Symphony No. 4 / “Adagietto” from Symphony No. 5

Album by Gustav Mahler & London Philharmonic Orchestra & Lucia Popp & Klaus Tennstedt

Symphony No. 4 and the slow movement from Symphony No. 5 are orchestral works by Gustav Mahler, completed in 1901 and 1902 respectively. They exemplify Mahler's late-Romantic aesthetic, with the slow Fifth movement characterised by predominantly string textures and chamber-like intimacy often performed separately, while the Fourth employs lighter, more transparent orchestration and concludes with a soprano vocal finale, reflecting the composer's movement between expansive symphonic architecture and song-influenced expression.