Robert Floyd replies to Deryk Barker:

>>I'd say that the 8th is the one Mahler symphony you really have to hear
>>live.
>
>I heartily concur. I was fortunate enough to attend a performance of the
>Mahler 8th many years ago in Raleigh, North Carolina (in a basketball
>stadium, of all places!).  While the acoustics were not what I would
>consider optimal (we were seated in the upper level and the sound from
>the ceiling speakers tended to drown out the performers below), it was
>a stunning experience.  My wife and my then-6-year-old daughter, neither
>of whom are Mahler fans, were entranced, as I was.

If this ever happens in New Orleans while I still have enough of a voice
- and given the expense of a performance, chances are slim - I'll probably
be in one of the choruses.

Steve Schwartz