I almost wish I was in DC this weekend too...

The National Symphony Orchestra is performing Gustav Mahler's Eighth Symphony, colloquially known as the "Symphony of a Thousand." Calling this work "gargantuan" would be an understatement. It's been sold out for weeks, so if you don't have tickets yet, you'll be listening to it at home on your stereo instead. Or, if you're like me, on your MP3 player this afternoon. Here in New York, Lorin Maazel has been programming all of Mahler's symphonies throughout his tenure as music director. I don't think they've gotten to the Eighth yet, so I'll have to keep watching the schedule. I'd buy a subscription if that was the only way to guarantee I could get tickets for that spectacle. Hey, it worked last season when I wanted to see Mozart's "The Magic Flute" at the Metropolitan Opera.