The Symphony of a Thousand, also known as Symphony No.8, by famous Austrian composer Gustav Mahler will be staged in Hanoi next year. The symphony will be performed by the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra as part of the celebrations of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi, reports the Vietnam News Agency.
The event will not only mark the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi but will also be of international interest, attracting tourists from around the world to Hanoi, according to the orchestra.
The symphony will be performed by 90 artists from the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra, 30 artists from local bands, three sopranos, two contraltos, one baritone and one basso, accompanied by a chorus of 1,000 local and foreign members, among them 140 children and two 430-member adult choirs. The event will be conducted by well-known Japanese conductor Honna Tetsuji.
The Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra is seeking assistance from individuals and organizations in support of the program which is expected to cost about US$200,000,
In 2007, the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra began a series of ten symphonies by the composer G. Mahler. The program will wrap up in 2011 to mark the 100th anniversary of the death of the composer.
The program will be broadcast live. For more information about the event, visit www.vnso.org.vn.
Symphony of a Thousand was written during the summer of 1906 by Gustav Mahler. Its 1910 premiere in Munich was the greatest success of the composer’s career. The symphony includes two parts: the first uses the Latin Pentecost hymn “Veni, creator spiritus”, and the second the conclusion of Goethe’s Faust, Part II. The symphony is famous worldwide and is often performed at international ceremonies and festivals.