The Symphony No. 1 in D major by Gustav Mahler, often known by its nickname Titan, was written between 1884 and 1888.
The symphony is written for an orchestra consisting of four flutes, two piccolos, four oboes, a cor anglais, three clarinets, bass clarinet, bassoon, double bassoon, seven French horns, four trumpets, three trombones, a tuba, two timpani, a bass drum, cymbals, triangle, tambourine, harp and string instruments.
In its final form, the symphony has four movements:
- Langsam, Schleppend (Slowly, dragging)
- Kräftig bewegt (Moving strongly) - a Ländler
- Feierlich und gemessen (Solemnly and measured) - a funeral march based on the children's song "Frere Jacques"
- Stürmisch bewegt (Moving stormily)
Under this original five-movement scheme, the work was envisioned by Mahler as a large symphonic poem, and he wrote a programme to describe the piece. It was divided into two parts, the first consisting of the first two movements of the symphony as it is now known plus the Blumine, and the second consisting of the other two movements. The programme was influenced in large part by the novelist Jean Paul, whose novel Titan gave the piece its later nickname.
The work includes a number of themes from Mahler's song cycle Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (1883-85).
The piece was first published in 1898, and in 1906 an arrangement by Bruno Walter for piano four hands (two players at one piano) was published.
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