Instrumentation
As is usual practice for Mahler, the symphony is written for large orchestral forces consisting of the following:
- Woodwinds
- 4 Flutes (all 4 doubling Piccolos)
- 4 Oboes (Ob. 4 doubling Cor anglais)
- 3 Clarinets in B-flat, A (Cl. 3 doubling Bass Clarinet)
- 2 E-flat clarinets (E-flat Cl. 2 doubling B-flat Cl. 4) (E-flat Cl. 1 reinforced in fifth movement when possible)
- 4 Bassoons (Bsn. 4 doubling Contrabassoon)
- Brass
- 8 Horns in F
- 4 Trumpets in F, B-flat (if possible 2 extra high trumpets for reinforcement)
- 4 Trombones
- Tuba
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- Percussion
- Timpani (2 players)
- Bass Drum
- Snare Drum
- Cymbals
- Tambourine
- Tam-tam
- Triangle
- Rute or "Switch"
- 2 Glockenspiels1
- Voices (on stage)
- Alto solo (used in fourth and fifth movements)
- "In the distance"
- Post horn in B-flat (sometimes substituted by a Flugelhorn) (used in third movement)
- Several Snare Drums (used in first movement)
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- "In a high gallery"
- Four to six Tuned Bells (or Tubular Bells) (used in fifth movement)
- Women's Choir (used in fifth movement)
- Boys' Choir (used in fifth movement)
- Strings
- 2 harps
"Very large complements of all strings":
- Violins I, II
- Violas
- Violoncellos
- Double basses (Some with low C extensions)
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1The 2 Glockenspiel parts may be played by two percussionists on one instrument. Today's mallet technique allows the part to be performed by one player holding two mallets in each hand.