Vanemuine Symphony Orchestra to present Mahler’s 8th Symphony in Tartu and Pärnu for the first time
Text Mark Taylor Photos Tarmo Haud
The Vanemuine Symphony Orchestra will kick off its 2024 autumn concert season with a spectacular performance of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, also known as the “Symphony of a Thousand.” This monumental work will be performed for the first time in Tartu and Pärnu, with concerts scheduled at the Vanemuine Concert Hall on August 30 and at the Pärnu Concert Hall on August 31.
Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 is a landmark in symphonic music, often described as one of the largest and most ambitious works in the genre. Previously, it has only been performed in Estonia’s capital, Tallinn. Now, for the first time, audiences in Tartu and Pärnu will experience this masterpiece. Vanemuine’s Music Director and Chief Conductor, Risto Joost, highlighted the significance of these performances: “Pärnu Concert Hall is the perfect venue for this work. The orchestra sounds magnificent, but the choir’s voice projects clearly and powerfully, offering a truly exceptional musical experience.”
Kati Torp, the Artistic Director of Tartu 2024, added, “It is symbolic that in the year of Tartu being the European Capital of Culture, Vanemuine opens its autumn season with Mahler’s Symphony No. 8. This year, the European dimension is important in the Tartu 2024 programme, both in contemporary and classical culture, bringing works of such significant European composers and world-class international soloists to Tartu.”
Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, inspired by the Latin Pentecostal hymn “Veni, Creator Spiritus” and the closing scene of Goethe’s “Faust,” explores themes of love and redemption. Mahler once said that “the whole universe begins to resound and reverberate” when this symphony is performed.
The concert will feature internationally acclaimed soloists, including sopranos Elena Brazhnyk, Silja Aalto, and Kadri Kõrvek; mezzo-sopranos Kai Rüütel-Pajula and Annely Peebo; tenor Tuomas Katajala; baritone Hrólfur Sæmundsson; and bass Ain Anger. The performance will also include the Vanemuine Opera Choir, the University of Tartu Chamber Choir, the Tartu Boys’ Choir, the Latvian Mixed Choir, and the Vanemuine Symphony Orchestra.
For those unable to attend in person, the season-opening concert on August 30 will be broadcast live on Klassikaraadio, starting at 7 pm.
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