Mahler completed his Fourth Symphony in 1900, just three years
after his appointment as Director at the Vienna Court Opera. The
first four of Mahler's symphonies had all been all closely linked
with songs: the First with the Lieder eines fahrenden gesellen
(Songs of a Wayfarer), and the Second, Third and Fourth with
the anthology based on the folk poems gathered under the collective
title Des Knaben Wunderhorn (Youth's Magic Horn). Therefore
these works were linked both psychologically and spiritually;
and in fact the song-finale of the Fourth Symphony, the Wunderhorn
song Das Himmlische Leben (The Heavenly Life), was originally
conceived as the seventh and final movement of the huge Third
Symphony. Even though Mahler rejected this initial plan, fragments
of the song were quoted in the fifth movement of the Third: 'What
the Angels tell me'.
It
is the finale, the 'Child's view of Heaven', which must be regarded
as the creative starting point for the Fourth Symphony, not
only psychologically but also structurally, since its material
pervades the remainder of the work. Accordingly, by Mahler's
standards the orchestra is relatively modest. There are only
four or five horns (in the Third there were eight), trombones
and tuba are omitted altogether; and aside from four flutes,
two of whom double piccolos, there are triple woodwinds, along
with harp, strings, and a large and varied percussion section.
The
nature of the orchestration goes beyond the composer's natural
preference for chamber textures. For here he intended a lightness
of tone in keeping with the music’s pastoral vision, which relates
to the naivety of the poem of the finale. The 'Child's view
of Heaven' was an important image to Mahler, both since it reflected
a new approach to the ‘essential question’, and since it was
so close to his own experience, as the second of fourteen children,
of whom the majority died in infancy or childhood.
Since
the song-finale is so important to the symphony, so too is the
nature of the performance it receives from the soprano. Mojca
Erdmann sings beautifully, conveying the charm and naivety that
lies at the heart of this Wunderhorn song. After all,
where else in the musical world would you encounter beans, asparagus
and eleven thousand virgins? This is a competitive field when
it comes to recordings, finding room for the somewhat matronly
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (with Klemperer, EMI Classics 7243 5 67035
2) and the bold though unauthentic choice of the boy soprano
Helmut Wittek of the Tolz Boys’ Choir (with Bernstein, DG 00289
477 5179). See the MusicWeb comprehensive
survey of recordings of the symphony by Tony Duggan.
Jonathan Nott’s performance of the Fourth Symphony with the Bamberg
Symphony Orchestra makes a strong impression in the context
of what is a distinguished and impressive recorded legacy. The
Tudor SACD recording does full justice to Mahler’s meticulous
and colourful orchestration. Nowhere is the concept of writing
for ‘a series of chamber orchestras’ more apparent than in this
symphony, and the recorded sound brings the performance to life
with admirable clarity, depth and balance. The Bamberg players
show themselves as members of an ensemble of international calibre.
The first movement is clear and sprightly, though not rushed, while
the second has the orchestral leader’s devilish violin, tuned
up a tone in line with Mahler’s instructions, ideally placed:
prominent but not over-lit. The rhythmic subtleties of this
movement are expertly handled.
The slow movement,
as usual in a great symphony, is the heart of the work. There
is a true pianissimo when required, allowing for a full dynamic
range and a shattering climax towards the end of the movement
when Mahler arrives at ‘the opening of the gates of Heaven’. This
in turn winds down to the song finale.
Few symphonies are more fully represented in the catalogue than Mahler’s
Fourth. This new recording can hold a noble place among them,
and with such excellent recorded sound, it moves towards the
top of the list of recommendations.
Terry Barfoot
[55:29] 
