A Thousand to Say Goodbye to Guerrero
Over the weekend, the Nashville Symphony performed Gustav Mahler’s epic Eighth Symphony and heralded in the end of an era. Known as the “Symphony of a Thousand” and scored for multiple choirs, a huge orchestra, and no fewer than eight soloists, Mahler’s 8th is one of the grandest works in the repertoire. As such, it is also an appropriate farewell to Maestro Guerrero who is bringing his 16-year tenure as the symphony’s music director to a close. He was a director who was excellent at achieving the most beautiful articulation of the broad romantic line in a work, and as the public face of the orchestra, he had a remarkable ability to create marvelous symphonic moments at the Schermerhorn, whether they be premieres of works by living American composers, or performances of the oldest chestnuts our culture has to offer. It was a wonderful concert and it laid plain the challenge that the search committee faces in seeking someone to replace him. Mahler’s 8th Symphony was composed at the apex of his life, and indeed, at the time he saw it as culminating his compositional work to that point. He composed it while still married to Alma, while his daughterRead More
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