony

The Symphony No. 31 in D major, K. 297/300a, better known as the "Paris Symphony," is one of the more famous symphonies by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The work was composed in 1778 during Mozart's unsuccessful job-hunting sojourn in Paris. The composer was then 22 years old. The premiere took place on 12 June 1778 in a private performance in the home of Count Karl Heinrich Joseph von Sickingen, the ambassador of the Elrectorate of the Palatinate. The public premiere took place six days later in a performance at the Concert Spirituel.




The work received a positive review in the June 26 issue of the Courrier de l'Europe, published in London.  Several other performances ensued, and evidently, it was popular. At a later date, the symphony was performed in the Burgtheater in Vienna on 11 March 1783 during a benefit concert for the singer Aloysia Weber, Mozart's sister-in-law.

Mendelssohn Symphony No. 3 'Scottish'

Classical Music Milestone / Symphony. March 3.

The Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56, known as the Scottish, is composed by Felix Mendelssohn between 1829 and 1842.  The first performance took place on 3 March 1842 in Leipzig Gewandhaus. It is not known when he resumed work on it although sketches suggest he may have returned to the first movement in the late 1830s, but he worked earnestly on the piece by 1841, and completed the symphony in Berlin on January 20, 1842.  Although this work was the fifth and final of his symphonies to be completed, it was the third to be published, and subsequently, been known as Symphony No. 3.



Brief History of Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 3   

Mendelssohn was initially inspired to compose this symphony during his first visit to Britain in 1829. After a series of successful performances in London, Mendelssohn embarked on a walking tour of Scotland with his friend Karl Klingemann. On July 30, he visited the ruins of Holyrood Chapel at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, where, as he related to his family in a letter, he received his initial inspiration for the piece:

Robert Schumann Symphony No. 4

Classical Music Milestone:  December 6, 1841.

Robert's Schumann's Symphony No.4 premiered. It was conducted by Ferdinand David at Leipzig's Gewandhaus.   

Symphony No. 4 in D Minor, op. 120, was composed by Robert Schumann.  Although a version of this work was completed in 1841, Schumann heavily revised it in 1851, the version that reached publication.

The 1851 (published) version of the work is in five movements which follow each other without pause:

1. Ziemlich langsam - Lebhaft
2. Romanza: Ziemlich langsam
3. Scherzo: Lebhaft
4. Etwas zurückhaltend - Langsam
5. Lebhaft    

The 1841 version used Italian rather than German tempo indications and had four movements, as follows:

1. Andante con moto - Allegro di molto
2. Romanza: Andante
3. Scherzo: Presto
4. Largo - Finale: Allegro vivace

Schumann's biographer Peter Ostwald comments that this earlier version is "lighter and more transparent in texture" than the revision, but that Clara "always insisted that the later, heavier, and more stately version of 1851 was the better one." Both versions are included on the recent recording of Schumann's complete symphonies by John Eliot Gardiner.


Video Credit:   

 

Schumann: 4. Sinfonie ∙ hr-Sinfonieorchester ∙ Marek Janowski, Conductor. Youtube, uploaded by Frankfurt Radio Symphony. Accessed February 12, 2020. [(Auftritt) 00:00 ∙ I. Ziemlich langsam – Lebhaft 00:26 ∙ II. Romanze. Ziemlich langsam 11:07 ∙ III. Scherzo. Lebhaft 15:04 ∙ IV. Langsam – Lebhaft – Presto 20:33 ∙]

 

Resource:

Robert Schumann Symphony No.4.  en.wikipedia.org. Accessed  Dec 6, 2006.



(c) June 2012. Updated June 12, 2020. Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved.

Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5

Classical Music / Orchestral

Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64, was composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky between May and August 1888. It was first performed in St Petersburg at the Mariinsky Theatre on November 17 of that year with Tchaikovsky conducting. It is dedicated to Theodor Avé-Lallemant. 

The fifth symphony was composed between the Manfred Symphony of 1885 and the sketches for a Symphony in E-flat, which were abandoned in 1892 (apart from recuperating material from its first movement for an Allegro Brillante for piano and orchestra a year later). As for the numbered symphonies, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 was composed between Symphony No. 4, which had been completed ten years earlier, and Symphony No. 6, composed 5 years later, in the year of the composer's death.  (I also suggest listening to Tchaikovsky's Symphony no. 6 (Pathétique) - conducted by Herbert von Karajan, with Wiener Philharmonic. YouTube, uploaded by PermafrostIndustries. Accessed January 12, 2019.) Both 5th and 6th symphonies have been my all time favourites of all the maestro's orchestral works.

Symphony No.5 portrays a struggle with fate, the outcome seems far more positive than that depicted in the Fourth and Sixth Symphonies, but such considerations are minor to the glorious music of this gripping and unforgettable symphonic journey in the hands of the masterful Tchaikovsky. The Symphony opens with a slow-tempo introduction (Andante).

Moon Love Song adapted from 5th Symphony's second movement

When I first heard the song 'Moon Love' sung by Frank Sinatra (adapted from Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony (second movement: Andante Cantabile), I immediately loved it, always will. It was recorded in Sinatra's album, Moonlight Sinatra. The song is said to start as a them for French horn in Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony's second movement, actually based on his 'Souvenier d’un lieu cher for violin and piano' from 1878. 

Onset, Tchaikovsky felt the 5th Symphony was a failure, although in just a few years it became a huge success. Andre Kostelanetz, a Russian who immigrated to the United States, began to turn Tchaikovsky’s songs into Tin Pan Alley friendly renditions, assisted by two other songwriters, Mack David and Mack Davis. Eventually, Kostelanetz, David and Davis came up with the song title for "Moon Love".  

Frank Sinatra first recorded this beautiful song "Moon Love" in 1939 with Harry James, and recorded it again in 1966 for his album 'Moonlight Sinatra'. The famous crooner considered it one of his best recordings, pretty much connected to Tchaikovsky's poignant Fifth Symphony.   

“Moon Love” is a beautiful song recorded by Frank Sinatra two times, first in 1939 with Harry James, and in 1966 in the album “Moonlight Sinatra“, arranged by Nelson Riddle (Reprise Records). The song is actually adapted from Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, and lyrics are written by Mack David, Mack Davis and Andre Kostelanetz. 

Sadly, no live version of "Moon Love" exists. It would have been lovely if Frank Sinatra sang it at least once in his concerts. 

Moon Love (Lyrics) Sung by Frank Sinatra

Will this be moon love, nothing but moon love,
Will you be gone when the dawn comes stealing through?
Are these just moon dreams, grand while the moon beams?
But when the moon fades away, will my dreams come true?
Much as I love you, don't let me love you.
If I must pay for your kiss with lonely tears, say it's not moon love.
Tell me it's true, say you'll be mine when the moon disappears.

 

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Andre Kostelanetz / Mack David / Mack Davis

Moon Love lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, 

Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Here's a wonderful video of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 in E Minor Op. 64, (click this link for the performance), Barenboim conducting the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, in Geneva. Great performance of this loved masterwork! YouTube, uploaded by EuroArtsChannel. Accessed February 20, 2023. (You can ONLY  watch this video of Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony in YouTube (for reason of copyright infringement). 

You can also watch this other video of Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony ONLY in YouTube (again, for reason of copyright infringement) --->  Here

Instrumentation.  Symphony No. 5 is scored for 3 flutes (3rd doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in A, 2 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 2 trumpets in A, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, and strings.

Structure.  Like the Symphony No. 4, No. 5 is a cyclical symphony, with a recurring main theme. Unlike No. 4, the theme is heard in all four movements, a feature Tchaikovsky had first used in the Manfred Symphony, which was completed less than three years before No. 5.

The symphony is in four movements:

1. Andante – Allegro con anima (E minor) – Molto più tranquillo (D major – E major)
2. Andante cantabile, con alcuna licenza (B minor – D major) – Non allegro (F♯ minor) – Andante maestoso con piano (D major)
3. Valse. Allegro moderato (A major) (Trio in F♯ minor)
4. Finale: Andante maestoso (E major) – Allegro vivace – Molto vivace (E minor) – Moderato assai e molto maestoso – Presto (E major)

The symphony's recurring main theme is used as a device to unify the four movements of the symphony. This motto theme, sometimes dubbed "Fate theme", has a funereal character in the first movement, but gradually transforms into a triumphant march, which dominates the final movement. A typical performance of the symphony lasts somewhat less than 50 minutes.

Program. Symphony No. 5 has no clear program. On 15 April 1888, about a month before he began composing the symphony, the composer sketched a scenario for its first movement in his notebook, containing "... a complete resignation before fate, which is the same as the inscrutable predestination of fate ..." It is however uncertain how much of this program has been realised in the composition.

Video  Resource: 

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64 (Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, Valery Gergiev). From the Salle Pleyel in Paris, 2010 All six Tchaikovsky Symphonies with Valery Gergiev conducting the Mariinsky Orchestra. Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra. Valery Gergiev - conductor. YouTube, uploaded by WocomoMusic. Accessed February 19, 2021.

0:00​ Intro 

1:05​ I. Andante: Allegro con anima

17:48​ II. Andante cantabile con alguna licenza

33:50​ III. Valse. Allegro moderato 

39:42​ IV. Finale. Andante maestoso. Allegro vivace (Alla breve). 

Text Resource:

Symphony No. 5 (Tchaikovsky). en.wikipedia.org. 

 

(c) November 2011. Updated Feb 15, 2025. Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved. 

Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 "Pathetique"

Classical Music / Orchestral

 

The Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, also known as the Pathétique Symphony, is Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's final completed symphony. It was written between February and the end of August 1893. The composer entitled the work "The Passionate Symphony", employing a Russian word, (Pateticheskaya), meaning "passionate" or "emotional", not "arousing pity," which was then translated into French as pathétique, meaning "solemn" or "emotive".  It is a word reflective of a touch of concurrent suffering. Tchaikovsky considered calling it "Program Symphony" but realized that would encourage curiosity about the program, which he did not want to reveal. 

Tchaikovsky led the first performance in Saint Petersburg on 28 October of that year, nine days before his death. The second performance, conducted by Eduard Nápravník, took place 21 days later, at a memorial concert on 18 November. It included some minor corrections that Tchaikovsky had made after the premiere, and was thus the first performance of the work in the exact form in which it is known today. 

The first performance in Moscow was on 16 December, conducted by Vasily Safonov. It was the last of Tchaikovsky's compositions premiered in his lifetime. His very last composition, the single-movement 3rd Piano Concerto, Op. 75, which was completed a short time before his death in October 1893, received a posthumous premiere. 

Highly Recommended Reading:

Symphony guide: Tchaikovsky's Sixth ('Pathetique'). Written by Tom Service,  Tuesday 26 August 2014. www.theguardian.com. Accessed November 6, 2023.  With gratitude, I'm quoting from Tom Service's touching article on Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 "Pathetique", one of my two all-time favourite symphonies from this beloved Russian composer (the other symphony is Symphony No. 5):  

"So yes, this symphony is about a battle between a stubborn life-energy and an ultimately stronger force of oblivion that ends up in a terrifying exhaustion, but what makes the piece so powerful is that it’s about all of us, not just Tchaikovsky... so when you’re listening to the performances, hear instead how the cry of pain that is the climax of the first movement is a musical premonition of the inexorably descending scales of the last movement, and how the second movement makes its five-in-a-bar dance simultaneously sound like a crippled waltz and a memory of a genuinely sensual joy. Listen to how the March of the third movement creates a seething superficial motion that doesn’t actually go anywhere, musically speaking, and whose final bars create one of the greatest, most thrilling, but most empty of victories in musical history, at the end of which audiences often clap helplessly, thinking they have arrived at the conventionally noisy end of a symphonic journey. But then we’re confronted with the devastating lament of the real finale, that Adagio lamentoso, which begins with a composite melody that is shattered among the whole string section (no single instrumental group plays the tune you actually hear, an amazing, pre-modernist idea), and which ends with those low, tolling heartbeats in the double-basses that at last expire into silence." (Thank you very much, Tom Service. You nailed it!) 

Video:

Maestro Herbert von Karajan conducts Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6, "Pathetique", with Wiener Philharmoker (Vienna Philharmonic). 

The symphony is in four movements:

1. Adagio – Allegro non troppo
2. Allegro con grazia
3. Allegro molto vivace
4. Adagio lamentoso

 The symphony is scored for an orchestra with the following instruments:

Woodwinds 3 flutes (3rd doubling piccolo) 2 oboes 2 clarinets (in A) 2 bassoons Brass 4 horns 2 trumpets 3 trombones 1 tuba

Percussion timpani bass drum cymbals tam-tam (ad libitum) Strings violins I, II violas cellos double basses

Video Credit: 

TCHAIKOVSKY - Symphony no. 6 (Pathétique) - Herbert von Karajan & Wiener Philharmonic. YouTube, uploaded by PermafrostIndustries. Accessed November 6, 2023.

Resource:

Symphony No. 6. (Tchaikovsky). en.wikipedia.org.

 

(c) November 2011. Updated November 6, 2023. Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved. 

Haydn Symphony No. 92, "Oxford"

Classical Music Datebook:  July 8

Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 92 in G Major 1/92, known as the "Oxford" Symphony was first performed this day, July 8, in 1791, five months before Mozart died.  It was performed in Sheldonian Theatre and Haydn was awarded Doctor of Music by Oxford University.

This piece was commissioned by the French Count d'Ogny as one of a set of three symphonies, in 1789, two years before Haydn was awarded his doctorate at Oxford.

Link:

Haydn Symphony No. 92 "Oxford".  YouTube, uploaded by winkle522000.  Performed by Capella Istropolitana, with Barry Wordsworth conducting. Accessed July 8, 2018.      


Suggested Readings:

• Peter A Brown, The Symphonic Repertoire (Volume 2). Indiana University Press, pp. 232-233 (2002)

• Robbins Landon, H.C. (1963) Joseph Haydn: Critical Edition of the Complete Symphonies, Universal Edition, Vienna

(c) 2010.  Tel Asiado.  Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved.