Gustav Mahler Sinfonie Nr. 8

While Gustav Mahler’s oeuvre features many large-scale works, he surpassed himself with the 8th Symphony, composed in the summer of 1906. Mahler described this work – exceptional in its form, design, size and success – as his “opus summum”. The seemingly disparate texts, taken from the medieval hymn "Veni creator spiritus" and the closing scene of Goethe’s Faust, are interwoven by means of shared thematic material and bear witness to the composer’s tremendous spiritual and religious aspirations. The already massive forces of a large symphony orchestra are buttressed throughout the symphony by three choirs and eight soloists.

Experienced conductor and accompanist Nicholas Kok has created a practical vocal score to aid the rehearsal process for singers and accompanists. Without unnecessarily simplifying the orchestral parts and by paying close attention to the voice leading and the bass line, Kok has reduced the dense original score while creating the most realistic sound possible for the rehearsal room. Rehearsal marks in the standard orchestral parts have been incorporated so that the edition can be used in conjunction with existing scores.