Symphony No. 4 in G major was completed in 1900 by Austro-Bohemian composer Gustav Mahler (1860 - 1911). It is one of the shortest of Mahler's symphonies and one that divides the fanbase: it is usually ranked near the top or near the bottom of his symphonies. For me, this was my introduction to Mahler, and I love it more than any other of the numbered symphonies. It is a four movement symphony, with a soprano solo in the final, presenting a child's vision of Heaven. For me the soprano makes or breaks the performance - it is not easy to convey the feelings of a child while you are up there with a complete orchestra behind you... The average playing time is 55 minutes (AllMusic). I have over sixty versions (it got a bit out of hand), but all things considered I would still choose the very first CD I bought of this masterpiece: the version by the Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam under Bernard Haitink with the magnificent Elly Ameling on a Philips CD.
