The first movement embraces a loose sonata form. The key areas provide a continuation of the tonal juxtaposition displayed in earlier works (notably Symphonies No. 6 and No. 7). The work opens with a hesitant, syncopated rhythmic motif (which Leonard Bernstein suggested is a depiction of Mahler's irregular heartbeat ), which is heard throughout the movement.
| Date of composition | 1909 (1908-1909) |
| Premiered | 1912, June 26th in Vienna, Austria |
| First published | 1912, Universal Edition in Vienna, Austria |
| Type | Symphony |
| Tonality | D Major |
| Approx. duration | 85 minutes |
| Instruments | Orchestra |
| Autotranslations beta |
Gustav Mahler: Symphonie n°9 en ré majeur Gustav Mahler: Sinfonia n. 9 in re maggiore Gustav Mahler: Sinfonie Nr. 9 D-dur |