Symphony No. 4 (Mahler)

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The Symphony No. 4 in G major by Gustav Mahler was written between 1899 and 1901.

1 Orchestration
2 Structure
3 Premieres
4 External links

[edit] Orchestration

The symphony is for a fairly small orchestra by Mahler's standards, interestingly lacking trombones and tuba(s). It is scored for the following orchestral forces:

Woodwinds: 4 Flutes (Fl. 3, 4 double piccolos 1, 2); 3 Oboes (Ob. 3 doubles English horn); 3 Clarinets in A, B-flat, C (Cl. 2 doubles E-flat clarinet) (Cl. 3 doubles bass clarinet); 3 Bassoons (Bsn. 3 doubles contrabassoon)

Brass: 4 Horns in F; 3 Trumpets in F, B-flat

Percussion: Timpani; Sleigh bells; Cymbals; Glockenspiel; Triangle; Tam-tam; Bass drum

Voices: Soprano soloist (in the last movement only)

Strings: Harp

Violins I, II

Violas

Cellos

Double basses

[edit] Structure

A typical performance of the whole work lasts around fifty minutes, making it one of Mahler's shortest completed symphonies, if not the shortest.

The symphony is in four movements:

Bedächtig, nicht eilen (Moderately, not rushed)
In gemächlicher Bewegung, ohne Hast (Leisurely moving, without haste)
Ruhevoll, poco adagio (Peacefully, a little adagio)
Sehr behaglich (Very comfortably)

After what is for Mahler an unusually restrained first movement, often said to have almost classical poise, the second movement is a scherzo featuring a solo part for a violin tuned a tone higher than usual (see: scordatura). This tuning adds to the rather ghostly and other-worldly nature of the music. The third movement is slow, and essentially a set of variations.

The last movement is a song for soprano, and takes its text from Des Knaben Wunderhorn (The Youth's Magic Horn), a collection to which Mahler had turned on many previous occasions. Since this symphony strives to describe a child's vision of heaven, Mahler originally planned a boy soloist in the fourth movement^{[citation needed]}; however, wishing for more convenient performance, he used a soprano. This song was originally composed as a free-standing piece in 1892, but a year later was being considered as a possible seventh and final movement for the gestating third symphony. Mahler finally abandoned this plan, however, deciding instead that the song (in a revised form) should be the seed for his fourth. The poem, "Das himmlische Leben" ("The Heavenly Life"), describes a great feast in heaven.