It was on the 2nd of March, 100 years ago, that The Philadelphia Orchestra was, in effect, introduced to the world. The stage of the Academy of Music had to be extended, at considerable expense, to accommodate the enormous vocal and orchestral forces for the first United States performance of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, the so-called “Symphony of a Thousand.”
To mark the centenary of that 1916 premiere, more than 400 singers and Philadelphia Orchestra musicians will fill the stage and the Conductor’s Circle on Sunday, March 13 at 2 pm as Yannick Nezet-Seguin marshals these tremendous forces in a performance of this soul-stirring work. Listen to the concert LIVE from Verizon Hall on WRTI! We'll be broadcasting the sold-out performance on 90.1 FM in Philadelphia and streaming LIVE on WRTI.org. **This LIVE broadcast begins at 2 pm - one hour later than usual.
"Great as many of his other works are, it seems to me that all his life he had sought, but not found, complete expression of what was in his heart and soul, but at last, at the end of his all too short and stormy life, he found complete utterance in this noble and unique work." -Leopold Stokowski, on Mahler's Eighth Symphony
Joining the orchestra will be a roster of celebrated international soloists: sopranos Angela Meade, Erin Wall, and LisetteOropesa; mezzo-sopranos Stephanie Blythe and MihokoFujimura; tenor Anthony Dean Griffey; baritone Markus Werba; and bass John Relyea.
The mixed chorus of The Westminster Symphonic Choir, The Choral Arts Society of Washington, and the The American Boychoir will also be onstage for this special matinee performance marking the 100th anniversary - almost to the day - of the symphony's U.S. premiere by The Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Leopold Stokowski.
The work will be performed without intermission.
Read detailed program notes from The Philadelphia Orchestra
Be sure to join us for this eagerly anticipated, sold-out event, live from Verizon Hall, this Sunday, March 13th, from 2 to 4 pm, broadcast only on WRTI.
PROGRAM:
Yannick Nézet-Séguin - Conductor
Angela Meade - Soprano
Erin Wall - Soprano
Lisette Oropesa - Soprano
Stephanie Blythe - Mezzo-soprano
Mihoko Fujimura - Mezzo-soprano
Anthony Dean Griffey - Tenor
Markus Werba - Baritone
John Relyea - Bass
The Westminster Symphonic Choir - Mixed chorus
The Choral Arts Society of Washington - Mixed chorus
The American Boychoir - Boys choir
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 8 ("Symphony of a Thousand")
Gregg Whiteside is producer and host of The Philadelphia Orchestra in Concert broadcasts on WRTI 90.1 FM in Philadelphia and streaming online at WRTI.org, every Sunday from 1 to 3 pm. **This week's live broadcast is from 2 to 4 pm.
