Symphony No. 6 in A minor was completed in 1904 by Austro-Bohemian composer Gustav Mahler (1860 - 1911). It is sometimes called "The Tragic" (not by Mahler himself), which fits the general mood of the piece (including the hammer blows in the final movement), even though this was actually a particularly happy time for Mahler. The symphony is in four movements, but endless confusion arose over the sequence of the second and third: scherzo/andante or andante/scherzo, with recordings divided over the two options. The average playing time is 81 minutes (AllMusic). I have over twenty versions and not a clear favourite; to acknowledge his excellent Mahler symphony cycle, I have opted for the Bavaria Radio Symphony Orchestra under Rafael Kubelik on a Deutsche Grammophon CD.
