That is the only possible description of the Toronto Symphony's presentation of Gustav Mahler's Symphony # 8 this week. What else can you call a piece that assembles an orchestra of 120 players, plus 7 extra brasses, organ, two adult choirs, children's choir, and 8 vocal soloists? This magnificent late-Romantic outpouring of sound, known colloquially as the "Symphony of a Thousand", is a unique musical experience, and one that simply must be heard live. Recordings and video (like the 5 CDs and 1 DVD that I own) can capture the beauty of the music but you have to attend a live performance to become immersed in the sheer physical power of this work. And it definitely does have a physical dimension; recorded sound cannot transmit the weight on your ears of a deep organ pedal note, a heavily-rolled bass drum, or the sudden addition of 7 extra brass instruments playing from high up on the side of the hall at the final climaxes of each part.
It was 29 years ago this month that the symphony was performed for the first time in Canada, by the Toronto Symphony at the end of the opening season of Roy Thomson Hall. I heard it played live then, and again in 2 subsequent remountings. This marked the first occasion when I heard the work played since the renovation of Roy Thomson Hall, and the difference was striking to say the least. The addition of substantial amounts of Canadian maple to the upper reaches of the hall (and floors) paid huge dividends as the sound became clearer and more precise. Loud passages that were simply a roaring wash of sound now permit individual lines to be heard. That's important especially in the huge double fugue at the heart of Part 1, which may well be the single largest piece of music ever composed according to the contrapuntal linear principle so familiar in Bach's time.
One other thing I proved to my own satisfaction. To hear this symphony in its full power, you simply must spend the dollars to get a seat in the prime section as near to the geographic centre of the ground floor as possible. That gives you the full impact of the built-in stereo of the 2 choirs to either side of you, not to mention the spatial separation of the extra brass group and the Mater Gloriosa.
All the soloists acquitted themselves nobly, and that's a huge challenge because Mahler's massive orchestra calls (with one exception) for solo singers with equally massive voices! I especially enjoyed Erin Wall's trumpeting high B-flats (there are quite a few of them!) in Part 1 -- all delivered with searing accuracy of pitch. If Twyla Robinson couldn't quite match her for volume in the passage where they trade the high note right at the end of Part 1, she certainly came into her own in the more lyrical second part, where she was able to give her solo sections with a smooth and easy tone that was a delight to the ear. Tenor John MacMaster was a late substitution for Richard Margison, and gave such a magnificent account of his extensive part that I didn't miss Margison for a moment. It helped that MacMaster has sung the role a number of times already.
That brought up an interesting memory. In my collection I have a CD copy of a legendary live performance given by Jascha Horenstein in the Royal Albert Hall for the BBC back in the late 1950s. The program notes point out that it was necessary to engage soloists who were prepared to learn the work, and to double cast all roles, because the symphony was so rarely performed in those days. Now, we've had it mounted 5 times in less than 30 years in Toronto, and you can get (at the last minute) a soloist like MacMaster who has sung the work (according to his bio in the program) in Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, Vancouver, Singapore, and can now add Toronto to the list!
One other most critical soloist deserves praise. Andriana Chuchman's soprano floated down gently from the organ loft in the short 2 phrases of the Mater Gloriosa, near the end of Part 2. The musical line is both quiet and cruelly high, and she delivered it with spot-on accuracy and no hint of strain at all.
The several adult and children's choirs were all beautifully trained and sang magnificently. One plus point was that this performance actually used less singers than the previous versions I heard, and that was all gain. There was still ample volume of sound, but again the individual lines of the choirs came through that much more clearly. Putting the sopranos out on the wings, and the basses in the centre, allows the audience to hear more clearly the alternations of Choir 1 and Choir 2. The Toronto Children's Chorus were as wonderful as ever, and I was as ever impressed by their ability to sing the whole of their complex and lengthy contribution from memory.
The orchestra excelled throughout. Much of Part 2 of this massive symphony actually calls for small chamber-like ensembles of constantly shifting instrumentation, and these episodes were all beautifully balanced. Supreme praise to conductor Peter Oundjian who was completely in control of the complexities of the score, and held the whole huge performance under his firm control. Tempo changes become more difficult to pull off as the number of singers and players escalates, but there were no problems with any of the numerous gear shifts in this concert.
This was as memorable a climax as you could possibly wish to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra's 90th Anniversary Season!
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