Gustav Mahler composed his Sixth Symphony in 1903 and 1904, and conducted the premiere performance himself in 1906.
Even though it has been nicknamed the “Tragic” symphony, Mahler wrote it during one of the happiest times of his life. The nickname came later and didn’t originate with Mahler. Still, it has persisted possibly buoyed by the fatalistic nature of the ending and the endless debate about the execution of the “Mahler hammer blows.”
The “hammer” listed in the score is played two or three times depending on the conductor’s interpretation. The original score calls for a sound Mahler described as, "brief and mighty, but dull in resonance and with a non-metallic character (like the fall of an axe).” It signifies three mighty blows of fate to the hero, "the third of which fells him like a tree." In a subsequent revision, he removed the third hammer blow leaving a Christo-like experience of absence in its place for the listener.
Symphony No. 6 is in four movements and lasts about 80 minutes. The two inner movements – Scherzo and Andante moderato – are sometimes played in reverse order. The original score and publication had the Scherzo first, but Mahler himself performed the Andante first and the two subsequent publications of the score had it in that order as well.
Mahler’s score calls for a large orchestra: 4 flutes and piccolo, 4 oboes and English horn, 3 clarinets, E-flat clarinet, and bass clarinet, 4 bassoons and contra bassoon, 8 horns, 6 trumpets, 4 trombones, tuba, 6 timpani, bass drum, snare drum, cymbals, triangle, cowbells, hammer, tam-tam, rute, deep untuned bells, glockenspiel, xylophone, celesta, 2 harps, and the usual string section of violins, violas, cellos, and basses.