Your favourite choral symphony

[PaulR]

DSCH 14 is not a choral symphony, nor is Das Lied.

it is to me.  So, yes, for me, it is a choral symphony, since there are voices singing.  And Das Lied isn't really a symphony, since Mahler didn't name it as one.  :-P

but yeah, my interpretation of what I think Shostakovich 14 is a choral symphony, even with just 2 voices.

[PSmith08]

it is to me.  So, yes, for me, it is a choral symphony, since there are voices singing.  And Das Lied isn't really a symphony, since Mahler didn't name it as one.  :-P

but yeah, my interpretation of what I think Shostakovich 14 is a choral symphony, even with just 2 voices.

I think Herr Mahler would, and - as a matter of fact - did, disagree with the characterization of Das Lied as anything but a "symphony," he did title it (or allow it to be titled):

Eine Symphonie für eine Tenor- und eine Alt- (oder Bariton-) Stimme und Orchester (nach Hans Bethges "Die chinesische Flöte").

While the case could be made that that was a post mortem title, one must recall that Henry Louis de la Grange reports that Mahler's own manuscript listed it as "Ninth Symphony in four movements." Regardless, I think the case exists that Mahler - the man whose opinion counts the most on this subject - viewed Das Lied as more of a symphony than a song cycle.

In any event, I voted for the two Mahler choices, which are both splendid. However, Stravinsky's Psalms would make an interesting choice, too.