By 2003, the cycle was in full swing. They had already released blistering accounts of the First and Fifth. But the Fourth Symphony presented a unique challenge. It is Mahler’s most deceptive work. On the surface, it is a return to childhood innocence—a 25-minute first movement of sleigh bells and birdcalls, a scherzo of fiddling death (lead by concertmaster Alexander Barantschik playing a scordatura violin), a slow movement of serene depth, and a finale featuring a soprano singing a child’s vision of Heaven.
Then came the third movement. Ruhevoll (Peaceful). By 2003, the cycle was in full swing
: MTT is praised for balancing "innocence and sophistication," particularly in the first movement. His interpretation is described as warm, lucid, and luminous, avoiding the "mannered" rubato often found in other Mahlerian readings. Movement Highlights I. Bedächtig It is Mahler’s most deceptive work