MAHLER'S Symphonies II, III and IV represent a symphonic trilogy
reflecting the composer's struggle for a lasting religious belief and
ultimate finding of it in the victory of love and forgiveness over doubt
and fear. These works stand in the closest relationship to each other,
not only because they share the same philosophical outlook, expressed
by similar musical means, but also because in every one of them a poem
from Des Knaben Wunderhorn occupies a central position, determining
the emotional and religious approach and expressing Mahler's faith
in resurrection and eternal life through the power of all-conquering
love. In Symphony II this message emanates from the simple words
of an ancient song, Urlicht (Primeval Light), and a devotional hymn by
Klopstock. In Symphony III it is the cheerful message of a multi-
tude of angelic voices ( 'Es sungen drei Engel einen süssen Gesang')
dispelling the introspective gloom of the contralto's solo to words
from Nietzsche Zarathustra and announcing to repentant sinners the
childlike glories of the celestial city of eternal forgiveness. This child-
like dream of plenty and of eternal rejoicing should originally have
formed the seventh movement of Symphony III in its first draft. It
was eventually replaced by the final Adagio--now the Symphony's
sixth movement, a purely instrumental piece--and transferred to
Symphony IV, where it now forms the fourth and last movement
(the soprano solo 'Wir geniessen die himmlischen Freuden'). This
interdependence, especially between Symphonies III and IV, becomes
evident from the fact that they share thematic material to a considerable
extent. The motives used for the 'celestial joys' in the finale of
Symphony IV are anticipated in the angels' song (fifth movement)
of Symphony III and occur already in the second movement (tempo
di minuetto) at cue 5.

Each work in this symphonic trilogy culminates in a devotional
song from the Wunderhorn. In addition, Symphonies II and III
contain an instrumental movement based on a Wunderhorn song and

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