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Mahler attempted something truly novel in his Eighth Symphony that affected both its content and its overall structure. He attempted boldly to unify the entire work through the expression of a personal philosophical ideal -- in this case the redemptive power of human love. Mahler didn’t much care for the moniker "Symphony of a Thousand." He called it a "Barnum & Bailey" nickname, a gimmick created by an agent who booked the piece’s 1910 premiere in Munich. The first part of the symphony is built around a Latin hymn from the fourth century, "Veni, Creator Spiritus" (Come, spirit of creation). Part Two retells the final episode of Goethe’s "Faust," in which the title character finds salvation. This fiery new reading by Valery Gergiev was recorded in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. From the Label

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