The second movement, a scherzo titled Freund Hein spielt auf (Friend Death strikes up), introduces a macabre dance. The concertmaster is called upon to retune their violin to sound harsher and more eerie, representing the dance of death. The San Francisco Symphony’s strings handle this transition with aplomb, creating a texture that is unsettling yet undeniably virtuosic. MTT navigates the shifting moods—from the ghostly to the grotesque—with a deft hand, ensuring the irony lands without overwhelming the music’s lyricism.
The and Michael Tilson Thomas (MTT) delivered a definitive account of Mahler: Symphony No. 4 , originally recorded live at Davies Symphony Hall in September 2003 . Released as part of their acclaimed, multi-Grammy-winning Mahler cycle, this recording is frequently cited for its warmth, lucidity, and demonstration-class audio quality. Performance Highlights The second movement, a scherzo titled Freund Hein
This 2003 recording of represents an ideal entry point to that cycle. Unlike the sprawling cosmic dramas of Mahler’s later symphonies, No. 4 is intimate, neoclassical in structure, and seen through a child’s vision of heaven. Composed primarily in 1899-1900, it is the most optimistic and classically scaled of his symphonies, yet it still carries Mahler’s signature irony—a heavenly joy that never quite forgets earthly sorrow. MTT navigates the shifting moods—from the ghostly to
On standard streaming, the voice blends into the orchestral tutti. On the 2003 lossless track, you hear the subtle intake of breath, the shaping of the German vowels ( Freuden , Englein ), and the way MTT holds the orchestra back just 5 dB to let her float above. This is not a singer fighting a wall of brass; it is a heavenly duet between soprano and celesta. On the 2003 lossless track
: Tilson Thomas approaches the Fourth—Mahler’s most tuneful and "upbeat" symphony—with a mix of luminous clarity and underlying shadow. Critics have praised the "silkiness" of the third-movement Adagio, calling it a high point of the entire SFS cycle.