Gustav Mahler (1860 - 1911)
Symphony No. 4
I. Moderato
II. Scherzo
III. Adagio
IV. Finale

Many of Mahler's early works derive some inspiration from Des Knaben Wunderhorn (Youth's Magic Horn) - a nineteenth century treasury of German Folk poetry. He discovered it in 1886 when he was 26, and he set many of its poems to music. As well as groups of songs for voice and piano and for voice and orchestra, poems from it appear in the second, third and fourth symphonies. The song "Heavenly Life" which forms the finale of the fourth symphony took some time to find its home. A version for voice and piano exists dated February 1892, and an orchestrated version from the following month. He then included it as the last movement of his third symphony, in 1895. But this turned a six movement work into a seven movement one; he removed it, and decided to use it as the ending to another symphony. Thus was the fourth symphony born. He wrote the other movements between 1899 and 1901, and the complete symphony was first performed in Munich, with Mahler conducting, in November 1901. In the second and third symphonies, the movements which include the Wunderhorn songs are quite lightly orchestrated, contrasting with the craggy grandeur of their surroundings. In the fourth symphony, this lightness of touch imbues the whole work. Mahler reduced the massive orchestra to a more normal size, even going so far as to dispense with the trombones completely. And where the third symphony lasts over an hour and a half, the fourth lasts a more normal 45 to 50 minutes.

The symphony opens with jingling sleigh bells (which we will hear again in the finale) and a lovely folk style tune for the violins. After exploring this tune, Mahler introduces a rich and warm second subject on the cellos. The development is based on both of these tunes and the sleigh ride, and eventually works up to a military and grim climax. This collapses, and dissolves to nothing - after which the opening theme returns, just as if nothing had happened at all! This remarkable moment highlights the real strangeness of this symphony; it is not that there are no shadows and terrors, but they are seen as though by a child - real and terrifying for a moment, but then gone and forgotten.

The scherzo is another strange movement. It is basically a Landler, a German country dance, with a solo violin leading the orchestra along like a slightly sinister Pied Piper. The leader is instructed to tune her violin a tone higher than normal, and to play "like a fiddle" - i.e. like a country dance band musician. This, when combined with the rather disjointed melody Mahler writes, gives the movement a hard, strained sound, and a jerky puppet like quality. A contrasting trio section, which appears twice, seems to offer a clearer and happier view of what a country dance should be.

The slow movement opens with some of the loveliest music Mahler - or anyone else - ever wrote. In form it is a set of variations, though this is not obvious to the ear, since the various key and tempo changes are handled so naturally. Towards the end, a glorious blazing climax anticipates the theme of the finale.

The finale introduces the soprano solo, whose nine stanzas of poetry are punctuated three times by the chirping refrain which opened the whole symphony. The mood is calm, the fears and nightmares from earlier are veiled, and the symphony ends with tranquil reassurance.

Heavenly Joys
All heavenly joys are ours, pleasures of earth we disdain. No worldly strife mars our sweet heavenly life. We live here in sweetest peace. We lead an angelic life, yet are merry as can be. We dance and we spring, we jump and we sing while St.Peter in heaven looks on.
Orchestral refrain
The lamb we have from St.John. Herod the butcher will be. We lead the meek, the innocent and meek little lamb to its death. St.Luke slaughters the oxen without any worry or heed. The wine costs us naught from our heavenly draught and the angels bake us our bread.
Orchestral refrain
Fine vegetables grow in the garden of heaven. Good asparagus, beans, and whatever we please. Whole plates of them wait to be eaten. Good apples, good pears, good grapes! The gardeners give what we wish. And roebucks and hares run into our arms here in the open streets. And when there is a fast-day the fish come swarming in. St.Peter he runs with net and with bait to fish in the heavenly pond. St.Martha must cook the catch.
Orchestral refrain
On earth there is no music to be compared with ours; eleven thousand virgins make bold to dance. St.Ursula smiles on the scene. Cecilia, her kith and her kin, play like a royal band, and choirs of angels lift up our spirits to the highest of heavenly joys.
From Des Knaben Wunderhorn