Utah Symphony Orchestra, Thierry Fischer, music director

With the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

2-SACD set, Hybrid with 5.1 surround sound, stereo SACD and stereo compact disc layer with HDCD

"The Utah Symphony were the first American orchestra to record a complete Mahler cycle. Under Thierry Fischer, Utah's music director since 2009, they have mounted another Mahler cycle in celebration of the orchestra's 75th anniversary. The Eighth was recorded live in two performances at Salt Lake City's Mormon Tabernacle in February 2016. And a lovely thing it is. Thierry Fischer is clearly a Mahlerian to contend with, full of ideas and with the wherewithal to execute them. Soloists are well chosen for the contrasting qualities of their voices, a distinct plus for the characterisations in Part 2. The combined forces of the 392-voice Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the 51 choristers of the Madeleine Choir School don't quite equal the 850 voices at Mahler's disposal for the 1910 premiere, but they provide plenty of vocal heft. Both groups are superbly prepared. The orchestra have never sounded better, with a notably fine wind choir. Soundmirror, responsible for recording and post-production under Reference Recordings' aegis, have captured the famous acoustic of the Mormon Tabernacle with remarkable skill. ... This Mahler Eighth may not replace your favorite, be it by Horenstein or Stokowski, Bernstein or Solti, Sinopoli or Abbado, but it will surely complement any of them in its grand trajectory, intelligence, clarity and beautiful sound." — Gramophone, January 2018

The Utah Symphony is one of America's major symphony orchestras and a leading cultural organization in the Intermountain West. It is recognized internationally for its distinctive performances, commitment to music education programs, history and recording legacy. Here they join with the internationally-renowned Mormon Tabernacle Choir to present a thrilling and authoritative interpretation of the immense Mahler Symphony No. 8, "Symphony of a Thousand." This new release was recorded live in February 2016, from concerts in the Salt Lake Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, Utah, sponsored by the O.C. Tanner Gift of Music.

Thierry Fischer, Music Director of the Utah Symphony since 2009, has revitalized the orchestra with creative programming and critically acclaimed performances that have drawn consistently full houses. Highlights of his tenure include complete symphony cycles of Mahler in commemoration of former Utah Symphony Music Director, Maurice Abravanel, complete Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Nielsen cycles, a multi-season Stravinsky and Haydn symphony cycle and tours of Utah's five national parks, state parks and national monuments in 2014 and 2017. Maestro Fischer has also initiated a major commissioning program in Utah that has produced new works by Simon Holt and Michael Jarrell, and works by Nico Muhly, Andrew Norman, and Augusta Read Thomas which are on Utah Symphony's previous album Dawn to Dust.