Symphony No. 9

The large-scale form of Symphony No. 9 is unusual in a number of ways. It reminds in no way of the ninth symphonies of famous predecessors. Two slow movements, an Andante comodo at the beginning and an Adagio at the end, form the frame for two of the most parodistic and embittered inner movements that Mahler ever wrote - a ländler-waltz combination, and the 'Rondo-Burleske', a bitter, ironic movement that is derisively dedicated 'to my brothers in Apollo'.

The most extraordinary part of Mahler's last completed symphony must certainly be the slow finale - a 20-minute long intensively singing movement laden with conflict that includes references to earlier works by Mahler, in slow motion as it were (Urlicht, Ablösung im Sommer, the Scherzo of Symphony No. 3, Der Abschied from Das Lied von der Erde, and Oft denk' ich, sie sind nur ausgegangen from the Kindertotenlieder); it indeed seems that a circle is being closed. (Reinhold Kubik)

Instrumentation: 5 4 5 4 - 4 3 3 1 - timp(2), perc(4), hp(2), str