Symphony No. 4 (Mahler)

The Symphony No. 4 in G major is a piece of orchestral music by Gustav Mahler. The composer wrote the symphony from 1899 to 1900. The work was first planned to have six movements, but the finished version had four.   

The symphony was first played on 25 November 1901 with Mahler conducting the Kaim Orchestra in Munich. It was not well liked by listeners because they thought it was worse than Mahler's Second Symphony. It would continue to be played in other cities, including Berlin in 1901 and Vienna in 1902. It would also be played often after Mahler's death. 

 Instrumentation 
The fourth symphony is was written for a smaller orchestra than Mahler's other symphonies. There are a lot of woodwinds and strings, but no trombone or tuba. The symphony has parts for:

Woodwinds

 4 flutes (3rd and 4th doubling piccolos)
 3 oboes (3rd doubling cor anglais)

 3 bassoons (3rd doubling contrabassoon)
Brass
 4 horns
 3 trumpets

Percussion
 4 timpani
 bass drum
 cymbals
 triangle
 sleigh bells
 tam-tam
 glockenspiel

Voices
 soprano solo (used only in fourth movement)

Strings
 harp
 1st violins
 2nd violins
 violas
 cellos
 double basses

 Form 
Mahler wanted the symphony to have six movements when he started writing it. These were:
The finished symphony has four movements, which are: 

 References 

Further reading

 Translated into English in 


External links


 History and analysis by the Mahler scholar Henry-Louis de La Grange

Category:Symphonies by Gustav Mahler
Category:Choral symphonies
Category:Compositions in G major
Category:1900s compositions