drinking song ensues, at times off-kilter, at times languorous.
In the final movement,“ Der Abschied”(“ The Farewell”), Mahler presents two poems on the theme of parting. The final lines, though, are the composer’ s own:“ Everywhere the dear earth blossoms in spring and grows green again! Everywhere and forever the distance shines bright and blue! Forever … forever …”( trans. Richard Stokes). It is Mahler’ s“ enormous love of the world”— his reverence for nature’ s perpetual, unconditional gifts— echoing the earlier Kindertotenlieder:“ Now the sun prepares to rise as brightly, as though no misfortune had befallen in the night! The misfortune befell me alone! The sun, it shines on all mankind!”( trans. Stokes).
Instrumentation: Three flutes, piccolo, three oboes( third doubling English horn), three clarinets( third doubling E-flat clarinet), bass clarinet, three bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, tambourine, suspended cymbal, glockenspiel, cymbals( pair), bass drum, tam tam, triangle, mandolin, two harps, celeste, and strings.
Accompanied by organ and percussion Featuring the Deer Creek Children’ s Chorus and soloists from the Peabody Opera Program
Mahler Symphony No. 8
Sun, Apr 26, 2026 | 3:00 PM Grace United Methodist Church
BaltimoreChoralArts. org 410-523-7070
HEATHER O’ DONOVAN is a vocalist and writer whose program notes have appeared at Carnegie Hall, the Manhattan School of Music, the Aspen Music Festival and School, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. She is the dramaturg and librettist of Princess Ida: The Glow Up, an award-winning Gilbert & Sullivan adaptation premiered by the Manhattan School of Music Undergraduate Opera Theatre in spring 2025 and is in the process of developing the libretto for her first full-length opera.
The Classical Radio Voice of
MAR-APR 2026 | OVERTURE | 17