In the summer of 1906, Gustav Mahler retreated to his composing hut on the Wörthersee, waiting for inspiration. When his eye fell on the Whitsun hymn Veni Creator Spiritus, he suddenly had a vision, as if an entire composition had been whispered to him from above. Overpowered by a feverish urge, he wrote his monumental Symphony No. 8 in just a few days.

But as impressive as the orchestra is how Mahler exploits his abundant means. Using a broad spectrum of colour and expression, the composer paints a symphonic universe that seems to transcend the earthly in its search for other places. ‘Try to imagine the whole universe beginning to ring and resound’, Mahler wrote. ‘There are no longer human voices, but planets and suns revolving.’