Season Four

Season Four
"The Heavenly Life"
Mahler's Fourth Symphony

Season 4 focuses on Mahler’s Fourth Symphony in G major (1899-1900), which charts the journey of the soul from its earthly life to a heavenly one.

Listen to the Season 4 trailer here:

Stream the full episodes below, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Season 4 of Embrace Everything – The World of Gustav Mahler was made possible by generous support from The Kaplan Foundation, Michael Hindus and Lynne Withey, Bonnie Ward Simon, and all our subscribers on Patreon and Fractured Atlas. Support also came from the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center. Read more »

Episode 1: "Mahler's Laughter"

Mahler’s Fourth Symphony is his most playful composition, and one that he originally called a “Symphonic Humoresque.” Read more »

Episode 2: "Freund Hein Strikes Up the Dance"

In the second movement of Mahler’s Fourth Symphony, we begin our journey toward heaven. Read more »

Episode 3: "St. Ursula's Smile"

In the third movement of his Fourth Symphony, Mahler introduces a different kind of humor, one that inspires both laughter and tears at the same time. Read more »

Episode 4: "The Heavenly Life"

Mahler composed the song “The Heavenly Life” in 1892, seven years before using it as the last movement of his Fourth Symphony. Read more »

Episode 5: "The Premiere of Mahler's Fourth Symphony"

Mahler premiered his Fourth Symphony in 1901. In this episode we learn how audiences and critics responded to the new work. Read more »

Bonus Episode: "Seven Themes"

Pianist and composer D.D. Jackson identifies and contextualizes the seven themes of the first movement of Mahler's Fourth Symphony. Read more »

Bonus Episode: "Looking Ahead to Season 5"

Host and Producer Aaron Cohen shares excerpts of his early research into Mahler’s Fifth Symphony as he begins production on Season 5. Read more »

Support Embrace Everything

Join the Embrace Everything community by supporting us on Patreon. Read more »

The Cast of Season 4

Dramatic Cast:
• James Lurie as the voice of Gustav Mahler
• Laura Gragtmans as the voice of Natalie Bauer-Lechner
• Dominic Comperatore as the voice of Bruno Walter
• Jack Berenholtz as the voice of Paul Bekker
• Dan Barnett as the voice of Jean Paul Richter
• Shanade Hernandez as the voice of Mahler’s Angel
• Jeff Spurgeon as the voice of “The Critic”
• Robert Fass as the voice of Siegfried Lipiner
• Billy Lyons as the voice of Arthur Schopenhauer
• Paul Hecht as the voice of Friedrich Nietzsche
• David Rapkin as the voice of E.T.A. Hoffmann
• P.J. Ochlan as the voice of Alfred Roller

Special Guest:
• Marina Mahler, Granddaughter of Gustav Mahler and President of the Mahler Foundation

Conductors:
• William Henry Curry, Music Director, Durham Symphony Orchestra
• Kent Nagano, General Music Director of the Hamburg State Opera, and Chief Conductor of the Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra
• Sir Simon Rattle, Chief Conductor of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

Musicians:
• David Bilger, Former Principal Trumpet, Philadelphia Orchestra
• Carter Brey, Principal Cello, New York Philharmonic
• Miriam Pastor Burgos, Solo English Horn, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam
• Stefan Dohr, Principal Horn, Berlin Philharmonic
• Thomas Hampson, Foremost Baritone & Opera Star
• D.D. Jackson, Jazz and Classical Pianist & Emmy-winning Composer
• Juliette Kang - First Associate Concertmaster, Philadelphia Orchestra
• Christopher Martin, Principal Trumpet, New York Philharmonic
• Albrecht Mayer, Principal Oboe, Berlin Philharmonic
• Anthony McGill, Principal Clarinet, New York Philharmonic
• Paul Merkelo, Principal Trumpet, Montreal Symphony Orchestra
• Emmanuel Pahud, Principal Flute, Berlin Philharmonic
• Michael Sachs, Principal Trumpet, Cleveland Orchestra
• Richard Woodhams, Former Principal Oboe, Philadelphia Orchestra
• Cynthia Yeh, Principal Percussion, Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Music Scholars:
• Caroline Kita, Washington University in St. Louis
• Marilyn McCoy, Columbia University, New York
• Fred Plotkin, Author and Lecturer based in New York

Literature Scholars:
• Paul Fleming, Cornell University, Ithaca
• Ioannis Konstantakos, University of Athens, Greece
• Joanna Neilly, Oxford University, England

Prior Seasons

Season One - Mahler's First Symphony

Season 1 focuses on Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in D major (1888), taking listeners back to the work’s origins in the street songs, folk tunes, and bugle calls of Mahler’s childhood. Listen here »

Season Two - Mahler's Second Symphony

Season 2 focuses on Mahler’s Second Symphony in C minor (1888-1894), delving into Mahler’s gigantic musical exploration of life, death, and what lies beyond. Listen here »

Season Three - Mahler's Third Symphony

Season 3 focuses on Mahler’s Third Symphony in D minor (1895-1896), exploring Mahler’s unique perspective on the different orders of being, from lifeless matter to highest consciousness. Listen here »

Mahler & the Maestro

Leonard Bernstein had an affinity for the music of Gustav Mahler. In this special episode we find out why. Listen here »