Sun, 14 Apr 2024 17:00

NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra / Semyon Bychkov

Mahler: Symphony of a Thousand

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This concert has already taken place! ~~€17 | 37 | 64 | 86 | 107~~

NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra © Nikolaj Lund

Massive sound

Any talk about Gustav Mahler’s monumental vocal symphony No. 8 features one superlative after another: the commonly used nickname »Symphony of a Thousand« – not of the composer’s invention, incidentally – already points the way. Mahler himself called his biggest-scale work »the greatest thing I have ever written«, and he certainly wasn’t just referring to the huge body of some 500 participants, which includes several choirs, a huge orchestra and eight soloists. First and foremost, the composer was aiming at a tremendously high intellectual and religious level with this symphony. He chose to set two weighty texts to music: the holiest piece in all German national literature, the closing scene from Goethe’s »Faust« Part II, and the venerable Whitsun hymn »Veni, creator spiritus«.

The premiere on 12 September 1910 was an overwhelming success. The writer Thomas Mann was deeply impressed, and sent the composer a letter expressing his gratitude for »embodying, as I see it, the most earnest and sacred artistic will of our time«.

To this day, performances of Mahler’s Eighth come close to a spectacle – after all, it’s not every day that you can hear top ensembles like the Prague Philharmonic Choir, the Berlin Radio Choir, the NDR Vokalensemble, the Hanover Boys’ Choir and the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra all at once, with a top-class octet of soloists added for good measure! And they don’t all fit on to the stage everywhere… But this is not a problem at the Elbphilharmonie, where star conductor Semyon Bychkov, after his acclaimed readings of the Third Symphony with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, now continues his Mahler series with the greatest work in the Classical-Romantic repertoire.

Programme (booklet)

NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester / Semyon Bychkov (German only) (PDF, 1.2 MB)

Performers

NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester

NDR Vokalensemble

Rundfunkchor Berlin

Prager Philharmonischer Chor

Knabenchor Hannover

Carolyn Sampson soprano

Camilla Tilling soprano

Miriam Kutrowatz soprano

Stefanie Irányi mezzo-soprano

Jennifer Johnston mezzo-soprano

Andreas Schager tenor

Adam Plachetka bass

Nathan Berg bass

choir rehearsal Lukáš Vasilek

conductor Semyon Bychkov

Programme

Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 8 for three soprano solos, two alto solos, tenor solo, baritone solo, bass solo, children’s chorus, two mixed choruses and large orchestra

Pre-Concert Talk

(in German)

16:00 / Elbphilharmonie, Großer Saal

Estimated end time

18:30

Subscription

NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra Subscription F

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Promoter: NDR

Location : Elbphilharmonie
Großer Saal

Heart of the Elbphilharmonie: the Grand Hall seats 2,100 guests in the »vineyard« style. The stage for artists and orchestras is situated at the centre of the concert hall and is surrounded by terraced seating.

Arrival time

The Elbphilharmonie is a special building situated in a special place. Allow for plenty of time for getting to the Elbphilharmonie and the way to the concert area. We suggest visitors arrive at the Elbphilharmonie Plaza not later than 30 minutes before the start of the concert or event. Late seating is not guaranteed and latecomers may not be admitted to the concert hall.

Concert tickets for the Grand and Recital Halls authorise a visit to the Plaza from two hours before the start of the concert or event. Visitors to the Kaistudios require a separate Plaza ticket to visit the Plaza.

Admission times:

Events without pre-concert talk:
Grand Hall Foyer: 60 minutes before the start of the event
Grand Hall: 30 minutes before the start of the event

Events with pre-concert talk:
Grand Hall Foyer: 90 minutes before the start of the event
Grand Hall: 15 minutes before the start of the talk

If a pre-concert talk is offered for this event, it is noted above under PROGRAMME.
Finding your seat

All visitors enter the building via the main entrance; access to the concert hall is via the »Plaza«, the viewing platform on the 8th floor of the Elbphilharmonie. The Plaza can be reached from the entrance area via the long escalator. Your tickets will be checked twice, at the access control in the entrance area and on the Plaza in front of the staircase to the Great Hall.

The hall entrances are on floors 12, 13, 15 and 16.
Cloakroom

The cloakrooms are located on the 11th floor (fee: € 2). Jackets and handbags may be taken into the hall.

Walking-stick umbrellas, bags sized A3 (42 x 30 cm) or above, luggage and other bulky items must be stored in the lockers (largest size 27 x 87 x 47 cm) located in the corridor leading to the ticket shop on the ground floor (on the right-hand side of the entrance area).

Strollers and prams can be left with the admissions personnel on the Plaza. Wheeled walkers can be handed in at the hall entrances.
Toilet Facilities

The central toilet facility is located on the 13th floor of the Grand Hall Foyer. Further facilities can be found on floors 11, 12 and 15.

Fully accessible toilets are located on floors 12 (north side) and 13 (right-hand side of the large bar). Our front-of-house staff is happy to assist you in this regard.
Photography and video recordings

It is forbidden to take photographs or record videos during a concert or event. Video recordings and photography are permitted for private purposes only on the Plaza and in the foyers as well as before the start or following an event in the concert hall, provided that you respect the privacy of other visitors and do not interfere with regular business operations. Employees may not be photographed or filmed.

Photography, audio or video recordings of concerts and events are strictly prohibited.

Event-related video recordings or photographs for editorial or commercial purposes must be authorised by the Press Office of the Elbphilharmonie.
Getting here

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg
Platz der Deutschen Einheit
20457 Hamburg

The Elbphilharmonie can be easily reached by bus, underground, bicycle and ferry.

The nearest stops include:
Underground line U3: Baumwall
Underground line U4: Überseequartier
Bus 2, 111: Am Kaiserkai (Elbphilharmonie)
Bus 6: Auf dem Sande (Speicherstadt)
Ferry 72 (from Landungsbrücken pier): »Elbphilharmonie« pier
StadtRAD (bicycle sharing system) stations: U Baumwall (Elbphilharmonie) and Am Kaiserkai / Großer Grasbrook

Multistorey car park in the Elbphilharmonie (open 24/7, 435 parking spaces):
Please note that visitors to the Elbphilharmonie should use the entrance marked »Elbphilharmonie«. The entrance »Elbphilharmonie Hotel« is reserved for »The Westin Hamburg« hotel guests.

Please find more information about prices and advance booking of the discounted flat rate on this page: arrival by car
Accessibility

All halls and spaces are accessible for visitors with disabilities. More information at www.elbphilharmonie.de/en/accessibility.

Lifts to the Plaza are located in the tunnel on the right-hand side of the Tube (long escalator). From the Plaza, access to the Grand and Recital Hall foyers is via lifts, also located to the right. Please note: cloakrooms for visitors to the Grand Hall are only located on the 11th floor. From there, the upper floors can be accessed via further lifts.
Coughing, clapping, chatting – Tips for your concert visit

A concert at the Elbphilharmonie is a unique experience for both audience and artists. Guests and musicians alike rave about the precise acoustics in the Grand Hall. You can hear every note, even from the highest balcony.

Unfortunately, the opposite is also true: even presumably quiet noises from the audience are clearly audible in the entire hall. We therefore ask our visitors to take the following recommendations into consideration: Tips for your concert visit