Symphony no. 4 / Blumine

Album by Gustav Mahler & Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest & Hartmut Haenchen

Symphony No. 4 and the orchestral piece Blumine are works by Austrian composer Gustav Mahler, with the symphony completed in 1900 and first performed in 1901 while Blumine dates from the 1880s. The symphony occupies a place in Mahler's late-Romantic output and is characterised by comparatively transparent orchestration and a compact four-movement design culminating in a vocal finale that blends symphonic and song-like elements, whereas Blumine reflects an earlier, lighter orchestral manner that sheds light on the composer's stylistic development between his youthful and mature works.