Currently the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is performing Gustav Mahler's Symphony no. 2, and the National Symphony Orchestra is performing his Symphony no. 8. The 2nd requires a soprano, an alto, and a mixed-voice choir. The 8th requires three sopranos, two altos, a tenor, a baritone, a bass, a boys choir, and a huge mixed choir. Because the 8th requires so many persons, its nickname is "Symphony of a Thousand". (The NSO uses only 500 persons.) Normally, vocal music is classed in 782 Vocal music; however, there is the following note at 782: Class orchestral music with vocal parts in 784.22. But, the classifier will then ask the following: When do I follow this note since many of the vocal forms in 782.1-782.4 have orchestra music, e.g., 782.1 Dramatic vocal forms Operas, 782.23 Oratorios? The basic answer is to follow what the composer calls the work. If the composer calls the work a type of form named in 782.1-782.4 Vocal forms, class the work in 782-783; if the composer calls the work a type of form named in 784.1 [Instrumental] Musical forms, class the work in 784-788. Because Mahler called both pieces a symphony, a form at 784.184 Symphonies, both works are classed in 784-788. The instructions in 780 Music indicate that a work is classed with the executant--the voice or instrument that produces the music. Thus, the symphonies must be classed at 784.22 Orchestra with vocal parts. But, the musical form can be shown by adding notation 1 from the add table at 784-788 Instruments and their music and then notation 84 from 784.184 Symphonies. Thus, the DDC number for both symphonies is 784.22184 Symphonies for orchestra with vocal parts.
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