Mahler Symphony No. 4 - Intro - Listening Guide

The Symphony No. 4 in G major by Gustav Mahler was written in 1899 and 1900, though it incorporates a song originally written in 1892. The song, “Das himmlische Leben”, presents a child’s vision of Heaven. It is sung by a soprano in the work’s fourth and last movement. Although typically described as being in the key of G major, the symphony employs a progressive tonal scheme (‘(b)/G–E’).Mahler’s first four symphonies are often referred to as the “Wunderhorn” symphonies because many of their ...