Symphony No. 7 in Full Score, Paperback

Among the most popular of Mahler's symphonic works, the 7th Symphony has neither a ``program`` nor a folk-song theme. It is a purely instrumental composition, both hopeful and romantic in feeling. The restrained mood and thematic economy of the symphony make it one of the least extravagant of the composer's works; it is also one of the most enjoyable.
Despite the lack of a ``program`` for the 7th, some critics profess to find that ``a good case can be made out for the symphony as a whole having been consciously built round the poetic idea of nocturnal nature, progressing through various shades of darkness`` (``New Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians``). Now musicians and music lovers can make their own determination by studying this inexpensive edition of the complete score, reprinted from the authoritative German edition of 1909.