LXXVIII. MAHLER, Gustav: Symphony #4 in G Major

LXXVIII. MAHLER, Gustav (1860-1911)

Symphony #4 in G Major (1899-1900)
1. Bedächtig, nicht eilen (Moderately, not rushed)
2. In gemächlicher Bewegung, ohne Hast (Leisurely moving, without haste)
3. Ruhevoll, poco adagio (Peacefully, somewhat slowly) -- theme and variations
4. Sehr behaglich (Very comfortably) -- strophic
Magdalena Kožená, mezzo-soprano
Lucerne Festival Orchestra
Claudio Abbado, cond.
(57:37)

This is -- at just under an hour -- the shortest of the first four symphonies! In many ways, it is a summary of the first three. Themes reappear, magically transformed. The music feels "classical" like the purity of a Mozart symphony.

Let's call this the "bell theme." It is flutes and sleigh bells and sounds like a jolly outing on Christmas eve. This is the introduction to the ride Mahler is going to take you along ...

The first movement is in sonata form and is exactly what Mozart would have written if he had been alive in 1899. The first theme:

is exquisitely beautiful. Note the glissando and the twinkling grace notes. The second theme has a bit more gravitas:

The second movement features some unusual scordatura for the Concertmaster. His or her violin is tuned up a whole-tone which gives the instrument a very creepy kind of sound:

Mahler is depicting a figure from medieval German art, Freund Hein ("Friend Henry") -- a traditional German personification of death.

The third movement is a solemn march which slowly inches up the scale with increasing intensity. The movement is filled with "false" climaxes which reach a truly fevered pitch.

Fourth movement: the mezzo-soprano, who has been sitting down waiting patiently for 45 minutes, finally rises to sing the song which informs the entire symphony.

It is called Das himmlische Leben (The Heavenly Life), from an earlier Mahler work. The first verse is enough to convey the angelic beauty of the final moments of this glorious symphony:

We enjoy heavenly pleasures
and therefore avoid the earthly stuff.
No worldly tumult
is to be heard in heaven.
All live in greatest peace.
We lead angelic lives,
yet have a merry time of it besides.
We dance and we spring,
We skip and we sing.
Saint Peter in heaven looks on.