The first violin part for Mahler's Symphony No. 8 in E-flat major (nicknamed Symphony of a Thousand) has been edited by Ilya Kaler, who has appeared as guest concertmaster with the San Francisco Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra and Baltimore Symphony. Kaler's bowings, fingerings and other editorial markings have been added throughout the score.

Symphony No. 8 by Gustav Mahler is known as the Symphony of a Thousand because it is one of the largest scale symphonic choral works in the classical concert repertoire, requiring huge instrumental and vocal forces. The last of Mahler's works that was premiered in his lifetime, the symphony was a critical and popular success upon its first performance in 1910, which Mahler conducted himself.

The Eighth Symphony marks Mahler's return to a combination of orchestra and voice in a symphonic context, which was prominent in his early works. Instead of the conventional format of "movements," the Symphony of a Thousand is instead divded into two parts. Part I is based on the Latin text of a 9th-century Christian hymn for Pentecost, Veni creator spiritus ("Come, Creator Spirit"), and Part II is a setting of the words from the closing scene of Goethe's Faust. The two parts are unified by a common idea, that of redemption through the power of love, a unity conveyed through shared musical themes. Through his Eighth Symphony, Mahler renounced the pessimism that marked much of his music, instead expressing confidence in the eternal human spirit.

Download and print the score today to gain access to expertly edited Mahler Symphony No. 8 violin fingerings and bowings from Ilya Kaler!