GUSTAV MAHLER

Symphonie no 4

This symphony is unique in Mahler's work. Much smaller scale, no great "special" orchestral effects, a relative economy of means. On the surface the tone is much less dramatic, less ambitious, yet the seemingly pleasant discourse gradually becomes uncomfortable, creating a subtle sense of malaise.
The 1st movement opens as an apparently sweet piece of music, very amiable, sugary, like a Viennese Waltz. Too sweet even, soon something feels off, a growing malaise, which increases through the central development section. The "nice" themes are slowly distorted and weaved into escalating tension, as if something was horribly wrong under the veneer. But it's unclear how to feel about this. Is this still a cute piece of music, or is something horrible at work behind the scenes? The contrast between the nice decorative themes and the increasing tension escalates the development to an ambiguous climax, which culminates with the recap of a crude German folksong (As usual, anything can happen in a Mahler Symphony).
Then, in only a few bars, Mahler brings us back to the reexposition of the mundane beginning, but now, the malaise is only too apparent, and one can no longer hear the music in the same way.
Rarely (even for Mahler) is the effect of the music so complex and ambiguous, so puzzling...