Michael Anderson and the microphilharmonic present Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 4 in G major, arranged for chamber ensemble.
Mahler described the Fourth Symphony as the conclusion to the "perfectly self-contained tetralogy" of his first four symphonies: the First depicts heroic suffering and triumph; the Second explores death and resurrection; the Third contemplates existence and God; and the Fourth, as an extension of the Third's ideas, explores life in heaven. The piece builds throughout on his 1892 song "Das himmlische Leben" ("The Heavenly Life"), which presents a child's vision of heaven and is sung by a soprano in the symphony's Finale.
Received negatively on its 1901 premiere because of its complicated and unusual form, the symphony enjoyed continued attention over subsequent decades—in part, opined British musicologist Donald Mitchell, because of its accessibility—and contributed significantly to Mahler's increasing post-WWII reputation.
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| 2 In gemächlicher Bewegung, ohne Hast |