Mahler: Symphony No. 4 in G Major (Erwin Stein Arrangement)

Featuring

Jean Deroyer
Zoe Nicolaidou
Orchestre Régional de Normandie
Gustav Mahler

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Performer Biography

Jean Deroyer, the conductor, enrolled at the Paris Conservatoire at age 15, where he earned five first prizes, and has conducted numerous symphony orchestras worldwide.

Composer Biography

Gustav Mahler, the composer, had one of the most prestigious conducting careers in history, serving as musical director for operas in Prague, Leipzig, Hamburg, and Vienna before moving to the United States.

Composition History

Mahler's Fourth Symphony, written between 1899 and 1900, was his first symphony composed after his appointment as head of the Vienna Opera in 1897, marking a return to his native land.

Interpretation

This recording features Gustav Mahler's Fourth Symphony in a transcription for 12 instruments and soprano by Austrian composer Erwin Stein (1885-1958), a near-contemporary of Mahler.

Compositional Technique

The Fourth Symphony is built around a pre-existing Lied, 'Das himmlische Leben' (Heavenly Life), which serves as the finale, with the entire symphony structured to lead to this song.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Mahler viewed his symphonies as complete 'worlds' where he applied all his expertise, even incorporating operatic elements despite never writing an opera himself.

Recording & Production

Erwin Stein's 1920 transcription of Mahler's Fourth Symphony, recorded for the first time in 1999, makes the work accessible to smaller ensembles and highlights its structural and compositional aspects.