Gustav Mahler, Symphonie Nº8 (Decca / Deutscher Schallplattenclub) album art

Siegfried in use for the cover of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 in E-flat major, also known as the “Symphony of a Thousand”, as recorded by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Georg Solti.

Mahler composed the symphony in 1906. It was first performed by the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra in 1910. The chosen typeface dates from the same period, and also comes from the same place: Siegfried was designed by Munich-based artist August Glaser and was first cast in 1902. Seven decades later, the odd hybrid was back in fashion as part of the rediscovery of Art Nouveau.

Originally released by Decca, this double LP is a special edition distributed in Germany in cooperation with Deutscher Schallplattenclub. The cover was designed by Fritz Blankenhorn (1921–2011), with the smaller text set in two weights from Gill Sans.