The Symphony No. 4 in G major by Gustav Mahler was composed from 1899
to 1900, incorporating a song that he wrote in 1892. That song, "Das
himmlische Leben", presents a child's vision of heaven and is sung by a
soprano in the symphony's fourth and final movement. The Fourth Symphony
was both smaller in orchestration and shorter in length than Mahler's
earlier symphonies. The premiere was performed in Munich on 25 November
1901 by the Kaim Orchestra conducted by the composer. It was met with
negative audience and critical reception over the work's confusing
intentions and perceived inferiority to the Second Symphony. The work
received its American and British premieres in 1904 and 1905,
respectively. After Mahler's death, the symphony continued to receive
performances under conductors such as Willem Mengelberg and Bruno
Walter. Its first recording was a 1930 Japanese rendition conducted by
Hidemaro Konoye that was also the first electrical recording of any
Mahler symphony.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._4_%28Mahler%29>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1792:
Thomas Hardy founded the London Corresponding Society to seek a
"radical reform of parliament", later influencing the reform movements
of early-19th-century England.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Corresponding_Society>
1917:
Serving as an armed merchant cruiser, HMS Laurentic (depicted
in merchant service) was sunk by German mines off the northern coast of
Ireland, resulting in 354 deaths.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Laurentic_%281908%29>
1967:
South Vietnamese junta leader Nguyễn Cao Kỳ fired rival
Nguyễn Hữu Có while the latter was overseas on a diplomatic visit.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nguy%E1%BB%85n_H%E1%BB%AFu_C%C3%B3>
1995:
A team of Norwegian and American scientists launched a Black
Brant XII sounding rocket, which was mistaken for a Trident missile by
Russian forces.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_rocket_incident>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
Burns night:
An event held on the evening of 25th January in celebration of the
Scottish poet and lyricist Robert Burns (born on that day in 1759),
usually involving Scottish foods and recitals of his poetry.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Burns_night>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Here on this ring of grass we have sat together, bound by the
tremendous power of some inner compulsion. The trees wave, the clouds
pass. The time approaches when these soliloquies shall be shared. We
shall not always give out a sound like a beaten gong as one sensation
strikes and then another. Children, our lives have been gongs striking;
clamour and boasting; cries of despair; blows on the nape of the neck in
gardens.
--Virginia Woolf
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Virginia_Woolf>